sportstyle

The Rover Rain Cape comes in six fresh colors and an introductory price of $99. 8 • January 2021 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com FRONT OF BOOK Cleverhood: Shifting Gears By Emily Walzer C leverhood is used to zigging and zagging to stay the course as a domestic maker of performance rain capes designed for urban mobility. Yet, despite an unswerving desire to support USA factories since its start nine years ago, Cleverhood reached a crossroads. Mounting difficulties regarding U.S. manufacturing became such that by January 2020 inventory practically hit rock bottom. As a clutch move, Cleverhood could have pivoted to making PPE in response to COVID-19, following the route taken by many brands and fac- tories this year. Instead, Cleverhood pursued a different course of action. The company just launched the Clever Hoody, a new street cape done in collaboration with Detroit's Industrial Sewing and Innovation Center (ISAIC). The Clever Hoody, featuring fleece from LA-based Sand Textiles, is constructed in the Motor City by a developing team of garment workers at the ISAIC factory. "ISAIC is a smart operation that strengthens a community and adds value to apparel manufacturing. This is the sort of apparel development we've been seeking for years," says Susan Mocarski, Cleverhood designer and founder. "ISAIC re-thought everything so that the factory has great work flow and the sewists really understand the design process." A non-profit organization, founded in 2018, ISAIC offers an array of educa- tional and training programs to increase skills and workforce development for local apparel manufacturing. Cleverhood has also introduced the Rover Rain Cape, a sleek new style that is functional and affordable. The fabric is 100 percent polyester with a high-performance waterproof/breathable inner membrane and rugged PVC-free DWR. Designed in Providence, RI, the Rover features fabric from a Korean company that has a facility in Vietnam where the Rover is made. "The wheels had been coming off the bus back in 2019 regarding domes- tic production and we had started to explore offshore possibilities, even though it was killing me to stray from our mission to be USA-made," says Mocarski, who explains that although Cleverhood would receive slews of good samples from its U.S. manufactures the actual production runs were inconsistent in quality and often unacceptable. Then came COVID in March and her domestic producers closed, some permanently. Launching a New Approach The Rover with its $99 price point has been a hit. The garment is par- ticularly relevant in today's COVID landscape with individuals spending more time outdoors and seeking alternative forms of transportation while also passing savings along to Cleverhood customers, who like many these days desire versatile performance wear that is good looking and good value. Mocarski reports sales are up 250 percent and almost double that internationally. Going offshore was stressful. Mocarski recalls, "I closed my eyes and jumped off the cliff with a giant order. The garments are beautiful." The Rover will be featured at Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) shops for Spring '21 and Cleverhood is enjoying worldwide media coverage. Says Mocarski, "It makes me feel good to create a product that lots of people can use." Another recent Cleverhood project is being part of the new adaptive platform Juniper United. Says Mocarski "our new price point has made Cleverhood more accessible to an adaptive audience." Also on the table is the Cleverhood Fund, a new initiative to support champions of sustainable transportation and liveable cities. Five percent of Rover sales will funnel into the Fund. n

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