Focusing on bringing innovation to the underwear industry, Heist’s design begins and ends with women. For every product they produce, they work with hundreds of women to gain a deep understanding of what they want from their underwear and offer consumers something radically better than what was already on the market.
Working with a dedicated team of material scientists and engineers, Heist uses technology to understand whether the products do what consumers want them to do when they’re placed under the pressures of everyday movement. Prototypes are tested and re-tested, and throw in the use of polymer physics and the latest knitting technology along the way, and you’ve got a unique manufacturing process.
As a young company looking to innovate and disrupt a tired and static sector, Heist chose to start small with the humble and much overlooked pair of tights. Heist asked three questions in order to approach radically changing the design: what would stop tights digging in at the waist? What would stop tights itching after a few hours? What would stop tights slipping down all day?
The solution to these problems was to create an adaptive waistband inspired by the flexible waistband on yoga leggings; to use the highest quality and softest yarn, by wrapping 5,000 spirals of nylon around each inch of elastane (ten times the industry average), as well as slowing down their knitting machine to operate at 400 rotations per minute (the industry average is 700 to 1,200) to ensure fewer missed stitches; and last but not least, introduce a seamless design to prevent slipping. Rather than knitting, cutting and stitching together two legs with a front and a back seam, Heist knit theirs in a single tube, removing the gusset. Then to get rid of those remaining toe seams where the machine starts knitting, they tuck them under each foot.
Committed to constantly improving the product offering, even after release, the team complete multiple rounds of sampling. For the launch of the brand’s first tights design they completed 15 rounds of sampling to test yarn quality, waistband depth, waistband stretch, seam quality, length and fit, and wash. The brand also works closely with customers, actively seeking feedback to feed into the design team’s efforts, so that they can continuously improve each product that’s released. Today the brand sells a pair of tights every 15 seconds, and looking ahead, the innovators are setting their sights on other underwear staples to truly kick up a storm in the market.
The winter range (The Fifty, The Eighty) is available in UK sizes 04-24, while the spring range (The Thirty, The Nude) is available in UK sizes 04-14. Prices start from £19-£24. Available exclusively via the website www.heist-studios.com with worldwide shipping available, Heist also offer a First Pair Promise to all new customers: if the tights don’t feel perfect, they will happily exchange or refund them within 28 days of delivery.
