ImagesMagUK_March_2022

www.images-magazine.com MARCH 2022 images 45 IS BRAND PROFILE [L-R] The Treeline Performance 1/4 Zip Pullover, Equinox S/S Tee and Treeline Performance S/S Polo Health, in the background work started on investigating and producing different types of face masks that would last, from the Nano-Tech to the ViralOff. “Stormtech doesn’t jump into anything unless we do our research, and we always innovate rather than copy.” The new sustainable lines were created by following the same process: they needed to be durable, technical styles that offered true eco-values – and they had to feel fantastic. While the general perception may be that a sustainable style is made from recycled materials, the Polygiene Stays Fresh line offers a different approach by reducing the amount of washing that is needed. “Two- thirds of a garment’s environmental impact comes from after it has been bought – from the washing of it, the drying and the ironing,” explains Andrew. Polygiene is an odour- control technology that keeps clothes smelling fresh by breaking down odour and bacteria as they are worn, allowing them to last longer between washes and so reduce their environmental impact. Included in the new line is the feature-packed Dockyard Performance S/S Polo. Made from a polyester piqué knit fabric, it has contemporary styling, a dropped back with hem side slits for ease of movement, H2X-Dry Moisture Management, and UPF Rating 50+. It’s available in men’s and women’s styles, with the women’s polo featuring contoured seaming for a sleek silhouette. Other styles in the line include the Dockyard 1/4 Zip Pullover, Dockyard Performance Hoody, Dockyard Performance Full Zip Hoody and Dockyard Performance S/S Tee. The Pure Earth collection is packed with garments made from Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) cotton and recycled polyester. BCI is a not-for-profit organisation and cotton sustainability programme that not only aims to make cotton production more sustainable by caring for water, soil health and natural habitats, but also promotes better working conditions for farmers and their farm workers. The recycled polyester stands out as being made from plastic that comes from bottles that are found in landfill and oceans. Stormtech is also “working towards zero impact from fibre fragmentation” by 2030 to reduce the amount of microfibres and microplastics getting into oceans, noting that “stronger, more durable polyester fleece standards can significantly reduce the amount of microfibre fragmentation”. There are nine styles in the Pure Earth line, each available in a men’s and women’s version, ranging from the incredibly soft and tactile Treeline Performance 1/4 Zip Pullover via the Montebello Performance S/S Tee to the Camino Performance S/S Polo, which is made from 87% recycled polyester, has articulated action shoulders for free movement along with H2X-Dry moisture-management, and comes in three classic shades. The price difference between the sustainable products and the other products is minimal, and the response to the two new lines has, reports Andrew, been “phenomenal”. Stormtech’s aim is to have a recycled element in at least 50% of its new products between now and 2025. Repeat customers One of Andrew’s favourite phrases when talking to customers about Stormtech is “touch it, feel it, buy it”, and walking around the showroom, holding up the different products, the quality is clear. (In fact, the new Treeline Performance 1/4 Zip Pullover is addictively soft; it’s a wrench to put it back on the rail.) He and his rapidly growing European team – they’ve gone from three to nine in a year – are seeing as many decorators face-to-face as possible in 2022 in order to get the product in people’s hands because once they’ve seen and touched the products in real life, says Andrew, they usually become repeat customers. As well as running roadshows with Stormtech’s UK distributors – PenCarrie (which exclusively has the brand’s sustainable lines), Ralawise and BTC Activewear – and also taking part in GS UK’s Promotion & Branding Shows, the team is travelling across the country to print and embroidery shops. Decorators can order branded uniforms for their teams from Stormtech for half of the wholesale price, along with 50% off ten samples twice a year. “We want our products to be shown and worn,” says Andrew. Rather than doing any large trade shows, the company is focusing its time and money on getting product directly into decorators’ hands. The products are all designed with decoration in mind (each one comes with a list of suitable decoration techniques) and a bespoke service is also available, with minimum order quantities starting at 600. As for a hero product, Andrew isn’t able to pinpoint just one but instead names three: the brand’s new Equinox T-shirts have a great shape and colour that lasts and lasts, he says; the polos, as they don’t need ironing; and the Gravity Thermal Jacket, as his is still in regular use after ten years. It’s the sheer breadth of the range on offer that makes it impossible for Andrew to choose just one product – and it’s this combined with its built-to-last philosophy and technical know-how that is Stormtech’s strength. Good, better or best, there’s something for everyone. www.stormtechperformance.com