sportstyle

16 • November/December 2023 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com E m Givens is an artist. She's inspired by adventure expeditions, weather, nature and geography. In her travels, she likes to explore modern and contemporary art museums, and is well-trenched in couture fashion and streetwear. As color designer for Cotopaxi, she brings that inspiration into her cra "ingeniously incorporating vibrant deadstock materials in creative and playful ways," she said. Since its inception, color has been an integral part of the Cotopaxi brand. "What truly sets our color palettes apart is the incorporation of small, unexpected pops of vibrancy," commented Givens. Repurposed materials are what makes Cotopaxi's Del Día bags one-of-a-kind and Teca garments limited-edition. Each Teca jacket is craed from recycled fleece and repurposed polyester taffeta. Given's overarching objective with color "is to elicit happiness in those who wear our products and encounter them in the world." Each season, Roark women's designer, Grace Marr, and her team chooses a destination to explore and test product while surfing, climbing, running and more. "Roark colors and prints have a distinct point of view because we get inspired by a wide variety of visuals that come with an adventurous lifestyle," explained Marr. e brand's Spring 2023 collection was born from travels to Tahiti. e team paired with local Tahitian artist Yiling Changues for custom designs that evoke the beauty of her island home on woven tops and bottoms. e Fall 2023 collection is a little closer to home – Yosemite. First comes functionality and wearability, with style and flair to follow. Marr designs with organic, recycled and low impact materials. Seasonal colors are oen inspired by nature and the specific locales visited, while evergreen colors like black, brown and bone are neutrals sprinkled in seasonally. Green Team When brands are unable to accomplish certain colors and prints in-house (or produce sustainably), they turn to color solution providers. COLOURizd specializes in technology for yarn coloration. Unlike traditional dyeing methods that can be water- intensive and result in wastewater discharge, COLOURizd's QuantumCOLOUR technology offers a 98 percent reduction in water usage and Roark's Spring 2023 apparel with a Yiling Changues Print NATURE'S KALEIDOSCOPE Color Us Happy with Hues & Prints Both Sustainable & Brilliant. By Suzanne Blecher DESIGN

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