Athleta has hired Tania Flynn, formerly VP of apparel design at Nike, as head of design. Flynn worked at Nike for over 19 years and has been the company’s VP of apparel design since September 2022.
Prior roles at Nike included VP and creative director, women’s apparel; senior product creative director, young athletes apparel design director, Jordan footwear and apparel; and apparel designer, global basketball, Nike Inc.
The appointment follows the hiring of Chris Blakeslee, former president of Alo Yoga, as president and CEO of Athleta in July 2023 as the Gap-owned chain has seen declining sales largely blamed on fashion miscues.
Athleta showed some recovery in the first quarter with comps up 5 percent, attributed to improved product and marketing activations. In 2023, Athleta comps declined 10 percent in the fourth quarter and 12 percent for the full year amid heavy discounting.
“Welcoming Tania as our head of design sends a clear statement about how we’re reinvigorating the brand and solidifying Athleta’s position as the leader in performance and design innovation,” said Blakelsee. “Her deep expertise across performance, lifestyle, and collaborations will enable us to double down on Athleta’s commitment to delivering unparalleled product designed specifically for women, by women.”
Image courtesy Athleta
