LOS ANGELES — Koral, the activewear brand backed by Seven For All Mankind cofounder Peter Koral, will enter the men’s space exclusively with Equinox before a broader rollout at retail.
The men’s line launches with more than 20 stockkeeping units, priced from $75 to $300 and utilizing many of the same performance fabrics seen in the women’s line, such as lightweight scuba. The men’s collection takes on a streetwear-inspired aesthetic and a color scheme of navy and taupe.
The official launch is April 30 in 19 Equinox stores for a six-month exclusive, in addition to Koral’s online shop. The collection will broaden for fall with a larger stockkeeping unit count distributed to more retailers.
“I would love if men’s could be just as big as the women’s business one day,” chief marketing officer and cofounder Marcelo Kugel said. “I think we can get a stronghold in the market and that’s why Equinox wanted to be our main partner on this because they see the opportunity for growth and then we’ve also been approached by Peloton, Barry’s Boot Camp and Net-a-porter with the launch of fall.”
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Koral helped fund the business in the beginning, fueling about $8.5 million worth of working capital. The business has now been steadily growing at a rate of 40 percent year-over-year, Kugel said.
The U.S. is the company’s largest market, but its management team also sees potential eventually in international.
The expansion into men’s comes as Koral readies for additional growth into brick-and-mortar with the company planning in roughly the next two years, the opening of locations in Los Angeles and New York.
“We want our stores to be a key destination,” Kugel said. “So when somebody comes into our store, it’s not only for our clothing.”
Men’s launches as the women’s business continues to diversify in a move that will be seen with the coming fall collection.
“We are almost five years old now. The fall line is bigger and we’ve evolved into something bigger than just ath-leisure or activewear,” said cofounder Ilana Kugel. “I’d say the brand is a sportswear line.”
She went on to cite the line’s breadth in assortment ranging from sports bras, leggings and sweatpants to outerwear, miniskirts, dresses and other pieces that transition to outerwear. The company will also eventually expand into swimwear, she added.
“What’s different from other activewear and ath-leisure brands is just my background. I went to fashion school,” she said. “I’m a designer and we follow the ready-to-wear calendar. We have four collections each year and I do have a story behind each collection.”
The company is still very aware of the case for more immediate deliveries, also dropping capsules and collaborations, the most recent of which have included work with Bandier and SoulCycle. The company’s now in talks with a ski brand for another potential collaboration.