Ministry of Supply's Gihan Amarasiriwardena: 'The importance of comfort has been elevated'
The Glossy Podcast · with Gihan Amarasiriwardena · June 16, 2021 · 35 min
Summary
Ministry of Supply masterfully adapted to the pandemic-driven shift in work culture by tweaking existing products instead of overhauling their line. Discover how their focus on performance fabrics and intelligent silhouette adjustments allowed them to meet the elevated demand for comfort in professional attire. This episode offers key lessons on agile product development and retail strategy in a rapidly changing market.
Key takeaways
When consumer behavior shifts rapidly (e.g., due to remote work), prioritize adapting existing successful product lines with minor tweaks (e.g., silhouette adjustments) over costly, ground-up redesigns to quickly meet new demands.
Leverage proprietary fabric technology and performance materials to build a core product advantage that can be repositioned across different market needs (e.g., from commute-friendly suiting to work-from-home leisure).
Anticipate and design for physiological changes associated with new consumer habits, such as waist expansion from prolonged sitting, to enhance product comfort and relevance.
Re-evaluate and recalibrate brick-and-mortar retail strategies in response to market disruptions, potentially consolidating physical footprints and shifting focus towards direct-to-consumer channels.
The lines between "workwear" and "loungewear" are permanently blurred; brands should focus on creating versatile clothing that seamlessly integrates comfort and professionalism for various environments.
In the age of Covid-19, Ministry of Supply is a work-from-homer's go-to brand for comfortable yet professional clothing. While the concept of wearing sweatpants to a work meeting may be new, the lovechild of workwear and athleisure came into fruition in 2012, at a time when “performance materials,” such as moisture-wicking fabrics, first started to explode among the athletic wear industry. “We designed an entire line of machine-washable, four-way-stretch suiting and clothing for the office and commute,” said Gihan Amarasiriwardena, Ministry of Supply president, on the latest Glossy Podcast. Amarasiriwardena co-founded the tech-focused apparel company with fellow MIT graduate Aman Advani in 2012. “What's been interesting is that, in the past year -- while people are not wearing dress shirts nearly as much as they used to, nor are they wearing suits -- this idea of the importance of comfort has been elevated. Our days are so integrated, both in terms of where we are and what we have to do. Our clothes should be designed to do that.”
As the pandemic shifted the American workplace from the office to the couch, the demand for even more comfort called for a corresponding adaptation to the current “work-leisure” apparel sold by Ministry of Supply. According to Amarasiriwardena, when sitting down, one’s waist expands by 5-7% -- a fact that was made undeniably apparent by the couch-to-bed pipeline facilitated by working from home.
In response, Ministry of Supply found that, rather than starting from scratch, “It was about tweaking our products,” said Amarasiriwardena. “We've always been using performance, functional fabrics that are soft and stretchy, and machine washable. So it was about adjusting the silhouette.”
Just as many offices closed down as a result of the pandemic, Ministry of Supply closed its six stores across the country, with plans to reopen only the Boston store. This doesn’t mark the end of customer interaction, however, as the company has begun offering li
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
When consumer behavior shifts rapidly (e.g., due to remote work), prioritize adapting existing successful product lines with minor tweaks (e.g., silhouette adjustments) over costly, ground-up redesigns to quickly meet new demands.
What does this episode say about dtc strategy?
Leverage proprietary fabric technology and performance materials to build a core product advantage that can be repositioned across different market needs (e.g., from commute-friendly suiting to work-from-home leisure).
What does this episode say about retail & omnichannel?
Anticipate and design for physiological changes associated with new consumer habits, such as waist expansion from prolonged sitting, to enhance product comfort and relevance.
What does this episode say about founder & leadership?
Re-evaluate and recalibrate brick-and-mortar retail strategies in response to market disruptions, potentially consolidating physical footprints and shifting focus towards direct-to-consumer channels.
What does this episode say about product & merchandising?
The lines between "workwear" and "loungewear" are permanently blurred; brands should focus on creating versatile clothing that seamlessly integrates comfort and professionalism for various environments.
