Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver launch their own activewear brand

 Are models reinventing themselves as aspiring businesswomen? Having momentarily taken time out from the catwalk because of the pandemic, some runway stars have made good use of the downtime, setting up their own business ventures. Such is the case of the two Victoria's Secret models, Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver, who have joined forces to launch a first range of activewear.

For want of treading the catwalk for Victoria's Secret, the two brand Angels and besties, Jasmine Tookes and Josephine Skriver, have joined forces to launch a new label specializing in activewear. The result is a first collection of workout-friendly leggings and sports bras in trendy colors, launching February 1.

This isn't the first time that the two models have joined forces, as their friendship and partnership has long taken the form of, Joja -- for Josephine and Jasmine -- which has had its own Instagram page for several years. The two accomplices even came together during the first covid lockdown to offer one-off livestream workouts, followed by many thousands of people worldwide. 

And so, the next logical step was to combine their two shared passions -- sport and fashion. The two catwalk stars, who met more than 10 years ago, have devised a first collection of nearly 30 activewear pieces, including leggings and sports bras, in sizes intended to be inclusive. In an interview with Women's Wear Daily (WWD), the pair highlight their knowledge of the field, after a decade spent trying out workout gear from a host of brands that didn't always flatter female curves. As such, the pair are on a mission to make women feel good -- and beautiful -- in each and every piece in this new collection.

New opportunities

While this initiative certainly doesn't call into question the future of the two models on the catwalk, it speaks volumes about a profession that is fast changing. The pandemic forced brands to cancel their real-world shows for a while, grounding the models who usually jet in and out of the various fashion capitals each year. At the same time, new kinds of advertising campaigns have emerged, whether in video games or focusing on inclusion, with a new generation of ambassadors, spanning influencers and personalities with strong commitments.

The phenomenon seems to have put the brakes on the long line of star models that brands once seemed unable to do without -- Bella and Gigi Hadid in the lead. While these models are still in demand right now, they're much less (omni)present than before the pandemic.