Every Article, Interview & Campaign Behind Fabletics' $500M+ Rise

Fabletics is the most media-covered celebrity-founded activewear brand in DTC. Kate Hudson's star power, Kevin Hart's men's empire, and a membership model that generates both revenue and controversy mean Fabletics is never far from a headline. Here's why the coverage matters for your brand strategy:

Fabletics launched in 2013 under TechStyle Fashion Group (formerly JustFab), co-founded by Adam Goldenberg, Don Ressler, and actress Kate Hudson. Hudson brought the celebrity firepower and creative direction; TechStyle brought the data-driven membership model and e-commerce infrastructure. The combination of Hollywood star power and Silicon Beach technology made for irresistible press coverage from day one.

CNBC

How Kate Hudson Turned Her Passion Into a Successful Business Bringing in Millions

Profile covering Hudson's transition from actress to entrepreneur, the founding vision of affordable fashionable activewear, and Fabletics' early growth trajectory.

October 2017

Glossy

How Fabletics Used Data Science to Hit $400M in Annual Sales

Deep dive into the data-driven approach behind Fabletics' membership model, personalization engine, and rapid revenue growth.

glossy.co

BuzzFeed News

How Kate Hudson Went From Movie Star To The Face of Fabletics

Cultural analysis of Hudson's transformation from actress to athleisure mogul, and what it says about celebrity entrepreneurship.

Anne Helen Petersen

Fabletics' financial story is unusual in DTC: it's not a standalone company but the crown jewel of TechStyle Fashion Group. TechStyle raised $336M+ in venture capital, and Fabletics became the growth engine that made the parent company viable. The $500M revenue milestone in 2020 — announced alongside 2 million VIP members — shifted coverage from celebrity-lifestyle to serious business journalism. Their pricing and membership model became a case study in subscription commerce.

Glossy

Inside Fabletics' Plan to Become a $1 Billion Brand in 2 Years

Detailed strategy breakdown of Fabletics' path from $500M to $1B, covering men's expansion, retail growth, and international markets.

glossy.co

TechCrunch

Fabletics' Adam Goldenberg and Kevin Hart on What's Next for the Activewear Empire

Tech press perspective on Fabletics' empire-building — how a celebrity-backed DTC brand approaches technology, data, and scale.

September 2020

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Fabletics' celebrity partnership model is fundamentally different from traditional endorsements. Kevin Hart isn't just a spokesperson — he's an equity owner in the men's division. Khloé Kardashian co-designs collections. Lizzo launched an entirely new brand (Yitty) through the Fabletics platform. Each partnership generates press coverage across entertainment, business, and fashion verticals simultaneously, amplifying their social media presence and paid ad campaigns.

WWD

Fabletics Has Built a $300 Million Men's Business in Just Five Years

How Kevin Hart's equity partnership and creative involvement helped Fabletics build a $300M men's business from zero.

2025

PR Newswire

Fabletics Partners with Kevin Hart to "Fix What's Wrong With Men's Activewear"

Official launch announcement of Fabletics Men with Kevin Hart as equity partner and creative collaborator.

2020

Hollywood Reporter

Lizzo Launches Size-Inclusive Shapewear Line Yitty with Fabletics

Entertainment press coverage of Lizzo's Yitty launch — sizes XS to 6X, three product categories, and over 65% recycled fibers.

March 2022

WWD

Fabletics Collaborates With Khloé Kardashian on New 'Booty-enhancing' Leggings

Coverage of the "By Khloé" co-designed collection — the fifth collaboration between Fabletics and Kardashian, featuring proprietary fabric technology.

2025

Fabletics opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Bridgewater, New Jersey in 2015 — just two years after launching online. The brand has since expanded to over 100 locations, equipped with proprietary OmniShop technology that links online and offline customer activity. Their stores feature interactive tools like the "Legging Finder" touchscreen quiz, blurring the line between e-commerce and in-store shopping. Every new market generates local press, and the technology angle creates coverage in retail trade publications like Retail Dive and Chain Store Age. Their tech infrastructure powers this seamless omnichannel experience.

Retail Dive

Fabletics Will Open 75 New Stores in Big Growth Push

Trade coverage of Fabletics' aggressive brick-and-mortar expansion strategy — targeting top-tier malls near competitors like Lululemon and Athleta.

Retail Dive

Retail Dive

Fabletics Expands Into Denim to Ride Casualization Trend

Product expansion coverage — how Fabletics is moving beyond activewear into lifestyle categories to capture the casualization wave.

Retail Dive

Business Wire

Fabletics Announces 2021 Retail Store Expansion

Official announcement of 24 new store locations, growing total U.S. brick-and-mortar presence to 74 locations by end of 2021.

March 2021

Fabletics' marketing machine combines data science with celebrity influence at a scale few DTC brands can match. Their VIP membership model is powered by proprietary algorithms that personalize product recommendations, pricing, and outreach. The brand runs an extensive influencer marketing program spanning micro-influencers to A-list celebrities, with the #TeamFabletics hashtag accumulating thousands of Instagram posts. CEO Adam Goldenberg was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Greater Los Angeles finalist — recognition that generates its own press cycle. Their email & CRM strategy and SEO playbook work in concert with this earned media engine.

GlobeNewsWire — EY

Adam Goldenberg of Fabletics Named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 Finalist

Industry recognition of Fabletics' co-founder and CEO for building the brand from TechStyle incubator to $500M+ revenue.

May 2025

CNBC

Lizzo Launches Yitty Shapewear Brand in Tie-up With Fabletics

Business press coverage of Fabletics' platform play — incubating new brands through celebrity partnerships beyond its core activewear line.

