A SHORT BREAK
Kate Hudson on short cuts and her fitnesswear success
WHILE many actresses dabble in fashion design with the odd collaborative collection here or there, Kate Hudson has become a fully-fledged fitnesswear mogul with her hugely successful Fabletics brand – which later this year celebrates five years in business, and recently opened its first UK retail space.
“We like calling it a presence, because it’s not really one of our stores,” the actress explains, curled up on a chintz armchair in a posh London hotel (she’s in the city for the launch).
“My best girlfriend here, Stephanie [Burrows], opened her new studio called POPfit, so it seemed fitting that I would put some of our product in there and have a presence.”
Fabletics now has 1.2 million members – who have signed up to get monthly deliveries of workout gear – and 24 stores in America, in addition to the UK opening.
So while Kate, 38, was in town, we sat down with the actress and mum-of-two to talk all things fashion and fitness.
You’re launching the new Fabletics retail space in London at a time that’s challenging for high street retailers – why?
“Being a predominantly online brand allows us to be able to take opportunities to test the market, and what we found was that when we strategically placed stores in places where we had a lot of activity, our customers became even more engaged.
“They wanted to go to the store, they wanted to touch and feel, they wanted the shopping experience.”
Is the business your primary passion now, or are you still on the look out for great film roles?
“No, because I see it all as an extension of itself. One thing, though, that this has afforded me the ability to do is only work on the things creatively that I want to work on. So I don’t feel forced to have to make a living through acting and do things I don’t necessarily want to do.
“All the things I’m developing and doing are things I just love. But [acting] is my first and foremost - I mean, I’m a performer, that just never goes away.”
Which item of clothing do you wear most?
“There’s a couple of jumpsuits that when I’m in a hurry, I’ll just put on. Actually, funny enough, I’m wearing Stella McCartney today, and she’s my friend and everyone knows that at this point, but I love her jumpsuits. I think she makes really comfortable jumpsuits that are flattering. They aren’t form-fitting but they are flattering.”
Who has most influenced your personal style?
“I think it’s eras that make more sense in terms of what influences me. I definitely lean more towards the Seventies in terms of comfort. I’ll always love a flared jean. I think they make your legs look nice and long, and I love a flowy dress, I love a disco dress – anything from the Seventies.”
After shaving your head for a movie role, you’ve now got a blonde pixie crop – are you going to grow it out?
“I’m not dying for it to grow out, I’m enjoying it, it’s different. “I’m excited for all the different stages, and now I think it’s fun that if I know I want to cut my hair short again, I won’t be so scared to do it.”
A selection of Fabletics clothing is now available in store at POPfit studio (wearepopfit. com).
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