The MAS Adaptive Center of Excellence is the hub dedicated to crafting inclusive and accessible clothing under the brand ‘Lable’. The brand aims to shape the narrative surrounding disability in Sri Lanka while rooted in principles of championing rights, and ethical practices, its commitment transcends boundaries to benefit both the world and consumers. In this interview with Suleik Mushin, Lead for Lable By MAS and Aasif Faiz, Marketing Lead for Lable by MAS we delve into the future outlook for this new era of inclusive fashion.
Tell us about Lable by MAS – Overview of the company
The Adaptive Center of Excellence serves as MAS Holdings’ dedicated team committed to designing, validating, and manufacturing inclusive and accessible clothing and also the brand ‘Lable’. Our approach prioritises production feasibility to ensure widespread accessibility across all our brands. This commitment is deeply rooted in championing rights, embracing fashion, and adhering to ethical principles for the betterment of the world and our consumers.
A source of pride for us at MAS is our unwavering dedication to three fundamental tenets: product excellence, prioritising people, and environmental stewardship. We take great satisfaction in the realisation that a seemingly small element, such as the placement of a slight fastener, can profoundly impact millions of individuals’ ability to engage with clothing. This, to us, signifies both an objective and a measure of success in our journey to create Lable by MAS.
Inspiration behind Lable by MAS
In our industry, the emphasis often revolves around achieving the perfect fit for individuals with two arms and two legs, conforming to the ideal shape and size for conventional clothing. But, in a world where attire serves as armour in the metaphorical gladiator ring that is life, it is paramount for us to craft garments that empower real users, true to the diversity that exists all around us, granting them the independence and freedom to express themselves authentically in public.
The events of 2021, particularly the pandemic, prompted a significant shift in consumer behaviour. People became more mindful, conscientious, and discerning about their purchases—questioning not only what they buy but also its purpose.
As we look ahead, the creation of the ‘Lable’ brand is driven by two fundamental objectives. Firstly, it aims to provide credibility to both our customers and brands. We take pride in the processes our products undergo to earn recognition as items tailored for individuals with permanent disabilities and temporary setbacks. We view ourselves as facilitators and creators, collaborating with co-creators to transform ideas into validated, manufacturable concepts. Creating awareness within Sri Lankan society about the possibilities available is one facet of this mission. Secondly, ‘Lable’ seeks to enhance the credibility of our brands, showcasing that our products undergo rigorous processes to earn recognition as inclusive and adaptive.
How did the collaboration with MAS-employed persons with disabilities and the Sri Lankan Paralympic Team influence the product development process?
As facilitators and creators, our creative process begins with drawing inspiration directly from our consumers. We follow a meticulous path, starting with the conceptualization of a product, followed by thorough validation, and concluding with the manufacturing phase. The cornerstone of our success lies in our deep connection with co-creation and our invaluable consumer base. Without this symbiotic relationship, reaching our current position would not have been possible.
One aspect that makes me very proud is the proactive approach taken by MAS even before the inception of our inclusive product line. The company had established infrastructure and systems to employ individuals with disabilities across various business entities. Currently, we proudly employ more than 470 individuals with disabilities across MAS. We utilize their expertise for the functional testing of our products. This initiative gained momentum during the global pandemic when travel restrictions prevented us from reaching our traditional consumer markets. Working closely with our consumers from home expedited our progress and strengthened our connection.
The inclusive employment practices at MAS provided a protective environment for us as product creators. However, stepping outside the company, we recognized the lack of representation for people with disabilities amongst the general public. To address this gap, we forged a partnership with the National Paralympic team in 2021, proudly serving as their official clothing sponsor. Our collaboration extends across intimates, lifestyle and game day/performance wear for the athletes. Notably, our products played a role in the success of 10 out of 26 athletes who secured 11 medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games.
Working closely with athletes holds paramount importance for us, as their rigorous testing serves as a benchmark for our products. This emphasis on stress testing at an extreme level becomes especially crucial in a relatively new market where both consumers and brands approach with caution. The credibility established through our consumer relationships has been mission-critical in ensuring the success of our venture in this unique market.
In what ways does the brand aim to create awareness about adaptive clothing locally
As we embarked on the journey of creating adaptive clothing, our initial focus was on addressing a global need. However, as we delved deeper into understanding the local audience, specifically the local disability community, we recognized a more significant issue. It became evident that the starting point was not solely the development of adaptive solutions or adaptive clothing. Instead, the pressing need was to confront the prevailing narrative surrounding disabilities in Sri Lanka.
We identified a pervasive challenge wherein disability carried substantial stigma, and shame, and was deemed a taboo topic. Acknowledging this broader societal issue, we understood the importance of addressing the disability narrative as a prerequisite. It was this realisation that prompted us to take proactive steps before delving into the specifics of adaptive fashion tailored for the Sri Lankan context, which remains a focal point of our efforts. We are actively looking to engage in workshops and initiatives to impart knowledge, upskill individuals, and familiarise them with the fundamentals of adaptive clothing. We aim to empower them to create affordable adaptive clothing using the skills they acquire, aligning with their existing practices and means.
How does the brand aim to break through the stigma surrounding disabilities?
We recognized early on the need to address broader issues preceding our focus on adaptive clothing. As a brand, we are committed to dismantling stigmas surrounding disability in Sri Lanka. In collaboration with communities, we have immersed ourselves in diverse stories, perspectives, and experiences. Many individuals shared narratives highlighting the deeply ingrained shame and karmic associations attached to disability in Sri Lanka. For instance, some families, when faced with a disability among their children, choose to keep it a closely guarded secret, avoiding discussion within their communities. Our brand endeavours to play a pivotal role in reshaping these narratives and fostering a more inclusive and accepting society. For this, we host many events that aim to foster societal integration. Through various panel discussions, open mic nights and exhibitions we’ve cemented ourselves in building awareness and bridging the existing divide. A key example is the public exhibition ‘9’ that took place on the 3rd of December at One Galle Face Mall, coinciding with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. This was a public immersive and educative experience done in collaboration with artists and the community. It was dedicated to showcasing a new perspective by allowing the general public to engage with installations and art pieces that shed light on the daily lives of persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka, the lack of accessibility and posed a question to the larger society as to how we could do better. We aim to take this exhibition across the 9 provinces of the island and invite any company, organisation or even individual to collaborate and join hands with us to do so.
The next steps
Our strategic goals revolve around two key aspects. First and foremost, we aspire to expand vertically in an inclusive manner. This expansion aims to address the diverse needs prevalent in our daily lives, encompassing individuals across generations—be it grandparents, parents, siblings, or others. Our commitment is to provide support to those undergoing post-operative recovery, the elderly, and individuals facing temporary setbacks. This vertical expansion of our product portfolio is designed to offer comprehensive solutions across a broad spectrum of needs.
Furthermore, we are actively positioning ourselves to become the launch partner for para sports. Our objective is to introduce products that will be featured in the 2024 Paralympics. We aim to be recognized as supporters of para-sports teams, contributing to their performance goals. This strategic direction sets the stage for our aspirations over the next two years.