Five Irish brands revolutionising the athleisure space

Ruth O’Connor speaks to co-founder and CEO of Gym + Coffee Niall Horgan about going international, striving for sustainability and certain celebrity investors
Five Irish brands revolutionising the athleisure space

Five Irish brands revolutionising the athleisure space

Niall Horgan may be based in Dublin with his wife Orlaith and his two little girls, but he’s a Kerry Pike Corkman through and through. 

“Our office might be based on Golden Lane in Dublin,” he says with a grin. “But with the two of us from Cork we are up and down regularly – we wouldn’t want to lose the accent you know?”

With almost 50 people working in head office, and 130 people employed in 12 retail stores across Ireland and the UK, it’s safe to say that Horgan and his co-founders Karl Swaine and Diarmuid McSweeney have a lot at stake as they grow Gym+Coffee to become one of the most recognisable brands in Ireland.

Founded in 2017, Horgan admits that being thrown two major curveballs in the form of Brexit and the pandemic has not been a cakewalk. While initially an online business, the brand now has stores across Ireland and in Belfast, Manchester and Liverpool.

 Niall Horgan, co-founder of GYM+COFFEE athletic leisurewear clothing brand. Irish Examiner WEEKEND Feature. Pic: Larry Cummins
Niall Horgan, co-founder of GYM+COFFEE athletic leisurewear clothing brand. Irish Examiner WEEKEND Feature. Pic: Larry Cummins

“It has been tough,” admits Horgan. “The first few years in business are always difficult – throw a pandemic and Brexit in on top of that. 

"Operationally we’ve had to set up a distribution centre in the UK rather than sending the product from here and having to pay import duty into the UK. So there have been some headaches like that.”

While Gym+Coffee and its logoed hoodies may be instantly recognisable to an Irish consumer, its familiarity and Irishness surely has less resonance to consumers in Britain?

“It’s still really early days there, so customers don’t have the same level of awareness and we don’t have the same number of years under our belts as we have in Ireland, so we are back at the start-up stage over there,” says Horgan. 

“We are trying to do what we did here and retail stores are a big part of that. We try to have a strong online presence but the point of difference for us is building a strong community around the business and there’s no quick way to do that.”

This aspect of things has been very important to the success of Gym+Coffee who have hosted over 300 events to date allowing people to socialise and exercise together. 

“We couldn’t do that in lockdown, so we’ve only had a few events like that in the UK, albeit some of them very big. It took a couple of years to get that right in Ireland and we’re hoping that it will follow there too.”

Horgan describes the UK market as a “big opportunity” but a “big challenge” for the brand and stresses that they have been absolutely blown away by the support of customers in Ireland since the brand’s inception. In the UK however, Gym+Coffee is just another international brand betting on the strength of its product and brand values to help it compete.

“We are essentially an international brand in that space but the foundation of everything is top quality, versatile products that people will enjoy. 

"Hopefully there is a transaction with a brand that matches their values, emphasises the importance of exercise and tries to do that in a social setting. Us being an Irish brand is less important in the UK than it is here.”

The sportswear and athleisure categories are very competitive with intense competition from iconic brands such as Nike, Adidas and Lululemon. 

How can a relatively small Irish brand compete against such behemoths?

“We have to make sure our product is top quality in terms of how long it lasts but also in terms of how often it can be worn – working out or chilling out – and we think that we can go toe to toe with the big brands,” says Horgan. 

He mentions the importance of price inclusivity (women’s hoodies start at €70). 

“We try to be as inclusive as possible in terms of the community we are building, the ambassadors we have and our prices – so many brands are elitist so we are trying to make our product affordable.” 

Horgan agrees that selling great products is no longer enough for many consumers who want to buy from brands that align with their values as well as their pockets.

It is no longer enough for people to have a transactional arrangement with brands. It’s now also about whether the brand aligns with their values and beliefs

To this end, the company is now on a quest to gain B Corp status. B Corp certification is a designation wherein a business is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability and transparency on factors including supply chain practices, materials, employee benefits and charitable giving. 

Gym+Coffee has been carbon neutral since 2021 and, while this comes at significant financial cost to the business, Horgan says it is something that is right and that customers want now and in the future. 

The brand also partners with non-profit organisations such as the Sanctuary Runners – a social enterprise bringing together Irish and international runners including those living in Direct Provision.

More Irish athleisure labels to look out for:

Helen Steele x Dunnes Stores
Helen Steele x Dunnes Stores

Helen Steele x Dunnes Stores

The functional Helen Steele x Dunnes range is a great way to tap into Steele’s trademark colourful pattern design without the cost of her designer dresses. The range at Dunnes includes everything from leggings to swimwear. The colours of the current Berry Boost collection are inspired by the antioxidant power of berries and are perfect for winter.

Powercut 
Powercut 

POWERCUT

Founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife team Craig and Bronagh Mulhall, POWERCUT produces collections for men and women made with high quality fabrics. The brand’s mission is to ‘Deliver more power for your workouts, lifestyle and everything in between’. Performance and lifestyle collections are available for both women (Sizes UK6 to UK20) and men (Sizes XS to XL).

New Dimensions Active
New Dimensions Active

New Dimensions Active

New Dimensions Active was founded by athletes – and brother-sister duo – Jeff and Orla Hopkins. The brand ethos is based around ‘Giving people the confidence to get up and move’. The range for men and women includes leggings, tops, sports bras, shorts and accessories with a focus on performance.

Peachylean
Peachylean

Founded by Sharon Keegan, who shot to prominence when she secured funding on Dragons’ Den UK, Peachylean is on a mission to get women to ‘tame the inner critic’ whilst donning colourful clothing in sizes XS to 4XL. Peachylean’s signature piece is their high-waisted legging with ‘bum-sculpting’ heart-shaped detailing.

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