Beyoncé Knowles’ athleisure range has secret underlining

The 34-year-old ‘Formation’ hitmaker who unveiled her Ivy Park Spring/Summer 2016 sportswear collection with Sir Philip Green, the Chairman of the Arcadia Group, last Friday (31.03.16), has revealed the active wear line was designed with an “invisible” body controlling inner-lining and was inspired by elements in men’s clothes.

Speaking to Elle magazine about the range, which boasts 200 pieces, the former Destiny’s Child vocalist said: “There’s an invisible underlining in our garments that sucks you in and lifts your bottom so that when you’re on a bike, or when you’re running or jumping, you don’t feel that extra reverb. And there are little things like where a top hits under your arms and all of the areas on a top hits under your arms and all of the areas on a woman’s body we’re constantly working on.

“I was so specific about the things I feel I need in a garment as a curvy woman and just as a woman in general, so you feel safe and covered but also sexy. Everything lifts and sucks in your waist and enhances the female form.

“We mixed in some features found in men’s sportswear that I wished were interpreted into girls’ clothes.”

Beyoncé – who named the range after her four-year-old daughter Blue Ivy, her child with husband Jay Z – insists using the right fabric was essential to the design process to make the garments more durable and withstand her energetic performances and workouts.

She explained: “I knew the engineering of the fabric and the fit had to be the first priority.

“Because I’ve spent my life training and rehearsing, I was very particular about what I wanted. I’m sweating , I’m doing flip flops – so we designed a high-waist legging that’s flattering when you’re rally moving around and pushing yourself.

“We worked on the straps, making them more durable for maximum support. But the foundation for me is the fit and the engineering of technically advanced, breathable fabrics.”

Even though the garments are ready to hit the shops. Beyoncé still can’t get to grips with the launch of her latest venture, and won’t accept it until she witnesses women wearing her Ivy Park creations.

She said: “It won’t be real until I see women at the gym, in the park, on the street wearing the collection, sweating in it and loving it.”