It wasn’t too long ago when fashion and sportswear seemed to be decidedly at odds with one another. I mean, both were at the polar ends of usage and target audience; sportswear was strictly for sports and exercise and fashion was for those who were in pursuit of taste, beauty, and aesthetics. Yet today, sportswear and fashion have so much in common these days. Sportswear is taking to the street these days and is increasingly becoming a way of life for fashion enthusiasts across the globe, and for just the right reasons. Hustling has become the order of the day today and times as such calls for versatile, multipurpose fashion apparel that can be worn for various occasions. On the other end, everywhere you look, people are making conscious eff ort towards leading a healthier life and are hence investing in a range of activewear which is defi ned as the ‘new semi-casual’. Overall, sportswear has changed the way people dress up for the gym, casual, social occasions, and even for work. Such intense is the popularity of the trend that it’s fast fanning out into various sub-segments like athleisure, activewear, gym wear, and much more. This issue of IMAGES Business of Fashion outlines how the fast blurring line between sports and fashion has spawned a market that harbours opportunity like never before. We bring to you a detailed look at the fact that ‘Sports-leisure’is no longer a trend, but a fundamental shift in how the world dresses today. The issue is replete with details of the fastemerging categories of Sportswear and Athleisure in India as well as the size of the market, opportunities for retailers, key trends and latest innovations. Apart from this, we bring you market leaders in categories and deep dive into what makes the successful. We hope you fi nd our sportswear special issue useful and insightful, as always. Cheers!!