Have you ever felt a burst of motivation to make a beeline for the gymnasium, or head out for a run merely due to a cute new T-shirt, or a pair of brightly patterned leggings? With luxurious athleisure having a second world over, your cute leggings or that stylish tennis skirt are actually exercise motivators, and much more.
Joining the fray is luxurious athleisure brand Athletifreak, which lately threw open the doorways to its first store in India, in Delhi. Founded by entrepreneurs Mo and Noor Wadhwani in the US in 2021, Athletifreak is being backed in India by actor Shahid Kapoor and his spouse and entrepreneur Mira Kapoor as strategic buyers and brand ambassadors.
“The brand was born nearly five years ago when my husband was training for the Ironman triathlon. I have a background in fashion and was excited to celebrate fashion and fitness together,” says Noor. Mo recollects how he was capable of dig deeper and establish alternatives for enchancment in the garments he was coaching in. “We kept asking ourselves how we could make something that has the right fabric, performance, functionality and fit. We also wanted to develop a brand that had to be a persona; where someone could say ‘I am an athletic freak’,” he says, of what he calls their ‘freakish passion for movement’.
Mo and Noor Wadhwani
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Special Arrangement
Training shorts, skorts, joggers, wayfarer shorts, basic polos, tanks, hoodies and sweatshirts, all in stable colors from deep blue and espresso brown to rose make up Athletifreak’s assortment. Quite a lot of time and analysis, Noor and Mo say, went behind the event of their totally different material applied sciences used throughout the clothes, to make it light-weight, breathable, stretchable, anti-microbial and moisture wicking. “As a fabric geek, I realised it has to be functional, feel good and look good to bring fashion and functionality together in the best way possible. We are also very conscious about the materials used and 60% of our product is sustainable fabric,” Mo says.
Five years on, with India’s quickly evolving health tradition, the duo believes the timing couldn’t have been higher, for them to convey the brand right here. Their brand story and imaginative and prescient to cater to folks of all ages and every kind of motion based mostly on their particular person journeys is one thing that Mira Kapoor says she resonated with. “Being a strategic investor and partner came very naturally to both Shahid and I. Shahid’s primary form of movement apart from exercise is dance, and for me, I love pilates, walking and mindfulness. We were keen on being involved in a brand that is rooted in India but has global appeal,” she says.
The Athletifreak store in Delhi
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Special Arrangement
The luxurious athleisure brand’s option to open its first store in Delhi comes shut on the heels of the London-based brand Cos opening its first store in the town as properly. While each Mira and Noor discuss their shut ties to the town having grown up there, Noor additional says that the town has an affinity for luxurious, and may be very acutely aware of luxurious style.
“For us, it was more about entering India with a bang, not just about Delhi or Mumbai. We will be everywhere, and have a significant presence online as well. I think the tail winds behind fitness and wellness as an industry are very strong here at present,” Mira says.
Shahid speaks
“A versatile hoodie, a comfy — ready to take on the world kind of — sweatpants, and breathable high performance T-shirts,” says Shahid Kapoor, when requested what are the three must-have athleisure necessities everybody ought to have in their wardrobe. The actor says that it will be significant for everybody to seek out their private model based mostly on what they’re comfy and assured in, “Athletifreak too is designed in such a way that it is not just about looking good, it’s about feeling strong and prepared for whatever the day throws at you. That blend of functionality and style is exactly why these pieces have become a core part of my life and work,” he says. The brand being constructed for ‘real life’ is why he says he was eager on being part of constructing it. “I could feel the garments move with me, support me and still have that style edge,” he provides.
“Athleisure has evolved because now, you can wear the same pair of leggings to the gym, you can travel in it with an oversized T-shirt or you can lounge at home. You can even go out at night wearing an interesting top or a blazer and a pair of heels, with your black leggings,” she provides. Athletifreak’s core black leggings for example, she says, might be dressed up or down with the brand’s fascinating jackets in totally different pop colors.
Having already partnered with Ironman in the US, the crew behind Athletifreak is hoping to interact with India’s rising health communities in the approaching months. “A court, a class, or a run club is now becoming a place of discovery for friendship and connection. This, I feel, aligns with Atheltifreak’s core philosophy, which is to find and engage with other people who share that same passion and that same drive,” Mira indicators off.
Athletifreak is at Nexus Select CityWalk, New Delhi. Prices begin from ₹3,999 onwards
Published – September 19, 2025 10:04 am IST
