Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Mover, a Swiss sportswear brand, challenges the established thinking in modern outdoor apparel. It is developing insulating clothing made without synthetic fibers, with the aim of improving both performance and sustainability.
Natural fabrics
Nicolas Rochat of Switzerland produces jackets, fleece tops, trousers and shirts under the Mover Plastic Free Sportswear label, which are completely free of synthetic materials. Launched in 2021 and based in Lausanne, the privately-owned company does not simply present itself as another premium outdoor label, but as a challenger to an industry built around polyester, nylon and technical membranes.
Rather than promoting the conventional layering system, Rochat believes that natural fabrics perform better than most mainstream technical alternatives when it comes to handling effort, rest, wind, and cold, based on “decades of mountain experience”. The brand’s current range includes merino base layers, fleece vests, shell jackets, trousers and insulated outerwear.
“Skiing in plastic bags”
As avid freeriders, the company’s founder and CEO and his team discovered that, although polyester is lightweight, it causes the body to overheat quickly. Down, as an insulation material, must be enclosed in nylon pockets to prevent it from shifting through the fabric, which severely limits breathability. “A down jacket may be warm,” Rochat told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ). “But it’s still not very suitable for skiing.”
He found that a jacket made of tightly woven cotton was much more comfortable on a glacier. “That’s when I asked myself why we actually ski in plastic bags,” he said. He was happy to accept that his jacket wasn’t quite as waterproof as the establisehd functional textiles because “you don’t ski in the rain”. For him, it is more important that ski wear is breathable.
Searching for substitutes
The Swiss entered the sports apparel industry more than twenty years ago. In 2004, he took over the bankrupt Swedish brand Mover, which produced waterproof Gore-Tex skiwear. He relocated headquarters to Lausanne and shifted production from China back to Europe, primarily to Portugal. In 2007, he replaced nylon with merino wool for the innermost layer of his clothing, which lies directly against the skin. He also later used wool as lining.
As he moved further away from membranes and synthetic trims, his search for better functionality evolved into a broader critique of the industry’s dependence on plastic. This puts Mover at odds with many larger outdoor brands. They are trying to demonstrate their environmental commitment by using more recycled synthetics. “We shouldn’t recycle anything harmful,” Rochat stated in his interview with the NZZ.
Mover is still a small company, and increasing brand visibility is one of its biggest challenges. However, Rochat is not content with merely becoming a successful niche Swiss label. He also aims to influence the direction of sportswear. When it comes to insulation, this has already happened: various other outdoor clothing manufacturers are also turning to wool.
Text: Martin Fritz for SCCIJ
