CBD’s enhancing your serums, gummies, deodorant, chocolate bars and beyond, so it was only a matter of time before cannabidiol wormed its way into your activewear, too.
A new women’s active apparel label launching on Aug. 22 claims to be the “world’s first and only CBD-infused activewear brand.” Acabada ProActiveWear partnered with a sustainable, high-tech Portuguese manufacturer—one of few worldwide—that’s experienced with the microencapsulation technology required to imbue fabrics with THC-free hemp-derived CBD and the properties many believe to be therapeutic.
Microencapsulation technology—typically used to infuse garments with antioxidants, fragrances or aloe vera—surrounds each microscopic drop of CBD with a protective coating, and a patented textile finishing treatment affixes the microcapsules to the fabric’s fibers. Acabada strategically places the microcapsules along certain muscle groups that it believes could most benefit from microbursts of CBD when friction between skin and fabric breaks the capsules. CBD is absorbed through the skin and then interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system “to help regulate and reduce pain and inflammation caused by physical activities,” the brand said.
Each garment’s CBD properties are designed to last through 40 wears and washes, after which customers can send back their garments to be “repurposed” in exchange for a 30 percent discount on their next purchase from the brand.
Acabada said the initial limited-release launch will run until all products sell out. Sports bras and tank tops are offered for $120, leggings for $160 and track suits and jackets cost $250, available in a “super soft, high-performance blend of recycled polyester (85 percent) and elastane (15 percent)” and an urban-appropriate palette of black, white and gunmetal grey.
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“Our variety of garments were designed with the active woman in mind, providing her the opportunity to not only workout in high-fashion styles, but also continue her day in luxurious fabrics that are breathable and move with her,” said Katrina Petrillo, Acabada ProActiveWear co-founder and chief creative officer.
Her co-founder and Acabada CEO Seth Baum, meanwhile, brings to the brand 30 years of experience in the apparel industry and the awareness that top athletes had already jumped on the CBD-as-recovery bandwagon. “While typical CBD products such as tinctures and edibles are growing exponentially in popularity, we began to envision a product that addressed health and wellness through a different lens,” he explained. “By physically infusing CBD into our garments, our product lives at the intersection of fashion, fitness, and wellness.”
In addition to its e-commerce launch, Acabada will sell its first collection at New York-area pop-ups at Come Back Daily on 381 Broadway from Aug. 21-Aug. 22, and at Gurney’s Montauk Resort on 290 Old Montauk Hwy. from Aug. 23-Aug. 25.
Acabada arrives on the market as teen retailers and a host of other store chains have brought CBD-infused products into stores, an effort seemingly designed to attract shoppers interested in the mainstreaming of marijuana-related products as well as the growing wellness trend.