High Sport used its first official New York Fashion Week appearance to show a broader Spring 2027 wardrobe as the Los Angeles label expands its retail footprint. Founder Alissa Zachary is adding wholesale doors, trunk shows and a shoppable West Hollywood studio while testing how far the brand can grow beyond its signature Kick pant.
Key Takeaways
- High Sport joined the official NYFW schedule for the first time with a digital Spring 2027 presentation released Sept. 15, 2026.
- Vogue reported mid-double-digit year-over-year sales growth and 75 wholesale accounts, with Moda Operandi as the brand’s largest wholesale account.
- High Sport is entering four Nordstrom stores in Bellevue, Century City, Walnut Creek and New York City.
- The company expects to hold about 12 trunk shows this year after staging three last year.
- A West Hollywood showroom is planned to become a shoppable studio later in 2026.
High Sport Turns NYFW Debut Into a Wider Brand Test
High Sport’s first official New York Fashion Week appearance arrived as the label works to widen both its product range and retail reach. The Council of Fashion Designers of America listed High Sport by Alissa Zachary among the brands new to the official Spring 2027 schedule, which ran from Sept. 10 through Sept. 15.
The label did not stage a runway show. Instead, High Sport released a digital Spring 2027 lookbook on Sept. 15, giving the company an official Fashion Week platform without moving immediately into a large physical production.
The collection was styled by Vanessa Reid and photographed by Sam Penn in New York. Vogue reported that the images were designed around a backstage atmosphere, while the clothing expanded the brand’s range beyond the dense compact knits most closely associated with its early growth.
“We started as a capsule wardrobe. The pants hit,” Zachary told Vogue. She said High Sport has expanded by introducing new styles and fabrications beyond knits.
That distinction matters for a company whose identity has been closely tied to one recognizable product. High Sport launched in 2021 and became known for the Kick pant, a cropped pull-on flare built from a structured stretch knit.
Spring 2027 gives the label a broader platform to demonstrate that it can support a fuller wardrobe rather than remain defined by one silhouette. The collection moves further into tailoring, dresses, tops and additional fabric treatments while retaining the pants business at its core.
Retail Expansion Puts High Sport in More Markets
The NYFW appearance coincides with measurable changes in High Sport’s distribution. Vogue reported that the company is posting mid-double-digit year-over-year sales growth and now has 75 wholesale accounts, although those figures were reported by the company rather than disclosed through public financial filings.
Moda Operandi is High Sport’s largest wholesale account, according to Vogue. This fall, the label is also entering four Nordstrom locations in Bellevue, Washington, Century City and Walnut Creek in California, and New York City.
Wholesale still accounts for most of High Sport’s sales, while e-commerce is growing. The structure gives the company wider physical distribution without requiring it to build a large network of its own stores.
It also places greater importance on categories beyond the original Kick pant. Pants remain High Sport’s largest category, followed by sweaters and tops. Zachary told Vogue that customers who first bought the original style are now purchasing across seven newer trouser silhouettes.
The strategy reflects a broader challenge for labels that become closely associated with an early signature item. They must add enough product to encourage repeat purchases without losing the identity that initially distinguished the brand.
That pattern is also visible in Los Angeles fashion expansion, where locally rooted brands have moved into additional ready-to-wear categories and retail formats while keeping their original product identity visible.
For High Sport, that makes the wider Spring 2027 assortment more than a seasonal update. It gives the company additional categories to place in front of both existing wholesale buyers and customers discovering the brand through new retail doors.
Los Angeles Studio Deepens Direct Customer Access
High Sport is also increasing the ways it meets customers outside traditional wholesale stores. The company began testing trunk shows last year, staging three, and Zachary expects the number to rise to about 12 this year.
According to Vogue, events have taken place in markets including Aspen, the Hamptons and Palm Beach, with Marin, Montecito, Houston and Miami among other locations on the schedule.
Zachary said the events still account for a relatively small portion of sales. Their value for High Sport is also in providing direct contact with customers without requiring permanent retail locations in each market.
The approach gives the label another channel alongside department stores, specialty retailers and its own e-commerce business. It can also provide feedback on how customers respond to products beyond the established Kick pant.
Physical stores continue to play a role for apparel companies that want customers to see, touch and try higher-priced products. A similar focus on Southern California retail strategy has accompanied other fashion companies expanding their presence in the Los Angeles market.
High Sport is now developing its own customer-facing space in Los Angeles. Zachary leased a showroom at Almont Yard in West Hollywood about a year ago and plans to turn it into a shoppable studio later in 2026.
The format would allow customers to see and try a larger portion of the collection than individual wholesale partners may carry at one time. It also gives High Sport a controlled physical setting for testing customer response to its expanding assortment.
The Kick Pant Still Anchors High Sport’s Growth
Even as High Sport adds categories, the Kick pant remains central to its business. Vogue reported that pants are still the company’s largest category, and the brand continues to offer the original silhouette alongside variations in different lengths, shapes and fabric treatments.
High Sport’s wider assortment now includes sweaters, tops, dresses, skirts, jackets and additional trouser styles. Spring 2027 extends that development through more fabrications and construction techniques.
The challenge is whether customers who came to the label for its pants will continue shopping across those categories.
Zachary founded High Sport in Los Angeles after working at The Row and Khaite. The company’s production remains closely connected to Italy, where High Sport says its compact knits and custom-developed fabrics are produced.
The Los Angeles base has remained part of the brand’s identity. Zachary has described the city’s emphasis on ease and movement as one influence on her approach to clothing, even as the company sources design references and manufacturing expertise internationally.
High Sport is still operating with a small organization. Vogue reported that Zachary runs the business with a team of fewer than 10 people even as the company increases wholesale distribution, trunk shows and its direct physical presence.
The NYFW debut arrived as those parts of the business began moving at the same time. High Sport now has 75 reported wholesale accounts, four additional Nordstrom doors on its retail map, a larger trunk-show schedule and a West Hollywood studio being prepared for customer shopping.
Those developments give High Sport more ways to test demand for a collection that is becoming broader than the Kick pant that established its recognition.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did High Sport debut at New York Fashion Week?
High Sport joined the official New York Fashion Week schedule for Spring 2027. Its digital presentation was released on Sept. 15, 2026, the final day of the official schedule.
Who founded High Sport?
Alissa Zachary founded High Sport in Los Angeles in 2021. Before launching the label, she worked at The Row and Khaite.
How many wholesale accounts does High Sport have?
Vogue reported that High Sport has 75 wholesale accounts, with Moda Operandi as its largest. Wholesale remains the majority of the company’s sales, while e-commerce is growing.
Where is High Sport expanding its retail presence?
High Sport is entering Nordstrom stores in Bellevue, Century City, Walnut Creek and New York City. The company is also preparing its West Hollywood showroom to operate as a shoppable studio later in 2026.
What is High Sport best known for?
High Sport is best known for its Kick pant, a cropped pull-on flare that helped establish the brand after its 2021 launch. The label has since expanded into additional pants and other ready-to-wear categories.
