Well, I suppose that's a pretty obvious statement, I mean who doesn't like to improve and radically transform something into a novel and fresh result?
I may be biased, as a former employee of the company, but I appreciate the innovative nature of lululemon. Their fabric technology is inspiring, and the fit and design is always surprising and delightful.
For a company that prides itself on innovation, it only makes sense they should employ a whole team of professionals whose sole pursuit is generating new ideas and revolutionary solutions to all our athletic-wear needs. Enter the lululemon Whitespace Workshop.
Ahhhh, 'whitespace'. That ubiquitous business savvy word that instantly brings to mind a whole swath of unexplored territory just begging to be utilized. The actual space of the Whitespace Workshop exemplifies the term properly, through design work led by the Office of McFarlane Biggar Architects + Designers.
While the name itself may be a little unoriginal, I do appreciate the full commitment of lululemon to its pursuit of innovative thinking. Lululemon's blog describes the Workshop team as "a group of inventors, product scientists and business innovators who work together to create possibility for our company’s future." Gear Patrol describes the work at Whitespace as research on "how clothes impact physical performance and the metal and emotional perception of athletic ability." All around, this sounds like an exciting development for lululemon, and particularly for its consumers who can expect increasingly innovative clothing solutions in the future.
Wonder what day in the life of a Whitespace Workshop-er is like? Me too! Check out the aforementioned blog link to hear from a 'Scientific Coordinator' and an 'Inventor' (love the job titles!). It sounds like trial and error plays a really large role here, and you can see this blog post for a charming review of the Itty Bracer from Alicia, a member of the Whitespace team. Every great team needs a fearless leader, and lululemon has reportedly placed a British doctor as SVP of the Whitespace team.
In a saturated market ripe with athleisure options, brands need to offer a clearly defined value proposition that breaks itself from the pack. For lululemon 'solving problems for the athlete' appears to be their new point of differentiation. Can the work at Whitespace successfully uphold this increasingly important raison d'etre of the brand? I'm excited to find out!
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