A focus on R&D has a new wave of fashion companies testing designs the way developers test software.
Inside Lululemon Labs, the cultish activewear brand’s 11th New York City location that opened in March, there’s not a single $100 yoga pant in sight. Instead, slimming pencil skirts, crisp blazers, and creased trousers—all in a distinctly N.Y.C. palette of black, white, navy, and gray—line the walls. Catering to New Yorkers, the store sells clothing designed for professionals but constructed out of the brand’s high-performance materials. Behind the sales floor, the design team toils away in an office in the back.
