What happens when MIT students start designing menswear? Dress shirts made with temperature-regulating technology, 3-D printed jackets, and coffee-infused socks designed to reduce odor, for starters.
Ministry of Supply—a futuristic menswear brand founded by Aman Advania, Gihan Amarasiriwardena, and Kit Hickey, who met at MIT—is planning to fill a storefront at the already menswear-heavy The Shay development. This brick-and-mortar will be Ministry of Supply’s third location, following Boston and San Francisco shops. According to a representative of the brand, DC men are some of Ministry of Supply’s best customers.
The brand launched in 2011 with a Kickstarter campaign for its Apollo dress shirt, a stretchy, moisture-wicking button-up that’s designed to resist sweat stains. The brand labels itself as “empathetic inventors” who are working to solve issues (such as sweat stains) by creating performance garments that share functionality with athletic apparel but look like dress clothes.
In 2015, co-founder Amarasiriwardena proved just how functional their suits are by completing a half marathon while wearing a full Ministry of Supply suit, tie included. A former collegiate runner, Amarasiriwardena finished the race in 1:24:41, breaking the Guinness World Record for running a half-marathon in a suit.
Even if you aren’t gunning to break a world record—perhaps you’d just like to bike to your office in the morning without turning into a sweaty mess—Ministry of Supply may be able to help. The store is slated to open on June 23 at 1924 8th Street, NW, Suite 100.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
