Ministry of Supply is taking the notion of bespoke clothing and turning it on its head.
As of today, the apparel company has a fully functioning 3D robotic knitting machine in its flagship Newbury Street store that's capable of producing custom garments like their seamless blazer in a matter of hours and with far less material waste than conventional cut-and-sew processes.
"Boston has always been home for us," Ministry's co-founder Aman Advani tells me. "We started the company at MIT, opened our first store on Newbury Street, and are headquartered in the Leather District. The innovation economy in Boston is strong, and it seemed fitting that we would launch this experience here."
The machine -- the size of a small Volkswagen that now occupies an entire wall of the store -- is not a gimmick; rather, it's an investment in a new way of thinking Advani is certain will improve the company's efficiency while producing a better more innovative product for the consumer.
The machine is the first of its kind in the industry, capable of producing each garment in one continuous piece without any seams. Production time for each item is considerably shorter than conventional methods, and modifications can be entered in real time. This technology, Ministry says, eliminates 30 percent of the fabric waste seen during typical cut-and-sew construction.
Here's how it will all work for you: Walk in the Ministry of Supply store at 299 Newbury St. and begin by choosing elements of personalization like color, buttons and cuffs. Once the info is entered into the machine, it will whir to life and get to work building your bespoke blazer. It takes about 90 minutes to crank out a blazer like the one pictured below, Advani says, each of which will retail for $345. Some finishing touches are done in store, including shrinking and cleaning each piece. End to end, you can get a personalized blazer, the only one like it anywhere, in about three days.
This is the first phase of Ministry of Supply’s 3D Print-Knit vision, I'm told. The team will test the experience in the Newbury Street store. If all goes according to plan, they'll then roll similar machines out in their nine retail locations across the country. They also plan to add more personalization options, focusing specifically on fit.
This past September, Ministry of Supply announced its first-ever women's line of apparel, a brand evolution that was two years in the making.
"In today's current retail climate, everyday it seems a brand or retailer is shutting doors. We've gone in seemingly the opposite direction, and have grown our retail footprint from two stores to nine in the past year," Advani says. "We're committed to creating elegant, omnichannel experiences for our customers, and see our network of stores not as transactional storefronts but as a chance to really engage with our community."
Right now the 3D print experience is for blazers only, but the company plans to release additional 3D Print-Knit garments for both men and women later this year.
Images provided.
