Why Caraa sees a future in niche sports like fencing

When Aaron Luo, the co-founder and CEO of bag brand Caraa, isn’t thinking about retail, he’s thinking about fencing. Luo first took up the sport in high school and continues to fence competitively. His two sons fence, too, and since 2023, Luo has served as an adviser to the CEO of USA Fencing. “We’re very much a fencing family,” Luo told Modern Retail.

So, when it came time to develop a Caraa x USA Fencing collaboration, Luo jumped at the chance to make products for fencers, by a fencer. The collection, released earlier this summer, includes three pieces (a backpack, insulated tote and sling), with a unique Pearl colorway for Olympians and Paralympians. The bags retail for $100-$315 and made their in-person debut at the Summer Nationals in Oregon from June 27-July 6.

For Caraa, the new products are an opportunity to prove there’s adequate demand for higher-end accessories for niche sports. While plenty of fashion brands work with athletes or sponsor sports teams, many stick to mainstream sports like basketball, soccer, baseball or football. It’s less common for a high-end, more premium fashion brand to venture into sports like fencing, judo, water polo or squash, Luo explained. That leaves plenty of white space for brands like Caraa to step in, especially when it comes to working directly with NGBs, or National Governing Bodies for sports.

Continue reading this article on modernretail.co. Sign up for Modern Retail newsletters to get the latest on the shifting dynamics between retail’s old and new guards.