Founders: Heather Hasson and Trina Spear
The idea for FIGS was first formed when Heather met up with a friend and nurse practitioner for coffee. Heather couldn't believe how boxy and uncomfortable her friend's scrubs were and that she spent all day wearing them. Her friend told Heather that she didn't have any better options. Heather altered her friend's scrubs to fit better, and soon others asked her to do alterations. That's when Heather knew she could change the industry. Soon after, she partnered with Trina, who had a strong finance background and got to know the medical apparel industry during her time in Private Equity. Heather and Trina developed their own (better) scrubs and posted up at hospitals wearing their product and passing out free coffee. This had a viral effect and FIGS began to catch fire.
FIGS revolutionized the medical apparel industry by creating stylish, functional scrubs (wrinkle resistant, stain repellent, etc.) using technical, high-performance fabrics (like sportswear). The co. has created a direct relationship with the customer and sells its products on its e-commerce site. Through doing this, Heather and Trina learned what medical professionals need out of their scrubs; for example, a pocket to hold wedding rings, since many tied them to bra straps/drawstrings and the rings ended up getting lost.
“We’re not just changing an antiquated industry, we’re changing purchasing behaviors that have been ingrained in this community for over a hundred years.” - Heather
Sources: Inc., Forbes, FIGS website