March 2022

Press coverage tells the story a brand wants told. Reviews and Reddit tell the story customers actually live. Fabletics' reputation on third-party platforms reveals significant tension between the polished celebrity-driven press narrative and the reality of customer experience — particularly around the VIP membership model. A proposed class-action lawsuit in March 2025 alleged deceptive marketing practices around membership auto-renewal, and BBB complaints focus on unclear disclosure of recurring charges.

Trustpilot

Fabletics on Trustpilot

Customer reviews covering product quality, VIP membership charges, shipping, and returns. A key check for shoppers before committing to the membership model.

trustpilot.com • Ongoing reviews

Sitejabber

Fabletics Reviews — 3,452 Customer Reviews

Detailed customer feedback on the online shopping experience — membership transparency, order accuracy, and customer service responsiveness.

sitejabber.com • Ongoing reviews

ConsumerAffairs

Fabletics Reviews

Consumer feedback and complaint data covering membership billing practices, product quality over time, and customer service experience.

consumeraffairs.com • Ongoing reviews

Why this matters for your brand: The gap between press narrative and customer sentiment is where competitive intelligence lives. Fabletics' press coverage is overwhelmingly positive and celebrity-driven, but review sites surface the friction points — membership billing confusion, cancellation difficulty, quality concerns — that real buyers care about. Monitoring both gives you the complete picture. Track how this plays out in their email & CRM strategy and tracking infrastructure.

Fabletics' PR playbook proves that celebrity partnerships can generate earned media at scale — but only when the celebrity has real equity in the outcome. Kevin Hart's $300M men's business generates more press per campaign than any traditional endorsement deal because he's an owner, not a paid spokesperson. The same principle applies to Lizzo's Yitty and Khloé Kardashian's co-designed collections. Combined with their website evolution and site performance, every press mention feeds a funnel that converts attention into VIP memberships.

But the membership model controversy shows that PR can't outrun customer experience forever. The gap between Fabletics' press coverage and their review platform ratings is a warning: earned media builds awareness, but retention depends on what happens after the sale.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who founded Fabletics and when was it launched?

Fabletics was founded in 2013 by Adam Goldenberg, Don Ressler, and actress Kate Hudson under fashion incubator TechStyle Fashion Group (formerly JustFab). Hudson served as co-founder and creative force, describing a "big hole in the market" for activewear that was both performance-ready and fashionable at an affordable price point. In January 2022, Hudson transitioned from principal face of the brand to an advisory role.

What is Fabletics' VIP membership model and why is it controversial?

Fabletics operates on a VIP membership model where members pay $59.95 per month for access to discounted pricing. The model has generated significant controversy, with complaints filed with the BBB and a proposed class-action lawsuit in March 2025 alleging deceptive marketing practices. Common complaints include unclear disclosure of auto-renewing charges and difficulty canceling memberships. Despite complaints, the model has driven substantial revenue growth, surpassing $500 million in annual revenue by 2020 with over 2 million members.

How does Fabletics use celebrity partnerships for PR and growth?

Fabletics has built its brand around major celebrity partnerships. Kate Hudson co-founded the brand in 2013. Kevin Hart joined as an equity partner and face of Fabletics Men in 2020, helping build a $300 million men's business in five years (per WWD). Khloé Kardashian has released multiple co-designed collections including the "By Khloé" line. Lizzo partnered to launch Yitty, a size-inclusive shapewear brand, in 2022. Vanessa Hudgens became a spokesperson in 2021 with the Velour x Fabletics collection.

How many retail stores does Fabletics operate?

Fabletics opened its first brick-and-mortar store in Bridgewater, New Jersey in 2015. The brand has since expanded aggressively, surpassing 100 retail locations by 2022. All stores feature Fabletics' proprietary OmniShop technology that links online and offline customer activity, plus interactive tools like the "Legging Finder" touchscreen quiz.

What is Yitty and how is it connected to Fabletics?

Yitty is a size-inclusive shapewear brand launched in April 2022 through a partnership between Lizzo (Melissa Viviane Jefferson) and Fabletics. Named after Lizzo's childhood nickname, Yitty offers sizes from XS to 6X across three categories: Nearly Naked (seamless shaping), Mesh Me (smoothing mesh), and Major Label (lifestyle wear). Over 65% of styles use recycled fibers. The brand was covered by Hollywood Reporter, CNBC, CNN, and Retail Dive at launch.

Has Fabletics been featured in major publications?

Yes. Fabletics has received extensive press coverage across major outlets including CNBC, TechCrunch, WWD, Bloomberg, Retail Dive, Glossy, Hollywood Reporter, and Forbes. Coverage spans founding profiles, revenue milestones, celebrity partnerships, retail expansion, and product innovation. Bloomberg featured Fabletics COO Meera Bhatia discussing retail strategy in January 2026, and CEO Adam Goldenberg was named an EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2025 finalist.

What is Fabletics' annual revenue?

Fabletics surpassed $500 million in annual revenue in 2020 with over 2 million VIP members (per company announcement). By 2024, revenue reportedly reached approximately $850 million. The company's men's division alone, led by Kevin Hart, generated $300 million in its first five years (per WWD, 2025). Fabletics has explored IPO plans targeting a $5 billion corporate valuation.

How does Fabletics' media presence compare to competitors like Lululemon and Gymshark?

Fabletics' media presence is distinct from competitors because it leverages celebrity co-founders and partners rather than grassroots community building. While Gymshark built coverage through founder Ben Francis' transparency and influencer partnerships, and Lululemon generates press through cultural positioning, Fabletics generates headlines through high-profile celebrity collaborations (Kate Hudson, Kevin Hart, Khloé Kardashian, Lizzo) and its controversial membership model. The brand's coverage spans entertainment, business, and retail trade press rather than being concentrated in fitness media.