The sartorial tides are turning, carrying fashion towards an environment where matching sweatsuits are always appropriate and shoes can go untouched for months. O'Brien has never been one for rules - a mentality that might very well work in the company’s favor during a period in which the rules regarding how, when, and even if we get dressed are being re-considered or tossed out entirely. Two years later, without any background in fashion, she started her own underwear company fueled entirely by her headstrong desire to challenge industry norms that kept women feeling, quite literally, restricted. Convinced that she wasn't doing what she really wanted with her life, although not entirely sure of what exactly that was, O'Brien quit her job running the financial media division of one of the largest PR agencies in New York City, and took the kind of leap of faith her clothes are designed to support. For O'Brien, this marked a turning point in her career. Her company was the direct product of a catalytic shift in the wake of the tragic and nation-changing 9/11 terrorist attacks. Commando offers an unparalleled degree of authenticity, establishing itself as a brand that is made for women, by women since 2003 with almost 90% of its current employees, from the headquarters in Burlington, Vermont to distribution warehouses across the country, being female.ĭespite Commando's growth and success over the past 17 years, which includes a slew of patented designs on slips and hosiery, large-scale partnerships with New York Fashion Week, and milestone moments like a pregnant Serena Williams choosing to wear Commando - and only Commando - on the cover of Vanity Fair in 2017, O'Brien is no stranger to doing business in the face of crisis.
And considering O'Brien is actually able to be a litmus test for her own designs, it's not surprising that her realness resonated with shoppers almost immediately. That means top-quality, sustainable fabrics sourced from Europe and cut here in the U.S., designs that are fiercely functional, and a range of comfortable intimates, casual wear, and hosiery made to feel "better than nothing," as Commando's tagline goes.
O'Brien often reiterates those three words - happy, special, confident - when talking about her customers and her company, which has been built upon the foundational understanding that women don't just want more, they deserve more.
#Casual commando professional#
“We’re working our patooties off.”Ĭommando's faux-leather leggings aren't just one of the brand's top-selling styles, they're the physical embodiment of O'Brien's professional creed: "Only wear things that make you feel truly happy and special and comfortable and confident," she says. The unexpected arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic may have yanked the proverbial rug from beneath Commando's quotidian operations by keeping staff confined to their homes and its brick-and-mortar stockists shut indefinitely, but it has not slowed the team down. And honestly, I’ve never worked harder,” O’Brien tells Refinery29. “I wake up every morning and put on my warrior pants: my bad-ass faux leather leggings. O’Brien is completely unfazed by the cozy allure of sweatpants - even if the garment is now officially Anna Wintour approved - instead opting for a bolder breed of bottoms fit for a boss. High-spirited and busy as ever, the businesswoman shares that she steps away from her desk only to assume the occasional downward dog position (her signature method of product testing) or check in with her quarantine crew, which consists of her three children, her husband, and her parents living next door. From her makeshift Zoom station at her home in northern Vermont, Kerry O’Brien, founder and designer of the luxury intimates and apparel label Commando, does not come off as someone who's been on lockdown since mid-March.
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