The Interview: TONIC founder Sophie Kinross on why she created a new fashion category – patientwear – TheIndustry.fashion

Sophie Kinross is an skilled fashion model builder, having labored with among the business’s largest names, from River Island to ME+EM. After experiencing harm and sickness, nonetheless, she felt motivated to launch a fashion model with a distinction: one which helped wearers to really feel cared for and trendy through the challenges of sickness and restoration.

TONIC creates attire and equipment to lend dignity, and a little little bit of luxurious, to the wearer on the time they want it most: from particular grip socks to be worn in hospital to robes with pockets for drains, and trendy, but excessive functioning, slings.

Launched earlier this yr, the model is offered on its personal web site and is in talks with NHS and personal hospitals about distribution partnerships.

Kinross talks to us about what impressed her to launch the model, the painstaking testing and design course of, and why she is so motivated to construct additional on this new category of patientwear.

Could you please give us some perception into your profession earlier than you established TONIC? You have labored for some main manufacturers.

I’m a model builder and artistic strategist. My background spans worldwide retailers beginning at Arcadia, then River Island, LK Bennett, ME+EM, and most not too long ago consulting for startups. I like constructing identities that join emotionally and commercially, empowering communities, and within the case of TONIC, launching totally new classes.

Did you all the time have an ambition to arrange your individual firm?

Timing performed a large position. I used to be constructing manufacturers for others. However, 4 years in the past, I had shoulder surgical procedure through the top of summer season – through the Euros, insufferable warmth – I used to be given this suffocating, plastic sling that was itchy, scratchy, and reduce into my neck. I genuinely thought: are they attempting to make me really feel worse?

As I complained wildly, I found I wasn’t alone. A really expensive pal, a fashion director, advised me she went dwelling along with her breast drains in two Sainsbury’s plastic luggage over her shoulders. That picture caught with me. We’ve embedded this story and lots of extra into the DNA of TONIC.

So TONIC wasn’t born from ambition – it was born from frustration and a fierce perception that individuals in restoration deserve higher.

This is such an fascinating area of interest, and clearly one which has been largely ignored, was it your private expertise then that drove you to arrange the model?

It was that suffocating plastic sling mixed with the conversations that adopted. Patient put on is presently mass-produced with a view to conserving unit prices down – it is one-measurement-matches all and due to this fact matches nobody. These merchandise are recognized to fail.

Here’s the factor: the surgeon’s job (and I’m married to 1, so I can say this) is to function and get you dwelling as quickly as potential. How and sporting what will not be their concern. If you take a look at the NHS web site, they’ve checklists for every process telling you when you possibly can return to work, when you possibly can have intercourse, when you possibly can drive once more – however they merely say ‘put on free clothes’. This will not be adequate. Our mission is to create higher.

Then, simply as TONIC was able to launch, I used to be identified with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.

Overnight, I turned not solely a founder however a affected person-sitting in chemotherapy, sporting the very garments we might created for others. That full-circle second gave the mission fierce readability: this is not nearly design. It’s about dignity, empathy, and creating one thing that genuinely helps folks really feel human once more at a time they want it most.

The actuality is we’re all dwelling with extra persistent illness, we now have an ageing inhabitants, and as surgical procedure develops, procedures turn into much less invasive, so we now have extra interventions. The demand for affected person put on is rising. And our mission is to assist these folks.

It’s so clear now, why you wished to embark on this mission, what an inspirational story! So, when you had the concept, how did you go about making the model a actuality?

I’m not a designer, so I teamed up with Creative Director Kelly Townsend, Co-Founder of Paper London and ex-Temperley. Kelly is a sustainability champion whose handwriting is considerate design and joyful color. The concept turned a lovely actuality in Kelly’s gifted arms, and in February 2025, our ‘child’ TONIC London was despatched out into the world.

From day one, TONIC has been inbuilt dialog with our prospects-all of whom have clearly articulated the necessity for higher affected person clothes. We began by listening. Really listening. We spoke to sufferers, clinicians, breast care nurses, surgeons, physiotherapists.

