Madelaine Petsch's Fabletics Debut Is An Ode To Cheryl Blossom

After a year of juggling filming for Riverdale and design meetings, Madelaine Petsch's first line with Fabletics is here. The actress' collaboration with the athletic brand features nine red-based looks, including an all-red legging, sports bra, and jacket inspired by her show's character Cheryl Blossom.

Petsch's goal was to create a collection for every woman to feel confident in, whether they're going to the gym, running errands, or lounging at home. This also meant including both standard and extended sizing to make the line accessible to as many women as possible. From leggings and sports bras to puffer jackets and turtleneck tunics, there's something for everyone in Petsch's versatile design debut.

"As someone who loves fashion and practically lives in activewear between traveling, heading to set, and actually working out, I wanted to fuse high-performance, comfortable workout gear with the latest runway trends," said Petsch in an official statement.

The collection will be available beginning August 1 on fabletics.com and in Fabletics retail locations across the U.S. VIP prices start at $34.95 and go up to $84.95. NYLON interviewed Petsch over e-mail to discuss what it was like to create her first fashion collection and her design dreams for the future.

What was the process like for your first collaboration? Were you nervous, excited, both?

The process for my first collection was mostly just exciting the whole time. It was a fantastic creative outlet for me and the whole Fabletics team was so receptive to my crazy fine tuning and detail-oriented nature. I don't think I ever heard them say 'no' or 'we can't do that.' They made everything I wanted to see in this collection come to fruition.

It's nice to feel like a year of hard work was put into this and that I'm truly proud of every aspect. Now is when the nerves come in, I just hope it resonates with everyone the way it resonates with me!

Were there any unexpected challenges that came up in the design process?

The biggest challenge was definitely just finding time in my Riverdale schedule to come and do in-person meetings (pre-quarantine, obviously) in order to physically see the details, like stitching, zipper tabs, lining, fit, etc. It's so imperative to be able to try the prototypes on.

Fabletics has been making high-quality, high-functioning athletic apparel for long enough that they're incredibly well-versed in this field and were able to really guide me through the process fairly seamlessly. (See what I did there! We have an AMAZING seamless outfit in our collection. I'm way too proud of myself for making a joke in an e-mail interview. Anyways…)

What were some of the most important things for you while working on the collection?

The most important thing for me in this collection was making a body of work that makes people excited and brings them joy. When I get up in the morning, I'm excited to put these outfits on and head to the gym.

I also really wanted to keep in mind the fit and shape of every outfit so everyone can feel confident in them. We really wanted this to make women feel excited, confident, powerful. This is a great collection for the woman on the go. We recognize that women are incredible multitaskers and we wanted this collection to be in line with someone who may have to run all over town from her workout, to work, to dinners, and be able to incorporate these pieces not just into her gym time but her everyday activities. More bang for her buck and fashionable, easy!

What are your favorite looks or pieces?

It's tough to say what my favorite pieces are because I really, truly love every piece in my collection. A couple stand-outs to me are my blue biker shorts with the red contouring lines and the zig-zag stitching (I'm obsessed with these, and they're comfortable), my red and burgundy sports bra with the optional cross back, and the blue back straps and my black turtleneck with all the mesh, which allows for breathability.

What pieces or details were directly inspired by your character on Riverdale?

The all-bright cherry red outfit really feels inspired by Cheryl. I really wanted to incorporate the color red to pay a little homage to her because if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be where I am today so I had to throw her a little love.

Are you hoping to do more designing in the future?

Absolutely! This is just the beginning for me. I really love the process and the product. It's a great creative outlet for me.

See more of Petsch's collaboration with Fabletics, below.