How One Workwear Label Unbuttoned Its Old Idea of Power

CASE STUDY: PRODUCT BRAND OF A WOMEN’S WORKWEAR LABEL

FOCUS: Brand Drift | AUDIENCE: Stewards of Plateaued Brands

I helped a women’s workwear brand shed old “power dressing” cliches for a more modern leadership style.

The Brand Challenge

This was a well-regarded British workwear label for women, originally celebrated for its well-tailored office attire. At its peak, it embodied smart, empowering clothing for corporate life. Its target audience was urban, professional women—largely mid-career executives who valued sharp aesthetics and confident silhouettes.

But over time, the brand drifted into predictability. Marketing leaned heavily on worn-out metaphors: “power dressing,” “boardroom presence,” “executive command.” Its collections echoed the same structured jackets, fitted blouses, and uninspiring palettes. Meanwhile, the workplace itself had changed—flexible work, hybrid roles, evolving leadership styles. The brand’s language and look no longer resonated. Sales plateaued. Younger professionals bypassed the label entirely, seeing it as stuck in an outdated mode of corporate self-presentation.

The Brand Insight

Through deep consumer and cultural analysis, I realised the problem wasn’t rooted in the clothing itself. It was a metaphoric disconnect. The brand was still selling the old narrative of “power through appearance,” when its audience had moved toward power through movement, flow, and identity.

Modern professional women didn’t want to “command the boardroom.” They wanted to lead on their own terms, with clothing that supported fluidity between roles—office, home, creative, entrepreneurial. The brand’s own idea of “power” had become its greatest constraint. It needed to unbutton that idea—literally and metaphorically.

The Big Brand Idea

My breakthrough idea came with a simple but radical reframing: “Dress for Work That Moves You.” This idea liberated the brand from the stale visual and verbal tropes of corporate dressing. It reframed workwear not as armour for the office, but as an enabler of modern professional life.

By positioning clothing around movement—both physical and career-wise—we shifted the narrative from power to personal momentum. This opened the door to design, content, and community expressions that were fresh, culturally resonant, and deeply differentiated. The brand would no longer “tell” women how to look powerful; it would support how they already moved through the world.

The Brand New Strategy

We crafted a new strategic positioning: “Workwear for Women Who Move the World.” This was supported by a refreshed tone of voice, a redesigned product mix, and a deeply human content ecosystem. The brand’s new story centred on flexibility, authenticity, and modern leadership.

Visually, we shifted away from stocky “boss lady” iconography. Campaigns featured real working women—startup founders, creative directors, NGO leaders—navigating multi-context lives. Product lines evolved toward fluid silhouettes, breathable fabrics, and versatile pieces. Marketing language spoke to momentum, not hierarchy. The brand no longer dressed women to fit a role—it dressed them to flow through roles.

10 New Content Directions

Here are 10 strategic ideas developed (and several executed) to support the new brand direction.

Momentum Capsule Collections – Curated drops themed around key moments: Creativity Days, Leadership Weeks, Travel Workflows.
Founder’s Journal Series – Blog series where the founder shared her own journey of unlearning “power dressing” clichés.
Workday Movement Profiles Quiz – Interactive quiz helping women discover their work-life flow, leading to personalised product recommendations.
Real Women in Motion Video Stories – Short films showcasing how diverse professionals wear the brand across dynamic daily lives.
Instagram Reels: Style in Motion – Visual content showing how pieces move—on the body, in different settings, at different times of day.
Flexible Wardrobe Guides – Editorial content teaching women to build hybrid-friendly, versatile work wardrobes.
Community-Driven Hashtag Campaign – #WorkThatMovesYou used to crowdsource and feature customer stories and styles.
LinkedIn Thought Leadership Series – Brand-led conversations on evolving leadership, modern work, and personal expression.
Partnerships with Coaches and Work-Life Experts – Co-created content with career coaches and leadership consultants to deepen the brand’s cultural authority.
Digital Lookbook with Movement Filters – Interactive lookbook allowing shoppers to filter products by movement needs: Travel, Home Office, On-the-Go Days, Client Meetings.

Results Within 6 Months

25% uplift in sales of the rebranded capsule collections.
18% increase in younger (25–35) first-time buyers.
2.4x engagement increase across social media on “movement”-themed content.
Featured press coverage in 3 leading fashion and business lifestyle publications.

CONFIDENTIALITY CAVEAT: This case study represents a confidential engagement. For privacy, specific brand identifiers, campaign names, and project phases have been withheld. It has been shared with permission while preserving client discretion.

Extra Tip for Broader Perspective

If you’re an investor seeking momentum for your portfolio brands, here is one of my case studies that could interest you: “How A German E-Scooter Brand Was Steered Out of a Timing Trap.“

And if you’re a solo expert looking to sharpen traction, this case study I worked on may resonate: “How One DEI Consultant Bridged Cultures by Changing His Voice.“

Take your brand from stuck to full throttle − with one bold strategic shift

"One BIG IDEA can turn brand stagnation into unstoppable movement. Spots are limited each week—book your breakthrough session now."

Shobha Ponnappa

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