It was the Fall of 2019 when singer and entertainer Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter dropped the trailer for her new Ivy Park collection in partnership with Adidas. In her Netflix film “Homecoming“, Beyonce teased the collaboration towards the end of the movie which left viewers like myself wondering “What’s next?”. Little did we know Adidas and Ivy Park would drop an explosive first collection, leading to several other drops exploring different themes like cow-boy western clothes and 80’s Aerobics outfits aka “Beyrobics”.
The Ivy Park Rollout
When it comes to the rollout of the first collection Adidas and Beyonce pulled out all the stops. First, the PR given to celebrities like Ellen, Cardi B, and Yara Shahidi were epic. Many of them were gifted this bright orange rolling rack of clothes from the collection. An unboxing was done on The Ellen Show, showcasing the bodysuits, biker shorts, utility jackets, and running sneakers.
I loved the color palette that was used for this collection, a deep wine purple mixed with this vibrant citrus orange and a clean, crisp cream mixed with maroon stripes. Several pieces were multi-functional with zip-away jackets that played with length and snap-up skirts. You could create several different outfits with just a few pieces making this a very versatile collection. For example, you could purchase the bodysuit and wear it with jeans or pair it with the Ivy Park skirt. You could also layer items, and wear the puffer jacket over the bralette and cycle shorts.
The Ivy Park collection made it easy to mix and match many of their pieces. You could pair the white snap-up pants that have the maroon stripes with the maroon sports bra. So you had many options to choose from that would give you a stylish athleisure look. This fashion trend has grown over the last few years and Ivy Park capitalized on the appetite we as consumers have for these looks. During this launch, Beyoncé dropped a lookbook of all the styles available on Instagram along with some editorial content. After seeing Queen Bey rock these stellar looks I knew I needed to get my hands on some Ivy Park.
Purchasing My Ivy Park Set
I strategically prepared myself for this drop because the Bey Hive fans were in a frenzy to buy up much of the collection, especially after all the marketing. I skipped purchasing my items on the Adidas website because I felt styles would be sold out in the first five minutes or the site would crash. So I went the unconventional route and bought my Ivy Park bodysuit off of Finishline.com. I set my alarm for 9 am and signed into my rewards account. When 9:01 am hit I refreshed the page, added the bodysuit to the cart, and checked out in half a second. The Fashion Gods were on my side because it was taking a minute for my order to go through.
My Bodysuit, Shorts, and More
After about 2 minutes I received an e-mail from Finishline confirming my order. I chose to go wholesale with Finishline because getting Ivy Park pieces wouldn’t be as competitive. I knew sites like Adidas, Champs, and Footlocker would be overwhelmed with online traffic.
Then a few days later I received my package in the mail. I grabbed the box and tore it open to see my bodysuit. At first glance, I fell in love with the color and had nothing like this in my wardrobe. I pressed my hands against the soft poly/ cotton fabric and looked at the design details. The Ivy Park body suit had a snap closure to close the suit along with ribbed handcuffs. You get a zip up front with the words Ivy Park embroidered on each arm. Plus, the garment fits well and feels high quality for the price point.
I was so excited to have my first piece that I needed to buy more from the collection.
So I drove down to the Adidas store on South Beach to shop and found my biker shorts and skirt. The fitted biker shorts hug my curves just right with some see-through action on the side. The thigh-length skirt features a mesh lining, pockets in the front, and snap closures on the side to reveal skin. These two pieces completed my look and could be worn interchangeably. This past year, I started wearing my Ivy Park outfits, and every time I step out I get several compliments on it. People always ask me how I got my hands on this collection because it sold out so fast, I tell them quick fingers and a little bit of luck.
The Hype Behind The Ivy Park Drop
The Ivy Park collection was moderately priced with items ranging from $50 -$250. This collaboration showcased well-designed outfits and accessories. The hype behind the first drop was like none other with pieces selling out in minutes and re-sellers driving up the price even further. I was even lucky enough to get my hands on the limited-edition lookbooks available for the first collection. The partnership between Adidas and Beyoncé was a very smart business move and gave all of us fans a chance to channel our inner Yoncé.
