The Daily - January 29, 2020 - 34

Ideas
B I G

T R E N D S

From top: Flylow Lucy
Shell, Picture Organic
Demain, Norrøna Lofoten
Gore-Tex Pro Anorak.

It's Cleanup Time

Apparel companies are working to lessen the impact of what has
long been a dirty manufacturing process. By Berne Broudy
GOING GREEN

In October 2019, Patagonia announced that 100% of its waterproof shells-61 total styles-were
being made with recycled materials
and sewn in Fair Trade Certified
factories. The brand determined
that 97% of a company's pollution
comes from its supply chain, and
making virgin synthetics causes
86% of those emissions. By switching to recycled, Patagonia cut
11,500 metric tons of CO2e, enough
to power 1,300 homes for one year.
In apparel, there's been a true shift
in mentality around sustainability
and using materials that lessen the
industry's impact.
Gore-Tex is helping brands do
better with its recycled Pro line,
which includes 19 fabrics that are
recycled or are dyed using less water
and energy. Pro fabrics can be
combined to create hybrid kits with
extra stretch and durability by zone.
By 2020, eight brands will use the
recycled face textiles, and six will
use the solution-dyed face products.
"When we reached out to
consumers, we heard that people
were carrying water on backpacking trips where they previously
trusted local streams; annual ski
trips could not count on snow,"
says Mark McKinnie, Gore-Tex
Pro product specialist. Given that
changing landscape, reducing
the environmental footprint of
its products while maintaining
performance is essential to driving
change in the industry, he says.
Mountain Hardwear is using Pro Shell in its big mountain
ski and ride Viv kit, developed in

partnership with Gore and Chamonix-based ski guide Vivian Bruchez.
"It uses a multilayer air-permeable
membrane that minimizes moisture buildup for more comfort in a
broader range of conditions," says
Steve Adams, the brand's product
line manager. Rab is using the
textile in its new weather-resistant
Khroma Kharve Jacket, a hybrid of
recycled Gore Pro Shell, Gore Infinium, and Rab's recycled Stratus
insulation. "Access to Gore-Tex for
smaller brands opened the doors for
Rab," says Jon Frederick, Rab NA
country manager. Because Pro Shell
materials can be combined with
other materials, it has also created
more freedom of design, he says.

INSANE IN THE
MEMBRANE

Picture Organic takes sustainable
manufacturing to the next level
with a move to bio-based ingredients. The three-layer Demain
jacket uses fabric made from
sugarcane waste and Xpore, the
first solvent-free, PFC-free 20k/20k
membrane that uses mechanical
stretch to create the nano-pores,
rather than relying on chemicals for
waterproofing. "We need everyone
working on [sustainability]-from
materials to packaging to shipping-to meaningfully reduce our
carbon footprint," says Julien Durant, Picture co-founder. "Picture
will develop and use more bio-based
ingredients and will hopefully eliminate its dependence on fossil fuels."
"All of us are looking at how
to create sustainable companies
and products," says Philip Tavell,

/ OUTDOOR + SNOW SHOW 2020

category managing director at Helly
Hansen, which introduces a new
waterproof-breathable membrane
in its Elevation Lifa Infinity Pro
Shell Jacket. Manufactured without
chemicals, its production uses 75%
less water. Also look for the Norrøna
Lofoten Gore-Tex Pro Anorak, crafted from 100% recycled material.

BACKCOUNTRY SHREADY
While the sustainability story is
grabbing the spotlight, brands
continue to address function and
aesthetics. "An increased focus on
backcountry is leading to lighter builds and more stretch," says
Charlie Berg, Outdoor Research
outerwear product manager. The
Archangel Jacket and Bibs feature
panels of stretchy, ultra-durable
Gore-Tex Pro on the upper back.
Also look for Flylow's Lucy Shell,
a soft, buttery softshell-feel fabric
with a streamlined, flattering cut
that doesn't scream mountaineer.
"People are seeking products that
connect them with something
bigger than themselves," says Dan
Abrams, Flylow founder.

FUNCTION INNOVATION

Jackets get you from point A to B,
but what happens when you get
there? The Royal Robbins Switchform Waterproof Parka flips into
itself to become a backpack with
adjustable straps. "Switchform goes
beyond simple packability toward
apparel that is truly multipurpose,"
says product line manager Will
Lucky. The jacket also uses a fluorocarbon-free DWR and non-silver-based odor control.

The Daily - January 29, 2020

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