Textile Insight

40 • Textile Insight ~ January/February 2019 textileinsight.com TRENDSETTER | APPAREL Moving Mountains Holden Shifts its Outdoor Offerings to Less Alpine, More All of the Time. By Suzanne Blecher hen retailers ask why you've made certain decisions (like going off- brand), it's time to address the problem. Holden co-founders Mike LeBlanc and Scott Zergebel recently decided to take the bull by the horns with a new presi- dent, press outreach and updated product vision for their Venice, CA-based brand. While always rooted in technical pieces with fashion flair, the Holden team – led by design director Zergebel and LeBlanc for sales and marketing – is upping the ante into everyday garments that are uber-functional, yet sleek. Textile Insight talks to the duo about theirs brand's story. Sustainability has been a building block of Holden since the beginning in 2002. How is it a part of today's offerings? Mike: "A big part of Holden is that we came to the table early with materials that people had never seen. Way back, we started push- ing vendors by asking for natural and biodegradable materials that could be backed with a laminate to make them waterproof." Scott: "In the outdoor industry then, people ordered from stock fabric books. For us, as a startup and as two lovers of nature, we got excited about environmental textiles. It was the perfect storm because a lot of textile firms were looking to push boundaries too. They would let us dream up ideas and give us exclusives, forgiving us the minimums since we were helping develop these fabrics. We used polyester to stabilize hemp and we'd use a heat press process for a smoother finish, making it naturally water repellent. Today, there are innovations, but a lot of it is this stuff just gaining traction." When I saw your recent unisex down sportswear collection, I was thinking how relevant it is right now. Why don't more brands try something like this? Scott: "I don't know why people can't get out of their own way. When we got started, we hit some roadblocks with retailers because it wasn't the path of least resistance. There was always an upcharge for eco fabrics. Our vision was always to be an authentically technical and fashionably styled brand for the outdoorsmen that need to function at peak levels and not look like a city slicker, yet in the city, not look like they are wearing equipment to the office. The brand represents that way we live our lives. Today we're all on planes and transitioning through situations and climates." What can we expect from the brand in 2019? Scott: "For 19/20 we have a couple of new initiatives. We partnered with Schoeller and gently launched a Fall '18 Alpine jacket and Holden Whole Garment High Neck Top and Scarlett Jacket.

• Cover