When I changed from fashion design to designing work clothes, once thing became clear immediately: workwear evokes emotion. Always. Strongly.

There is one meeting with a customer that I remember particularly well. I was presenting an extensive line of clothing to a group of women working in the healthcare sector, together with Anu Kivelä, the owner of Medanta.

Their initial response was not too enthusiastic, but the situation changed completely when the women started to try on the clothes. They were so excited that they scattered to show the clothes to their colleagues in different parts of the building. We heard quite a lot of “wows” when they explained how they felt like the clothes had been made especially for them.

It was a great feeling for us – exactly what we had been working for at Medanta. It was a success.

It’s no wonder that work clothes evoke emotion. We all have our own personal preferences: Some like trousers, while others like skirts. Some like blue, and others like white.

It’s not always easy to find a design and colour that everyone likes, particularly in a large workplace community. But we have always found a solution.

As a workwear designer, I want everyone to feel truly comfortable in their job. I’m sure every one of us also knows what it feels like to wear uncomfortable clothes. It’s a feeling that interferes with everything you do.

In other words, workwear matters, very much so. Fortunately, many employers already understand that work clothes are more than just clothes. They are also part of our professional identities and companies’ brands. I design our clothing lines in cooperation with the customer, beginning with the brand colours and design style, as corporate image is extremely important today. It also includes credible work clothes.

Here at Medanta, the practical and aesthetic qualities of work clothes complement one another. The most important aspect is that work clothing meets the needs that it is expected to meet: it must be breathable, flexible and durable.

We have developed fabrics that incorporate the same properties as sports clothes, making work clothing nicely flexible and well-fitting. The material plays an important role, and this is something we are thoroughly familiar with: at Medanta, we take care of the entire production chain, starting from the fibre.

And last, but certainly not least: all of Medanta’s fabrics are antimicrobial – in other words, very safe.

Helena Manninen

Designer