LONDON — David of all trades.
Model and entrepreneur David Gandy is taking his Wellwear brand from direct consumer to the masses by partnering with his first distributor: Selfridges.
“When I was young I would always go to London with my mother and grandmother to see the Christmas lights and do some Christmas shopping. Selfridges was always the highlight of the day; It seemed like such a magical place,” Gandy told WWD, recalling his first memory of the store.
Wellwear launched in September 2021 with the goal of creating eco-friendly staples in solid colors, no fuss, just comfortable clothing that Gandy is drawn to outside of his work life.
He decided to look up Selfridges for its work in the wellness and menswear spaces, plus it’s one of the few department stores to speak out on sustainability. The company has set a 2030 goal of reaching 45% of circular transactions coming from circular products and services by stocking products that meet its environmental and ethical standards.
David Gandy Wellwear
Courtesy of David Gandy
“I’ve always liked how [despite being built by an American]Selfridges is an iconic British institution that is constantly moving with the times,” said Gandy.
“It’s one of the UK’s forward-thinking department stores, with an impressive reach outside of the London bubble, which I think is very important and something that brands can often forget,” he added.
Wellwear has been seeping into Gandy’s mind for over a decade. Meanwhile, he explored the trials and tribulations of establishing a brand through his partnerships and collaborations. Eight years of his work with Marks & Spencer helped.
Gandy is very much in charge in front of and behind the camera, where he has full creative control over his brand, but finds that “solving day-to-day problems” is the most rewarding part of the job.
“Although I’ve always been self-employed and have my own personal brand, being the founder of a fashion brand is probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” explained Gandy, who praises his team for living and breathing the brand in the same way. . the way he does it.
He’s also putting on his mentor hat for the next generation of models. “I really enjoy giving talented young models a platform to flourish in Wellwear campaigns. It has been very gratifying to see these models succeed in their careers with the help of the images we have taken of them,” said Gandy.
“From day one of launch, we never wanted to be classified as a loungewear brand,” added Gandy, who was interested in moving the Wellwear narrative forward.
David Gandy Wellwear
Courtesy of David Gandy
The brand has introduced new categories such as outerwear and swimwear in the last six months, which have been a “huge success.”
“We are going to continue expanding the clothing collections that we offer while keeping comfort at the forefront, and I definitely do not rule out other categories,” said Gandy, who by 2023 wants to focus on the international markets of Wellwear since 11 percent of sales are arriving from the USA
Last week, Gandy spent time in the United Arab Emirates competing in the 1000 Miglia UAE Experience, an invitation-only racing event where Wellwear was the Official Apparel Partner. Gandy got to drive his Matilda XK120, which he has been waiting for for three years.
Gandy isn’t hanging up his model vest yet, though. “Of course, I will continue to model for brands other than my own, and I am coming to the end of an extensive two-year renewal, so I look forward to enjoying it with my young family,” he said.
Source: news.google.com