Everything we design follows our TONIC Lab course of: DESIGN → WEARER TRIALS → COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT → ACTIVATION → PRODUCT DROP. If it really works, we make extra. If it does not, we return to the Lab. No countless product strains-simply targeted, purposeful drops designed with sufferers, clinicians, and caregivers to resolve actual wants with fashion and dignity.

We’ve run complete wearer testing throughout, over 25 up to now. The medical validation has been unimaginable – our affected person empowerment scores for our hospital grip socks hit 76/100.

Can you clarify the important thing items within the model because it stands?

We in our infancy, nonetheless, we have gotten recognized for a hero items: our grip socks are bestsellers – they’re 100% cotton not like most hospital socks that use artificial supplies, our female and male designed arm slings that do not reduce into your neck (additionally CE marked Class 1 medical units), our noise muffling eye masks for higher relaxation & restoration, and our signature T-shirt hospital robe – a full reimagining of the normal robe that provides sufferers dignity and autonomy.

From the bedside to going dwelling, we’re creating clothes that assist restoration, respect humanity, and spark a smile.

Your put on-testing is clearly rigorous; how did you strategy the design and performance of the items to make sure they finest accommodated the wants of the wearer?

From discreet pockets to weighted hems, mushy necklines to simple fastenings, each design selection at TONIC is purposeful. Co-creation is every part. We work straight with sufferers, clinicians, and caregivers.

Our Creative Director, Kelly, undertakes in-depth analysis interviews, usually 3 – 4 hours lengthy, and common catch ups to see how the wearer trial has gone and any iterations which might be wanted.

We sweat the small stuff and obsess over particulars – as a result of recuperation is difficult sufficient. Innovation is stitched into every part we do. We’re product folks, however we’re additionally group folks.

Where are you having the product manufactured and was it a problem getting it proper?

We manufacture in China, India, and Europe – we go to the place the consultants within the area are. For instance, jersey from Turkey, Class 1 medical units from China, nice leathers in India.

Yes, it has completely been a problem. For instance, we despatched our slings to a luxurious accent maker and to a medical machine specialist. The accent maker initially thought they have been purses, and the machine specialist had no information of working with sustainable materials. We all realized collectively!

This is precisely why we exist. Medical attire has been handled as an afterthought for too lengthy. We’re not making commodity merchandise – we’re creating medical infrastructure. We’re setting a new customary for what affected person put on might be.

The materials are so lovely, why was it so vital to you to supply such a excessive stage?

Dignity. At TONIC, we consider restoration from sickness is difficult. It exams the physique, strains the spirit, and sometimes strips away dignity, consolation, and autonomy. We exist as a result of we consider folks in restoration deserve higher.

When you are not feeling your self, the very last thing you want is one thing scratchy, low cost, or undignified touching your pores and skin. Quality materials-like cashmere, 100% cotton, considerate supplies-talk one thing important: you matter. This is not nearly consolation (although that is essential), it is about sustaining your sense of self when every part else feels uncontrolled.

We’re a affected person-led design home. From finest-in-class supplies to knowledgeable technical design, each garment is crafted to satisfy the distinctive wants of individuals in restoration, whether or not at dwelling, in a hospital, or someplace in between. Our strategy combines considerate and useful design, luxurious breathable materials, and years of affected person and clinician analysis and lived expertise.

People in restoration deserve clothes that cares for them, not simply covers them.

How do you see the product line-up growing sooner or later?

We design by affected person pathway quite than by season, as is conventional in luxurious items. Through the TONIC Lab, we’re always innovating primarily based on what sufferers and clinicians inform us they want.

We presently have a chemotherapy assortment, mastectomy assortment, and physiotherapy restoration bundles. In improvement for launch 2026/27 are a hip operation assortment, stoma swimwear, and dementia attire.

We’re increasing our vary thoughtfully – extra restoration put on for various procedures, extra choices for dwelling restoration. We’re additionally constructing our B2B relationships with personal hospitals and NHS trusts who wish to supply their sufferers one thing higher.

