ImagesMagUK_March_2022

IS BRAND PROFILE www.images-magazine.com 44 images MARCH 2022 Stormtech offers more than 50 bags, including [L-R] the Trinity access pack, the Road Warrior computer pack, and the Madagascar duffle pack Pure product As Stormtech introduces two new lines, Pure Earth and Polygiene Stays Fresh, Images visits the performance apparel company and discovers sustainability has always been at its core and that the brand offers much, much more than highly technical jackets A t Stormtech’s European headquarters in north London, director of sales Andrew Kouroushi is holding the Road Warrior, a smart computer rucksack that with a couple of swift moves transforms into an equally smart attaché case, and then into an over-the-shoulder bag. He’s wearing a polo shirt – also from Stormtech. Behind us is a rail of checked shirts, while in front are more bags, including the new Tundra cooler packs that would look at home on a yacht. To the side there is the brand’s new sustainable collection, Pure Earth, comprising T-shirts, polos, softshell and pullover – and, of course, racks and racks of jackets. Ask anyone in the industry what Stormtech is known for and the answer will be high-end, technical jackets. The reality, however, is somewhat different. Yes, you can buy a jacket from Stormtech that retails for £400 and can be worn up Everest if that’s what you fancy, but you can also buy a micro-piqué T-shirt for £7 trade complete with UV protection and H2X-Dry active moisture-management technology. Every Stormtech product has a performance feature, whether that’s H2Xtreme, the brand’s waterproof breathable technology that Andrew says can compete with Gore-Tex, or its feather-free thermal insulation that can be worn at -10°C, and in some instances down to -35°C. There are thoughtful, technical products for every season, from baking summers to below-freezing winters. “It’s not just a winter brand, it’s an all-year- round brand,” says Andrew. “We have spring products, polo shirts, lightweights, mid-layers – we go all the way through.” It is, he says, a very different company with a much wider range of products than when he joined 11 years ago, from trousers to hats via T-shirts, jackets and face masks, and more than 50 bags. “There’s no excuse for anyone looking at the Stormtech website to go anywhere else,” he declares. Family business Stormtech is celebrating its 45th anniversary this year. Still a family-run business, it was founded in 1977 by Blake Annable in Canada and began life as a sportswear distributor called Promark. It became known for its bags (it used to supply bags for Champion in North America) and moved into promotional products, producing branded ‘beer gear’ for companies like Budweiser and Coors. In 1985, Promark made its first ever jacket: the Storm-Tech. By 1987, the apparel side of the business was known as Stormtech; over the next few years, the Promark bags and accessories were also rebranded as Stormtech. Fast forward to 2022, and Stormtech’s products are available in more than 50 countries worldwide and the catalogue is a hefty 465 pages. It has released new products for spring, including, notably, two sustainable lines – Pure Earth and Polygiene Stays Fresh – although Andrew points out Stormtech has always been a sustainable choice. “For the last two years, everyone has been saying, ‘Do you have any sustainable products?’ And I say, ‘We do. We have products that have a five-year warranty. So instead of buying it once, buying it twice, you buy it once and it lasts. We’ve always had a sustainable story.’” The company has seven sustainable practices that underpin its sourcing and design, from prioritising animal welfare and increased use of biodegradable materials to protecting forests and oceans. There are three levels to all of the garments the brand offers, Andrew adds: “Good, better, best.” They will never fall into the ‘throwaway fast-fashion’ box – these are carefully researched garments that are intended to last. An example of this can be seen by the brand’s approach to face masks at the beginning of the pandemic. While Stormtech quickly set about distributing masks from Canada