Tory Burch’s new brand, Tory Sport, is about to jump into Hong Kong with a pop-up store at Lee Gardens this summer.

“We now have a major initiative to push into China and elsewhere in Asia with Tory Burch and Tory Sport,” says the American billionaire chairman/CEO/designer of the self-named fashion empire. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for both brands.”

Instead of turning Tory Sport into a capsule collection in her 150 Tory Burch stores, she has created a separate brand with its own identity and independent shops, including a flagship in New York’s famous Flatiron Building, where yoga classes and wellness workshops will be held in a studio next to the retail floor.

Tory Sport was inspired by the movie The Royal Tenenbaums, and is taking on such labels as Lululemon, Nike and Sweaty Betty in the “athleisure” sector.

Burch initially came up with the concept of a fashionable sportswear brand seven years ago, when she noticed a shift in the way women dressed.

“Of course, exercising has become a lot more popular than it once was,” she says. “But more than that, I think women are really starting to experiment with the concept of high-low dressing, pairing their track pants with a jacket or wearing workout gear all day. But to do that, women need comfortable, stylish leisure wear, which is not always easy to find.

Before launching Tory Sport, she says she often thought of the track pants and sweatshirts she had in high school in the 1970s. “I wanted to bring them back, but with modern technology and fabrics that can keep you cool in summer and warm in winter.”

The new brand’s current bestsellers follow that idea, being made from a lightweight nylon fibre called Tactel.

“Our goal was to design a collection that balances style and performance,” says Burch.