No 21 DIAGNOSIS: THE SCRUBS MARKET IS COMATOSE. THE CURE? ADD FASHION AND FUNCTION
Trina Spear first discovered the sleepy but lucrative scrubs market when she did a private equity deal for a large U.S. scrubs maker. Then a mutual friend introduced her to Heather Hasson, a fashion designer who was working on scrub designs that featured high-tech fabrics and trendy silhouettes. The two started Figs, the first e-commerce site to sell scrubs directly to consumers. They weren’t the only ones who saw a smart idea—early investors included Lululemon’s ex-CEO Christine Day and actor Will Smith. They expect revenue this year to top $100 million.
Trina Spear and Heather Hasson → FIGS
Three-year growth 9,947.6% • 2017 revenue $23.1 million
LOS ANGELES • FOUNDED 2013
TINA: Scrubs are a $10 billion industry in the United States—$60 billion worldwide. The beauty of this industry is that it’s stable. Thousands of medical professionals enter the workforce every year and 90 percent have to buy their own uniforms. But the product has never really changed.
HEATHER: My first experience with scrubs was when I was premed in college. I’m 5'8" and 116 pounds, and there I was, working on cadavers in these extra-large, boxy, unisex scrubs. Medicine wasn’t my strength, so I went into design.
