As someone who routinely wears yoga pants more often than anything else in my wardrobe – that’s whether I’m heading to the gym or not, mind you – it makes me laugh to think about how different things were a couple of years ago. Before the athleisure boom, fitness gear was solely for the purpose of workout and even then, it was more likely that you’d steal your boyfriend’s house t-shirt than invest in anything remotely technical. Those days, my friends, are long gone and Jennifer Bandier is at the forefront of it all.
After twelve years in the music business managing TLC, she broke her foot and was forced to wear fitness gear. Naturally, it got her scouring stores for pieces she’d actually be happy to wear throughout the day and that’s how Bandier was born. She describes it as the fitness world’s answer to Barney’s Co-Op and it’s true. Think of it as the ultimate destination for all the big fitness brands but with a real focus on emerging labels and what’s new and exciting in athleisure. The NYC flagship even has a fitness studio with classes run by some of the top trainers in the world, too.
With department stores and the high street jumping on fitness wear train, I wanted to quiz her about what the competition means for her business. Particularly at a time where most brands are closing stores and focusing on digital, I also wanted to know how she’s managing to win with bricks and mortar while most people aren’t.
ON CONVEIVING THE IDEA FOR BANDIER: I find the music industry and the fashion industry to be very related, especially when it comes to experience, merchandising, brand building and design. Music is also an essential part of fitness – it’s so hard to workout. I’ve always been entrepreneurial, so after working in the music industry, I started various businesses and tried different things. I started Bandier in my 40s, and it has been the most authentic journey. In 2008, I started going to Soul Cycle and getting very active in the boutique fitness scene. The more I worked out, the more I wanted to wear active clothing all day long. I have always loved fashion, but I became very inspired by sport – the materials, the silhouettes and the healthy lifestyle that goes along with it. I wanted to express my personal style while working out, so I wound up researching new active wear brands that were only sold online, had small collections, and were mostly unknown. I discovered so many amazing start-up brands from around the world, yet there was no easy way to shop the collections in one place. There was no trusted resource to curate and to create a special assortment of the best products from new and established brands. Stores have always sold athletic apparel, but fashion was the white space. I decided to launch Bandier so I could offer women the best assortment of performance wear through a curated, fashion-forward lens.
HOW HER BACKGROUND IN MUSIC INFORMS WHAT SHE DOES NOW: I held various roles in the music industry and so many of the lessons and skills that I accumulated have been directly transferable in building this business. When I worked with TLC, I focused on brand building, merchandise strategy and creative direction. We were always looking to create an experience for fans. We do a lot of the same thing at Bandier. Treating the store as an experience has been a game-changer for the brand. Because I didn’t work in retail prior to starting the business, it was essential for me to hire a great team and to delegate. I think an important part of delegation is giving people responsibility and the chance to show what they can do. If you focus on hiring the right people, then you can be confident and delegate important parts of the business to others.
ON BEING A DESTINATION FOR EMERGING ACTIVE WEAR BRANDS: Many people who come to us haven’t heard of half the brands we carry and that’s what makes our edit special. People know what they want, but they also want to try something new, to learn and to be educated on the best products for their lifestyle. We will always be a multi-brand store and we are so excited to see some of our top brands grow into household names. Awareness for these brands means awareness for Bandier.
ON STARTING WITH A PHYSICAL STORE BEFORE LAUNCHING E-COMMERCE: We leveraged our physical store locations to create engaging retail experiences. When we opened our first store in NYC, we hosted pop-up fitness classes by moving clothing racks and making space in the center of the store. This created amazing energy within our space and we knew that, when we moved into our larger store space on 5th Avenue, we would build a dedicated area for fitness – this became STUDIO B, which features classes run by some of the top celebrity instructors from around the world. So many of our favorite instructors don’t have their own studios, so we thought we could provide the space and work together. Today, STUDIO B serves up a bespoke and expertly curated selection of classes from the industry’s top movers and shakers, combining the very best in yoga, dance, and high-intensity training. We always want to start the conversation in women’s active, so we work on exciting collaborations, special projects and events that continue to engage our customer and introduce new customers to our brand.
SPORTWEAR AS A LIFESTYLE: The fashion industry is inspired by today’s ‘it’ girls and tastemakers that wear leggings all the time – who pair Nike sneakers with dresses and incorporate active wear components into their overall look. There is a huge sports influence permeating the runways. All designers are catering to the next generation consumer who leads an active lifestyle and wants items that can seamlessly translate from the street to the gym and back again. Wellness is not a trend anymore, it’s a new awareness that I don’t believe will go away.