Over the years the already mesmerising and ever so fabulous Beyonce has evolved into one of the world’s biggest superstars and icons – and quite frankly a goddess. Hence the name Queen Bey/Queen B. The internet has been set alight with fans singing her praises at her every movement and it would appear that everything she touches turns to gold. It was therefore not surprising in the least when Beyonce launched her new active wear/casual wear line, IVY PARK, in April 2016 resulting in overnight success, with fans in dumbstruck awe of her once again. We all want a piece of the glamour that is Beyonce so of course we all eagerly dived in to be apart of the Ivy Park/Topshop collaboration. But lets look deeper, what is Ivy Park and is it really all that it set out to be?
The origin and significance of the name Ivy Park represents Beyonce’s daughter Blue Ivy Carter, and Park, representing a park in Houston where Beyonce used to go to excercise and find personal strength. When looking around online I found this beautiful description as explained by Beyonce in a promotional video for the brand which I felt poignant to share.
“I would wake up in the morning, and my dad would come knocking at my door, telling me it’s time to go running. I remember wanting to stop, but I would push myself to keep going. It taught me discipline. And I would think about my dreams. I would think about the sacrifices my parents made for me. I would think about my little sister and how I was her hero. I would look at the beauty around me, the sun shining through the trees. I would keep breathing. There are things I’m still afraid of. When I have to conquer those things, I still go back to that park. Before I hit the stage, I go back to that park. When it was time for me to give birth, I went back to that park. The park became a state of mind. The park became my strength. The park is what made me who I am. Where’s your park?”
I could go into an extremely detailed and lengthy description as to why I personally love Ivy Park and what makes it so great, whilst at the same time summarising the two main aspects in one sentence. Ivy Park represents all that active wear is supposed to be – comfortable and stylish. It merges fashion forward designs with technical innovation, creating a new kind of performance wear. Providing you with the perfect essentials for both in and out of the gym. With all the technical aspects put aside, when you understand what an important story this brand has to tell as well as how near and dear it is to Beyonce’s heart, it definitely makes supporting a name such as Ivy Park that much more worth it.
The items worn as shown here are; an elastic racer back sports bra and high-rise ankle leggings, both trimmed and imprinted with the Ivy Park label. I don’t usually like wearing clothes that are branded all over but I quite like how presumptuous and ‘in your face’ the range is. It’s kind of like they want everyone to know who and what you are wearing with no room for misinterpretation.
I wouldn’t necessarily label myself as a body conscious type of person, but I am definitely more conservative and lean on the side of caution when it comes to showing off my body, so this active wear look was perfect for me! I was showing off a bit more than I am used to when working out but both the bra and leggings offered me support in terms of my bust and inching in my waistline. Whilst being extremely stretchy and supple, the material was firm and held my body when I moved, without restricting my movements. The perfect balance that you want and need when working out.
Some favourites of mine from the line are; the Ivy Park casual wear hoodies, black and white striped sliders, one shoulder army green leotards and Ivy Park sports caps.
Outfit details
Crop top and leggings – Ivy Park (available at Topshop)
I can’t understand why I haven’t highlighted Ivy Park on my site before, considering I have been obsessed with it since their launch, but I suppose better late than never? Overall waking up early was definitely worth it to get these sunrise shots as well as take in the beauty that Durban has to offer. After my little yoga sesh I felt refreshed and ready for the busy work day. Have you ever heard of that expression, “I’m nicer when I like my outfit”? Well give me some cute work out clothes and I will wake up/do whatever workout you ask of me if they are as amazing as the Ivy Park pieces! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the latest Ivy Park collection that has been released and grab one or two of your favourite items (if you manage to choose).
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