ultra

Nau (pronounced now) has been on our radar for some time, but they’ve been keeping the doors of their NW Portland office closed tight—until now. We visited the LEED Gold-certified office building and checked out the designs for their soon-to-be-released line of clothing that will be friendly to both the environment and the eye.

The Nau team consists of forward thinking designers and business leaders with seasoned backgrounds at major clothiers like Nike and Patagonia, but their vision is entirely fresh. Nau, a Maori word that translates loosely as “welcome into our family,” is looking at apparel holistically, taking into account their impact on the customer, community, and environment. (Extra fun: the logotype is a rotational ambigram, it reads the same when rotated 180 degrees.) For each purchase, they will donate 5% of gross revenue to one of twelve organizations of the customer’s choice—reminding customers that their purchase is directly impacting the community both locally and internationally.

Starting with organic materials–many developed specially through unique partnerships—Nau set out to create pieces which can be worn for years then recycled or industrially composted. Ian Yolles, VP of Marketing, described Nau’s business model as, “based on the idea that creative, outdoorsy people cherish three characteristics: performance, aesthetics, and sustainability.” Yolles describes the target market as, “the multidimensional outdoor athlete, people who move easily between sacred outdoor spaces and urban settings.” How Portland.

Nau was bustling with energy on the morning ultra stopped by. In one area we encountered a team of designers doing a fitting on a male model beneath a wall of sketches, and in all the hustle they still all turned to say hello. When Mark Galbraith, Nau VP of Product Design, gave us a whirlwind tour of the upcoming lines, our heads spun over what to focus on—the fashion, function, or sustainability? Galbraith explained, “Rather than follow West Coast board culture, we looked back to couture and the timeless elements of classic design to avoid ‘flash and trash’ trends.”

In both the warm and cold weather wear we saw graceful seams, asymmetrical cuts, and high quality accoutrements that belie the functionality of the pieces. The hip seams in pants, for example, are designed both to look svelte on the street and fit well under a harness, so should you want to stop into the climbing gym at lunch you can transition easily, without hauling around a change of clothes.

We can’t show you full photos until the clothing is released, but we have some detail shots—exclusive to ultra—to share.

For women, there is a selection of skirts and capris made from recycled polyester and organic cotton that are easy to move in, waterproof, and cut to flatter. If you ask us, it’s high time a Portland fashionista be able to go to dinner in the same skirt she bikes to work in.

The British looking women’s Urbane Jacket, made from 100% recycled polyester, features high quality buttons and a tailored waist, and is also water repellent.

The Roundhouse Dress, also from recycled polyester, is so named for a designer’s friend who could do a roundhouse kick, and needed an outfit to go with it.

For men, there are a variety of stylish jackets, shirts, and pants that range from Steve-McQueen-on-a-motorcycle hip to a much-needed revision of the classic Carhartt pant.

The most intriguing fabric is the fleece-like polylactic acid (PLA) derived from corn, a renewable resource. You’re probably familiar with PLA from biodegradable containers at places like Whole Foods, yet this fabric was surprisingly soft on the underside and durable on the exterior. Nau is one of the first companies to use PLA in apparel, and we’re excited to see where they take it.

Our consensus: The Nau look is sophisticated enough for us to feel like a city dweller, yet technical enough to hit the trails on a whim. And Nau is deeply invested in Portland, a place they picked for the perfect mix of accessibility to the great outdoors and local creative energy. Check out their blog “The Thought Kitchen”, which calls itself, “our effort at collective inquiry and its power to affect change.” A frequent blog post is a running list of “Reasons to Love Portland,” further proof that they’re involved in local life and business. Nau also participated in the Portland Bike Commute Challenge this year and last (as evidenced by several bikes we saw around the office), and you may have seen President Chris Van Dyke recently on the panel for the Creative Cities forum during the Time-Based Arts festival. We suspect we will see Nau generating and participating in further creative discussions in our favorite city.

The clothing will be available first via nau.com in January 07, and a Portland store is expected in February or March. For those who spend part of the day in Forest Park and part in the office but still cringe at the presence of fleece at the symphony, Nau’s sleek clothing will be a welcome sight next spring.

–Carissa Wodehouse

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