Climber Jeff Lowe designs Cloudwalker outdoor apparel

Business Report Correspondent

BOULDER — Jeff Lowe’s Cloudwalker outdoor apparel has down-to-earth appeal: good-looking, hard working and innovative, the designer says. Launched in August, the Cloudwalker line may be a start-up, but the Lowe name is famous in outdoor adventure and clothing.

Lowe has been climbing and backcountry skiing for more than 40 years and in the apparel business for 30 years. With his brothers, Lowe started Lowe Alpine Systems, which they sold in 1988. He started Cloudwalker because “Over the years, I’ve been working as a design consultant for other companies producing designs that have done quite well. Other companies haven’t been as aggressively innovative as I’d want. My designs got watered down.

“The outdoor industry thrives on innovation. With clothing, there hasn’t been much in recent years. Some companies produce things that are interchangeable with other brands. They’re identical,” Lowe said. “Shops like something new.”

“Cloudwalker” was the name of a television film on climbing in Alaska produced by the BBC. Lowe, featured in the film, contributed wisdom gathered through his many adventures. He liked the name and chose it for his company because it reflects his desire to create cutting-edge fashion as risky as the adventures of people who wear it.

All of Lowe’s apparel is named for his different accomplishments. A jacket is called the Dog Leg Jacket after Lowe became the first person to descent the Dog Leg run on Colorado’s Mount Evans in 1989. The Smear of Fear ski pants were named for Lowe’s descent of the east face of Longs Peak in 1988. The outerwear bears tags explaining the odd names and what Lowe did to earn bragging rights. He believes that the tags are another way of authenticating the outerwear’s rugged image and the company catchphrase, “Experience inspires innovation.”

His Web site, www.jefflowecloudwalker.com, provides biographies of Cloudwalker management to prove that they are all outdoor enthusiasts.

“A lot of people come out with clothing and equipment and are not involved in the sport,” Lowe said. “We’re hard core climbers and skiers designing for hardcore climbers and skiers. And snowboarders, too,” he said.

The brand, Cloudwalker, means a lot in the United States and in Europe. “There’s almost like a cult following for that stuff. It makes my job a lot easier,´ said Cloudwalker Sales Manager Jessie Gutherie.

Beyond the hype, Cloudwalker innovations offer the warmth and dryness outdoor adventurers want. One of the materials Lowe developed, Cloudwalker Quilt, is comprised of a layer that wicks moisture from the body, sandwiching a thin batting under a layer that is wind resistant, breathable and stretchy. The cloth’s elasticity is important, insists Lowe, because “everything we design is for active sports.” All are polyester, although they look like cotton.

The other fabric Lowe uses is called WB400 Schoeller Extreme, manufactured by Schoeller, a Swiss company. The stretchy tri-layer includes a top layer impregnated with a water-shedding treatment. “Think Scotchguard, but a more permanent thing,” Lowe said.

Lowe says he doesn’t use fleece because it doesn’t repel wind, and he doesn’t use other traditional fabrics because they don’t meet extreme sports’ needs.

Before launching Cloudwalker, Lowe canvassed 40 of the scores of retailers he knows nationwide and received enthusiastic replies. Dan Hare of Mountain. Sports (locations on the east and west ends of Pearl Street in Boulder) said that it’s a little early to tell Cloudwalker’s impact on his store; however, “I think it’ll do pretty well when we get more in their line.”

Retailer Gary Neptune, owner of Neptune Mountaineering in Boulder, agrees. “It’s one of many things we carry, so it’s not a huge impact (on sales). It’s a good line. People know Jeff from way back.” He added that people probably will notice Cloudwalker when more items are added to the line.

That’s just what Lowe is counting on. He plans to launch not only more clothing (a women’s line is planned for next year), but also climbing, hiking and camping gear someday. Currently, Cloudwalker carries six jackets in Skifan material, two in WB400 Schoeller Extreme, ski pants, quilted pullovers, vests, hats, headbands and climbing shoes. The clothing is available in unisex sizes small through xx-large, and the shoes are in sizes 4-12.

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