It will be officially launching in March.
In an interview, Brandon Liu, the Vice President of fashion retail giant Penshoppe, talked about the brand’s move into the activewear space.
After successfully launching collections in 2025, such as Brighter Days Ahead, Full Speed Ahead, and Cozy Days Ahead, the company is ushering in the new year with the line called Penshoppe Play.
While this is their major step into the category, Penshoppe had previously attempted to do athleisure, with Liu himself adding that they have been prototyping for quite some time now.
“We’ve been developing activewear for awhile, so it’s been a long time coming. We’ve actually been doing prototyping and development for a longer time. But we wanted to make sure that we found the right fabric, so we did a lot of research before releasing something to the market,” he noted.
On making the new fashion line, he said he especially wants to serve their customers who are “more health conscious” with Penshoppe Play. “So, it’s about time where we also adapt and we’re able to provide that to them also,” he added.
Brandon assured that the product line still aligns to the brand, saying that it’s still “very stylish, very accessible, and very affordable,” which made sense for them to also go into it now.
Meanwhile, he also confirmed that Penshoppe is doing a different approach to its activewear line, with the Cebuano businessman quipping, “with the new year as well, new year, new me, there are a lot of resolutions in place.“
Liu shared the philosophy behind the new line and told, “First, we want movement to be fun, and hence the brand, PENSHOPPE PLAY. We believe that Activewear should be something that shouldn’t be intimidating. It should be fun, it should be social, something you do with your friends, and it shouldn’t be as serious.“
He also underscored the core principle behind the development, noting, “So, we also want to… find that what’s out there also in the market is very serious, just focused on performance. So, we did want to align it to the community that we’ve also built as a brand.”
Thus, for Penshoppe Play, they went with treatment of movement and activity like a social gathering as well on top of getting the steps in.
“And we do want to harp on really not making it too intimidating. So, And all it takes is for you to take that first step, for you to get into something. And fitness shouldn’t be about a finish line, it should be about your own journey and moving at your own pace,” shared the brand’s leader.
Brandon Liu also furthered by sharing that Penshoppe Play is not exclusively for athletes, as he stated that it is something that can be used by everyone.
“Well, we made Play really for everyone, regardless of where you are in your fitness journey. Whether you’re starting, whether you are at the point where you have an intense training regimen, it’s something that should be for everyone,” he said.
Not only that, he told, as Play also caters to those that have made activity and movement their lifestyle, adding: “Being active is no longer just something you have to do in isolation. It can be whether you’re going out with friends, whether instead of going out late at night, you’re doing early morning runs with a coffee after.”
To usher the launch of the new line, Penshoppe has tapped national athletes Elijah Cole and Kira Ellis to become the faces of the activewear collection.
Liu revealed the process on how they decided to have the two, who represented the Philippines at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games 2025 held in Thailand.
“What we also looked into was their personal sense of style. And, of course, just looking at how they perform (in sports) and how they enjoy what they do. So, there’s really that fun in the performance that they also bring to the table. They are very talented athletes and that is a bonus.”
Apart from their credentials, Penshoppe aims to let people see their own journeys and the hard work they poured into their craft, which for Liu is a signal that will show to everyone, regardless of where they are in their fitness journey, there is something here for them from the fashion brand.
With the actions taken by Penshoppe—which include aggressively moving into new frontiers tp adapt to different and evolving customer preference—Liu noted on how Play symbolizes the future direction of the brand.
But first, he confirmed that the activewear line is going to be a consistent product category, disclosing, “So, from fashion to lifestyle, is Play going to be a big push all year out? Is this seasonal? For Play, definitely. It’s going to be consistent.”
“We will always be offering something new and a new take with Play, much like our regular collections in Penshoppe. I think you’re able to see how the brand adapts and pivots to the changing needs, to the changing trends. I think you can expect that from Play too,” the Penshoppe VP added.
Lastly, for the totality of brand, he said that the new line marks its move deeper into lifestyle.
“So again, customer behaviors are changing and we are at the mercy of what they need. So, we will go wherever they tell us to in terms of what they’re looking for and where there may be space for the brand to meet an unmet need,” said Brandon Liu.
Penshoppe Play is expected to make its full-scale launch in March 2026.