Written by Menswear Style in Interviews on the 16th December 2021

David Gandy Wellwear is a world first concept bringing apparel and wellbeing together in a lifestyle brand that fuses fashion, function and feeling. Inspired by the supermodel’s 20 years of industry experience and based on the scientific benefits of wearing soft, comfortable clothing, the 20-piece debut collection offers a definitive range of essentials that puts the emotional wellbeing of its customer at its very heart. To achieve this the brand takes a multi-sensory approach to design, evoking a sense of wellbeing through exceptional comfort, style, fit and quality. With studies showing that simply touching smooth fabrics can create a sense of psychological wellbeing and reduce negative emotions, Wellwear’s use of tactile fabrics is key.

The best natural fibres, including Pima cotton, lyocell and modal, have been chosen to guarantee ultimate softness. Fabric constructions have been selected for their natural functionality, such as body temperature regulation and moisture wicking, to create an additional layer of comfort. The brand also pushes the boundaries on affordable fabric innovation by applying technical treatments to garments to physically enhance the wearer’s wellbeing. These include anti-odour and anti-bacterial properties which reduce the need to wash clothes after every wear, increasing longevity of the garment and in turn having a positive wider environmental impact, and the use of Aloe Vera plant extract which has wound healing, anti-inflammatory and moisturising properties.

In a recent episode of the MenswearStyle Podcast we interviewed David Gandy, Founder of David Gandy Wellwear about the founding story of his new clothing brand concept which was put together during the Covid-19 global pandemic. Our host Peter Brooker and David talked about the obstacles and limitations of building a brand without meeting suppliers and team members in person, what Wellwear stands for, the science of comfort, why anti-bacterial fabric is sustainable, fast fashion, funding, and charity sponsors.

“It's been a concept in my own head for quite a while. It’s something I wanted to achieve and put all my 20 years’ experience into. It was probably about 10 years ago when I first had the idea, but I wasn't experienced enough. It's a big undertaking, so I went back to basics - like I did with modelling - and wanted to observe before actually jumping into the deep end. That’s where we did the collaboration with M&S for nearly six years, which proved a great success and turned out to be one of the biggest loungewear and sleepwear brands in the country. I learned from that and saw the side of the industry you don't see from modelling such as production, the factory, design, marketing, PR, creative, etc. The pandemic allowed me to sit down and think about where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do. And obviously this was the natural step. The concept is around wellness which is a massive sector and something that's growing.”

This is a shortened transcribed edit of episode 144 of the MenswearStyle Podcast with David Gandy, Founder of davidgandywellwear.com. You can listen to the full version below or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player.

We sit down with David Gandy to talk about his new wellwear brand which combines Wellbeing, Wellness, and Loungewear.