But we’ll by no means lose focus. We’re not attempting to be every part to everybody. We’re right here to pioneer trendy medical attire that transforms restoration.

What has the method of buyer acquisition been like? While there may be clearly a hole available in the market, I think about it’s good to strategy advertising and marketing sensitively.

Absolutely. TONIC is extra than simply merchandise – we’re a group.

We’re product folks, but in addition group folks. Recovery, we perceive, can really feel lonely, so we have constructed a house the place sufferers and supporters can join, share, and snicker collectively. Becoming a subscriber to our mailing listing permits entry to an empathy-first strategy to advertising and marketing, serving non-medical, consolation-led, and sensible tricks to assist restoration.

We strategy our advertising and marketing with dignity and care. We function actual affected person tales with respect. We educate quite than promote. Through each step of our enterprise, consideration for human therapeutic is on the centre-as a result of we consider recuperation is difficult sufficient.

Our channels embrace direct-to-client by means of our web site, B2B partnerships with healthcare suppliers, and we’re growing bedside purchasing ideas for hospitals. Surgical slings, eye masks, and grip socks have turn into bestsellers as a result of they remedy actual issues.

When you’ve got gained prospects, do you discover they arrive again once more?

Yes, our prospects come again and buy for family members after experiencing the model. We’re constructing a model with longevity and loyalty at its core. The concept is to be a companion with purchasers as they journey by means of life and completely different healthcare journeys.

Like me, you would possibly uncover TONIC after a shoulder operation and use a sling, then return to us after a most cancers prognosis and going into chemotherapy. Recovery moments occur to all of us – surgical procedure, harm, sickness. Once folks uncover TONIC, they keep in mind us. They inform their buddies, their relations. They purchase our merchandise as considerate items for family members going by means of surgical procedure.

That’s after we know we have succeeded: when somebody says – as they commonly do – “I couldn’t think about my restoration with out it.”

Can you please inform us extra about distribution? You have your web site and also you talked about potential partnerships, the place else is the model obtainable?

We promote straight by means of www.your-tonic.com, which provides us a direct relationship with our group. But we additionally companion with healthcare suppliers to supply TONIC on the level of want.

We’re presently working with a South London NHS Foundation Trust on customized branded grip socks. We have a pipeline of 21 potential healthcare supplier prospects and are working stay pilots with premium amenities. We’re additionally in conversations with central London personal hospitals about together with our merchandise in discharge packs.

The aim is to satisfy sufferers wherever they’re of their journey-whether or not that is ordering on-line, discovering us at their bedside, or receiving our merchandise as a part of their hospital care.

What are your ambitions for the model over the following yr or two?

We’re presently elevating a seed spherical to scale thoughtfully. We’ll proceed to kind partnerships with UK healthcare suppliers, and the following cease is the Middle East.

Our ambitions are threefold:

Expand our healthcare supplier partnerships – changing into the usual for affected person put on in premium amenities throughout the UK and internationally

Grow the TONIC Lab – persevering with to innovate with sufferers and clinicians to resolve actual restoration wants

Build category consciousness – we’re not simply promoting merchandise, we’re creating a new category: trendy medical attire.

We wish to encourage a future the place each well being journey is elevated with dignity, consolation, and considerate design. Where design transforms restoration.

What has been essentially the most worthwhile studying for you through the strategy of beginning your individual model?

Creating a new category is the toughest and most rewarding factor you are able to do. We’re not competing in an present market – we’re inventing one. Medical attire as considerate, dignified, useful design merely hasn’t existed earlier than. That means you are educating always: healthcare suppliers, traders, even sufferers who do not know there’s an alternative choice to what they have been given.

Never take no for a solution turns into important. When you have seen firsthand how one-measurement-matches-all fails folks, if you’ve heard the tales of drains in Sainsbury’s luggage and plastic slings in summer season warmth, you do not cease.

Surround your self with individuals who share your values. Building a category requires a group who believes folks in restoration are people who deserve dignity, consolation, and selection.

When everybody shares that mission, the unattainable begins feeling achievable.