The most apt description of Daily Drills and the brand's overnight fame can be boiled down to a video link we sent to the team's publicist with the message "Oh my god??" In it, a band of 20-somethings documents their journey of waking up at 4 a.m. and waiting in line in anticipation of Daily Drills' pop-up at La La Land Kind Cafe in Dallas, Texas, along with at least 60 other young women who were up before dawn and hoping to snag a sweatshirt. Although co-founders Kennedy Crichlow and Mary Ralph Lawson couldn't have imagined it when they first started the line in 2020, it's now become the norm for the beloved internet brand.
Enter Daily Drills, one of the direct-to-consumer activewear and loungewear brands to pop up during the pandemic. Unlike many of them, though, Daily Drills is still massively successful beyond the era of whipped coffee and dyed sweatshirts. Crichlow, Lawson, and their devoted fan base have shed their sweat suits in favor of a chicer, more elevated take on a lifestyle and resort brand. There have been pop-ups in New York and Dallas, and judging by the brand's online success, there are plenty more to come. Plus, the drop-based model that inevitably sells out leads to customers wanting more and more.
"We believe there is room for every lifestyle brand when you stay true to yourself," Lawson and Crichlow tell Who What Wear. "Sure, there are plenty of lifestyle brands out there, but there is only one of us."
It's hard to miss. We've in the midst of a sweat suit boom for a while, with every celebrity, influencer, and cool girl attempting to make their online audience convert into monetary sales, but there's something different about the women behind Daily Drills. They're both fashion-industry and social-marketing vets with a self-funded mission that feels more akin to entrepreneurship than an opportunity to capitalize off of a TikTok algorithm. Frankly, they know it too: "As long as we focus on our own styles versus just chasing the next trend that the rest of the fashion industry is following, there's space for us all."
You two were friends long before you began the brand—we'd love to hear the story of how you two first met and what pain points you had that led you to start Daily Drills.
We first met while contributing to a shared fashion IG account. Each girl who was a part of the account posted on a different day of the week. When we finally met IRL while we were both in L.A. for college (Ken at Loyola Marymount and Ralph at Pepperdine), we became fast friends.
We were feeling uninspired by our careers and closets, so when the world shut down during the pandemic, we had a chance to reflect on our lives and decided to take the leap and start Daily Drills. Everyone strongly encouraged us not to mix business and friendship, but we both have different strengths and interests, which make us work so well as a team. We have definitely found our groove. It's been one of the great joys in our lives!
Daily Drills has such a large, dedicated fan base. What does engaging with your audience mean to you, and how do your customers inform your drops? Have you figured out why they keep on coming back?
Our customers mean everything to us because they are our community! Although we haven't fully cracked the code yet and are always looking for new ways to engage with them, we are so grateful and honored by their dedication and are constantly inspired by their comments on our social media. We're in our DMs every day chatting with them in real time, and we love that they are never afraid to tell us what they want. We like to keep the line of communication as open as possible so that we are truly bringing our audience in—whether that be through in-person pop-ups, community events, online master classes, or sorority chats. We want there to be an open-door policy.
We also travel to the places our customers love to vacation and want to vacation in and share behind-the-scenes content and travel guides along the way. For example, everyone who vacations in Aspen was super excited to shop the recent Aspen collection because it feels personal to them!
We'd love to hear more about the business model in approaching your collections like limited-edition, one-time drops. What was the decision going into that? Do you think that's led to the buzz around the brand?
We didn't anticipate being a drop-based business! On the first drop, we couldn't afford a large amount of inventory, and when it sold out, we were shocked. We immediately reinvested the profits into more inventory, and then that sold out again. Naturally, that created a pretty high demand, and the buzz just spiraled from there. We're constantly trying to keep up with the demand, but so far, it's been so fun releasing collections with new designs and themes biweekly so that our customer always has something fresh to look forward to!
There are so many lifestyle, resortwear, and loungewear brands hoping to get a piece of the pie. Especially since the pandemic, DTC cozywear brands have exploded and become a big part of the fashion conversation. Where do you see the industry evolving from here in a post-pandemic world?
One of the only good things that has come out of the pandemic is making loungewear socially acceptable! Comfort has always been key when it comes to fashion, but now, it's a priority, and we don't think that's going anywhere. We love finding ways to style our sweats up and have enjoyed expanding into resortwear that's a bit more elevated but still just as comfy.
People will only get more creative and more bold from here. The oversize look has really expanded from lounge to ready-to-wear—e.g., blazers, loose trousers, button-downs. We've even been seeing it in top-tier designers recently, like Miu Miu, who are leaning into the sporty-chic side of loungewear.
As female entrepreneurs, what advice would you give to your younger selves or other female founders who want to start their own companies and brands?
Starting is the hardest, most intimidating part! If we can do it, so can you! Don't be worried if your first product isn't your best. It's not supposed to be. Just keep ideating and working toward the bigger vision.
Princess Diana Style
One of our go-tos is the Oversized Crew with bikers, socks, and loafers or chunky sneakers for chic, sporty on-the-go look.
Matching Sweat Set
You also cannot go wrong with a matching sweat set to elevate your airport look for style and comfort.
Sweater, Shorts, and Boots
We recently have loved styling our Single Button Sweater with long shorts and boots (like Ken did for the opening of the NYC Daily Drills pop-up) or with the Poplin Resort Pants for a more laid-back look.
Shop more Daily Drills and loungewear items:
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