Alicia Keys wants us to ‘thrive—not just to survive’ with her new Athleta collaboration

Professionally, Alicia Keys has amassed over two decades in the music industry, 15 Grammys, 17 NAACP Image Awards, seven BET Awards, among other accolades. That’s not counting her numerous production credits, bestselling memoir, and Keys Soulcare, the affirmation-laden (and admittedly exceptional) clean skincare line she launched in 2020.

Now, the musician and mother of two is venturing into athleisure with the help of the Gap, Inc.-owned women’s brand Athleta. According to a press release dropped by the brand on Tuesday, in tandem with Keys’ 41st birthday, the two have entered into “a purpose-driven partnership centered on empowering women.”

Athleta shared more information on the “new holistic partnership,” explaining: “Together, Keys and Athleta will drive awareness of and access to women’s well-being through co-created product offerings, impact grants and unique community content.” Specifically, Keys will become a mentor and adviser in Athleta’s “Power of She” platform and fund grant program, where she “will help select recipients and provide them with mentoring resources and learnings from her own well-being journey over her career.” She will also connect with members of the digital women’s wellness community AthletaWell.

“I was drawn to Athleta because we both want to encourage women to discover, accept and OWN their power,” said Keys in a statement. “We’re all about the uniqueness of women, body positivity and creating a lifestyle that showcases our immeasurable power within. It’s time to thrive—not just to survive—and my hope is that these offerings are another outlet for you to amplify your personal power, your possibility, and feel comfortable in your own skin.”

Keys is in good company; as one of the world’s most celebrated musicians, she’ll be joining the world’s most decorated track-and-field athlete Allyson Felix and Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast of all time, as an Athleta ambassador.

“Alicia has made a powerful commitment to well-being and we are thrilled to welcome her to Athleta’s community of empowered women,” said Athleta’s President and Chief Executive Officer Mary Beth Laughton. “With a values-driven partnership like this one with Alicia, we are ideally positioned to continue to meet our customer’s needs in the well-being space and support her across all aspects of her life.”

Though the collaboration’s initial product line won’t be available until March, the partnership kicked off with a peek at the limited-run collection in its inaugural campaign, titled “Within You.” Keys models several of the upcoming, “consciously inclusive designs,” which will be available in sizes XXS-3X and were reportedly designed “to give women the freedom to move, breathe, and feel powerful in their own bodies.”

“It’s also extremely vibrant,” Keys told InStyle magazine. “I love the colors that we’re playing with in this collection. It’s so bold. I think it reminds you to be brave. It reminds you to live out loud. It reminds you that you don’t have to hide behind anything or underneath anything. There’s a brightness to it that, I think, is even like a part of color therapy. Just awakening the senses, awakening yourself.

“This idea of being able to put yourself first is another part of well-being — making sure that you are okay, making sure that you are mentally stable, making sure that you feel good in your heart and your spirit,” she tells us. “I think there are many of us that feel like we’re not allowed to or we’re not supposed to — like this idea that suffering is a part of life. And surely there are ups and downs for everyone, but there’s also the idea that we deserve to be well. It’s important to learn how to do that.”

The first release from the Alicia Keys x Athleta collection will be available at Athleta.com and in all Athleta retail locations on International Women’s Day, March 8. Applications for the next cycle of Athleta’s Power of She Fund grants will open in June; for more information on the Power of She Fund, visit womenssportsfoundation.org/wellbeingforall.

Maiysha Kai is Lifestyle Editor of theGrio, covering all things Black and beautiful. Her work is informed by two decades’ experience in the fashion and entertainment industries, a love of great books and aesthetics, and the indomitable brilliance of Black culture. 

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