Simone Biles Leaves Nike for Partnership with Women-Based Athleta Brand
By: Kayla Pasacreta
Simone Biles, photo via Reuters
Congratulations are in order to Simone Biles, the most decorated American gymnast in history, who continues to make money moves! In a Friday announcement, Biles shared that she would be ending her six-year partnership with Nike to join the GAP-owned Athleta, a much smaller and women-focused athletic brand.
Ahead of the partnership being announced Friday, Simone Biles teased the partnership by wearing a white Athleta shirt during a Thursday night appearance on Jimmy Fallon.
Photo via Andrew Lipovsky/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
In a statement to the Wall Street Journal, Biles explained the reasoning behind the move,
I felt like it wasn’t just about my achievements, it’s what I stood for and how they were going to help me use my voice and also be a voice for females and kids. I feel like they also support me, not just as an athlete, but just as an individual outside of the gym and the change that I want to create, which is so refreshing.
Athleta’s brand size is much smaller to Nike’s, whose market value is at $205 billion, compared to GAP’s $12 billion. This makes the partnership a huge “get” for Athleta. According to CBS News, Biles will focus on Athleta Girl, a line of athletic wear for girls, including creating a signature line of clothing for younger consumers.
In an Instagram post, Biles expressed her excitement to work with a brand focused on women and girls, as well as social activism. "They are committed to diversity and inclusion, which was really important for me to see in a partner," adding that "They have a team that's primarily women, and that's how they design their products."
Athleta is said to be a B-corporation, meaning that the business is pledged to focus on social justice as well as profits. Athleta was founded in 1998 and branded as "by women for women." Athleta's workforce is 97 percent female, it said, and the company is said to be focused on diversity, inclusion and representation for all. She told Wall Street Journal that the brand aligns with what she stands for,
“Now that I’m older and kind of in the world a little bit more, I see and I know and I learn and I grow from things, so to partner with Athleta, I think they stand for everything that I stand for.”
According to Athleta and Wall Street Journal, Biles would have a platform to be an activist for women and girls as part of the deal.
