(Good) Brand: Literary Sport

Athletic But Make It... Cerebral

Oct 15, 2024

(Good) Brand is a new vertical under the Who Do You Know? banner where I break down the brand strategy of a new-ish brand I love.

Literary Sport is Carving Out a New Path in Athletic Apparel

What if they made an activewear brand for people who had Sally Rooney’s ‘Intermezzo’ on pre-order, have an film photography Instagram, and frequent the Gagosian gallery?

This is the question answered by Literary Sport, a new activewear brand I am obsessed with. Living at the intersection of fitness, art, and fashion, Literary Sport describes itself as—

Our collection is a concise edit of activewear and lifestyle garments, offering evolved expressions of classic and high-performance forms, developed with a focus on how meaningful details, exceptional fabrication, and understated silhouettes can enliven physical pursuits.

In a crowded world of cheap TikTok Shop running shorts and GymShark Instagram ads, what is the competitive moat that can separate a new activewear brand?

Literary Sport is betting its refined, tasteful creative direction and brand ethos can attract a more discerning customer.

I first noticed Literary Sport on Instagram, where I saw a few people I know (whose opinion I trust) followed the nascent page. At the time they were posting these images of Keith Haring art and grainy landscapes that look pulled straight from my Cosmos boards.

And what started as a tasteful moodboard then turned into rollout of their first collection.

The brand’s e-commerce page is now live with an assortment of men and women’s activewear ranging from quarter zips, shorts, sweatshirts, vests, track pants, and more, all in black, white, brown, and red.

So what is Literary Sport doing that makes them stand out to me?

Brand Differentiation

As I mentioned earlier, historically athletic brands have leaned purely into performance and physical results to communicate their value to consumers. Nike, for example, has always placed ‘winning’ at the forefront of their brand story.

What I appreciate about Literary Sport is how they are tapping into a larger world of art, literature, and nature to inform how they communicate their brand.

When consumers can barely tell the difference between brands on products alone, the competitive moat is taste. Take a look at Gymshark’s Instagram page—

What do you take away from their feed? Their social strategy is all about showing ripped people in the gym wearing Gymshark. That’s it… pretty surface. And the thing is… GymShark is huge. The brand has 7M+ followers, and last year made about $400M.

Now look at Literary Sport’s page—

The difference is that Literary Sport is targeting a more discerning customer, who values a brands artistic direction and can use that to justify spending $300 on a sweatshirt. Literary Sport is clearly for people who spend more time at The Row than TikTok Shop.

Literary Sport is like if your run club also read books! Fitness but make it… cerebral.

Moodboard Strategy

When many brands are in their ‘building stage’ they have a lack of product to show, so how can they build up excitement and find their niche audience? Start a moodboard.

We’ve seen this strategy used by huge Instagram pages like Hidden.NY, which began as a popular moodboard before pivoting into full product collections.

This helps the brand begin to position itself and signal its taste to new followers. From a social perspective, it helps a brand begin to build a following of likeminded consumers before ever dropping a product.

Photography

Literary Sport’s photography is essential to creating their brand ethos. The photos and videos are grainy and cinematic.

The product shots are clean and refined, akin to a high fashion luxury brand—

Brands need to be considering how they capture their brands in the real world and in closed settings. Literary Sport’s photos feel at home for a consumer who has an SSENSE wishlist.

This particular creative feels very Miu Miu to me—

Products

Creative direction aside, the products at Literary Sport are incredibly precise. You won’t find a 20+ different colors and patterns per garment.

Rather you see a a tight edit of activewear staples crafted from Japanese fabrics—

ASHBERY JACKET $390

Made from premium Japanese stretch nylon, the Ashbery is designed for wind resistance and breathability, with a fitted, seamless hood that shields without compromising visibility; strategic vented mesh panels for airflow; and darted elbows for a comfortable range of motion.

EMI TRACK PANT $390

A track pant that balances nostalgic form with architectural design for versatile, everyday wear—featuring a front pintuck detail and subtle curved side seams for a tailored fit.

NELL ZIP-UP HOODIE $390

A classic zip-up terry hoodie designed for year-round versatility—crafted from soft, medium-weight Japanese cotton.

Who is Behind Literary Sport

Literary Sport is a Canadian brand founded by avid runners M. Bechara and Deirdre Matthews.

The brand, still in its infancy, is sparse on details about the founders but I did learn they brought the brand to Jacqueline Sullivan Gallery during NYFW.

Matthews told The Globe & Mail, “Why am I changing my personality when I run?”

I’ll keep you all posted as I learn more…

Running… but Make it Cerebral

Matthews perspective is poignant to me. As someone who works in the creative direction / brand strategy space and am just a snob, I am extremely particular about the brands I interact with.

I want to buy brands that fit perfectly into my own universe.

I typically work out and run in all black, a Nike dri-fit shirt, District Vision or Lululemon shorts and Nike shoes. But Literary Sport is extremely appealing to me, as it positions itself as an activewear brand for discerning consumers who care about fabrics, fit, precision, and taste.

I’m going to place an order and I’ll follow up with my thoughts on the actual product soon.

But from a creative / brand standpoint, I am obsessed with Literary Sport.

What do you think about it?

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