Taylor Swift Boosts Halara to New Heights; Brand Opens First Pop-Up in NYC

When Taylor Swift was spotted at Coachella wearing a $32 pleated skirt from TikTok-favorite activewear brand Halara , the label reached new levels of virality.

"We're still feeling the impact," said Gabby Hirata , Halara's global brand president. The brand sold 2,000 units of the skirt the day Swift's images surfaced, compared to their usual 1,000 units.

This month, Halara aims to increase its visibility further. On May 31, they opened their first pop-up shop in New York's Soho, which will remain open until June 9. Originally planned last year, the timing proved perfect after the Swift boost. The brand's Instagram posts about the pop-up saw a 500% increase in comments.

Launched in 2020, Halara quickly gained popularity on TikTok, amassing over 2 million followers across Instagram and TikTok by offering affordable activewear. One bestseller, a $35 nylon backless dress, stands out against competitors like Outdoor Voices, whose similar dress costs $100.

Most of Halara's products are priced between $25 and $45. They maintain these prices by avoiding markups and future discounts. Despite the low prices, Halara prides itself on quality, developing their own performance fabrics like the Softlyzero stretch material.

Halara's in-house algorithms analyze social media comments to create products based on customer preferences. Selling exclusively direct-to-consumer, they often sell out of new styles within a month. Annual sales have doubled every year since 2021, and they aim to continue this trend in 2024.

To sustain growth, Halara is expanding offline. The Soho pop-up aims to attract 7,000 shoppers and sell 7,500 units. Future plans include additional pop-ups in California and Texas, and flagship stores in New York, Texas, and London within three years. They are also hiring a wholesale leader to explore US retail partnerships.

Halara emphasizes quality, prominently featuring their performance fabrics in stores. "Our product is our voice, our product is our identity," Hirata said.