The Ganni Lululemon dance collection is officially announced, a 22-piece collaboration rooted in ’80s dancing culture and the simple idea that the best workout you can do is one that feels like a night out. It lands on 15 October.
The origin story is disarmingly straightforward. Lululemon global creative director Jonathan Cheung says it is standard practice at the brand to ask new team members how they like to move. When conversations with Ganni turned toward a joint project, he put the same question to Ganni creative director Ditte Reffstrup. Her answer: dancing. Everything followed from there.
How the Ganni Lululemon Dance Collection Came Together
Reffstrup grew up surrounded by it. ‘Dance has always been a big part of my life,’ she says. ‘Very early on, [my dad] taught us that dance is such a joy. He taught me that when you go to a party, if you’re a good guest, you should always be the one to open the dance floor.’ That instinct (to get things moving, to not wait for someone else) turns out to be a reasonable design brief.
The resulting collection fuses Lululemon’s performance fabrics with Ganni’s Scandi-inflected aesthetic. Reffstrup’s signatures are here: ruffled edges, leopard print, a sense that getting dressed should be its own small pleasure. Underneath it all sit Lululemon’s proprietary Nulu and Softstreme fabric lines, built for movement rather than just the look of it.
Reffstrup was candid about her reaction to what Lululemon brought technically. ‘I’m so overwhelmed with the innovation behind their fabrics,’ she says. ‘The dedication to creating the best performative product was very surprising and super exciting to our team. I have a deep respect for what they’re doing.’
Cheung, for his part, was already a fan before the conversation started. ‘Our design mantra here is “High performance, high style.” If we’re looking for high style, there can be no better partner than Ditte [Reffstrup] and Ganni,’ he says. ‘I think it’s very clear if you pick up any of the pieces, you see that mix of DNA. And they’re all highly functional, so you can literally dance the night away.’
What’s in the Collection and Where to Get It
The 22-piece range spans Women’s, Accessories, and Footwear, according to lululemon Corporate. The ’80s dance references are worn openly: boleros and leg warmers feature, which is either a brave call or an obvious one depending on your view of the decade. Given that both brands tend to pull off whatever they attempt, probably the former.
The campaign film leans into the reference fully. It features Flashdance star Jennifer Beals alongside pop artist Mette, which rounds out the aesthetic argument the clothes are already making.
Cheung puts the shared customer neatly: ‘I think there’s a lot of commonality between a Ganni girl and a Lulu girl. I see Ganni girls, and they’re doing yoga, they’re doing Pilates, they’re having green juices.’ The crossover is not exactly a stretch.
When the collection drops on 15 October, it will be available at lululemon.com and GANNI.com, as well as in select lululemon and GANNI retail stores across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. If you have been waiting for activewear that doubles as a reason to be first on the dance floor, Reffstrup’s dad would probably approve.
