Culturelines Magazine - Issue 1

Culture lines

/ISSUE 1

/THE OPENER

Bouncing Forward It’s crazy times out there - no doubt. But in working on Culturelines Issue One, I’ve been instilled with new hope and a wave of positivity.

As we’ve connected with people, a consistent sentiment kept coming up: that we’re not going, and we can’t go, back to where we were. When the pandemic and all the other craziness is behind us, we’re going to be transformed. It’s happening right now.

It’s a really exciting time if you commit to spend it looking inward as much as outward. People are digging deep to be the change they want to see in all areas of their life, and pushing new thinking on how we view everything including the future of work, the environment, design, and culture.

We see Culturelines as a vehicle to document the paths we follow, the people we meet, and the things we discover along the way. In Culturelines, you’ll hear from many different people doing many different things, all united by their drive to change the conversation about the outdoors, technology, music, art, culture and more.

This is our chance to break the algorithms that run our lives and slow down, think, and discover.

With so many brands out there, is it possible to do something different, something new? I think so, and I hope you’ll join us for the journey as we make it happen, building a community of people who celebrate the differences and are always bringing an open mind to learn something new.

An old friend recently said his strategy is to “act like it’s 2025”.

Because that’s where we are. Design like it’s 2025. Think like it’s 2025.

Make like it’s 2025. Because if we’re only thinking about tomorrow - and getting back to “normal” we miss the bigger picture of what’s really happening: massive shifts driven by innovation across social and economic landscapes, culture, environmentalism, and resilience.

I’ll leave you with a quote from Hunter S. Thompson:

I have always found that the most exciting shifts are the ones that create the biggest cultural waves. These are the waves I have tried to ride - creating brands, products, or building connections to support the movements I believe in the most.

Trent

“Buy the ticket, take the ride...and if it occasionally gets a little heavier than what you had in mind, well...maybe chalk it up to forced consciousness expansion: Tune in, freak out, get beaten.”

Join us at culturelines.com

I have been fortunate to travel across the globe for adventure and work.

I have met amazing people and experienced places and cultures that have impacted who I am today. And I’m a firm believer that almost every person on Earth simply wants three things: happiness, health, and fulfillment.

With that understanding, it’s a lot easier to see ourselves in the broader view of what it means to be a human, and to connect with each other.

While it isn’t easy to affect change at a mass level, everyone has a responsibility to expand the greater consciousness and break down barriers. I certainly don’t have the solution. But I do know I can support people who are doing everything they can to bring change and affect our world in positive ways.

Ultimately, that’s the goal for the creation of a new brand, ARTILECT, which reflects my own journey and the deeply-rooted belief that we rarely feel more alive than when we are outside, experiencing the world.

Don’t get me wrong, I know the limits of influence any brand can have. But beyond the brand there has to be a way to create meaningful dialogue, and so we turned back the clock to create a physical magazine, Culturelines.

1

/CONTENTS

4

16

Boulder, Colorado

Meet Wood // Work

6

20

A Democratized Backcountry Ski Experience

Nuyarn: Driving Innovation in Performance Apparel

10

22

The Artist: Evan Hecox

CAKE : Expanding Space

12 ARTILECT: This is our Why

26 Resilience - From Stress Comes Transformation

This publication has been produced using vegetable-based inks on FSC® certified paper and board.

14

2

Heart and Soul: Outsiders Store, UK

/Editor, Trent Bush /Contributing Editors, Matt Bennett, Amani King /Publisher, ARTILECT STUDIO /Design, Justin Curtis, Clem Devine, Aaron Troy /Photos, Frankie Spontelli(cover,2,4,26,29) /Agency, ECHOS Communications Contact us: engage@culturelines.com 3

/PLACES

Boulder, CO Being a contributing force to a community is the most important part of the process. And while Culturelines is truly global in scope, we’re taking the opportunity in our first issue to expose readers to our home of Boulder, Colorado.

Boulder is geographically unique.

Look to the East and it’s flat prairie lands as far as the eye can see. Turn West, and the Flatirons rise up in a remarkable visual announcement that the Rocky Mountains have begun. It’s aspirational, magnetic, aweinspiring, and humbling.

But it’s also culturally unique, with a rare mix of progressive thought, technology, culture, art, entrepreneurism, environmentalism, and access to the outdoors that has built a community of people who are pushing the limits of possibility.

This mix of geography and culture has been the inspiration for kindred spirits to follow their passion, and introduce new ideas to the world. And looking at the history, this is particularly true with outdoor brands.

4

Early pivotal brands like Holubar, Gerry, Frostline, and many others embodied this Boulder spirit, bringing the innovative thinking and technology of their time into outdoor gear and to the communities they built. These innovators set the stage for the 80s, 90s, and 2000s, when entire movements in skiing, snowboarding, cycling, running, climbing, and the organizations that protect the outdoors found Boulder as the ideal launchpad.

Despite that, small communities like Boulder can fall victim to being in their own bubble, disconnected from the greater world.

Culturelines is about breaking down those barriers, because it’s a big world out there.

That is the source of the core beliefs of ARTILECT STUDIO, whether that be the products created or ideas shared.

Born in Boulder… Alive in the World

5

/PLACES

A Democratized Backcountry Ski Experience “You shouldn’t need thousands of dollars or a mentor to start your journey”

Bluebird Backcountry is a fascinating model. Do you see potential for it to grow here in North America and abroad?

Erik Lambert: “We’ve made it a lot further than we thought we might with the concept. That’s really exciting and it bodes well for the future of skiing in general - not just backcountry. It has created some diversity in how people think about skiing, and I imagine something like Bluebird could exist in many places.

These could pop up and blow people’s minds with different experiences, bring human connection, and diversify what’s become a consolidated mega-scene that doesn’t resonate with a lot of people.

There’s definitely a cultural shift of skiing. If you look at the resort scene, other than the equipment - having fatter skis, stiffer boots, or whatever it might be - the last real innovations inside of a boundary were terrain parks and the snowboard, and that was 30 years ago.

Colorado’s Bluebird Backcountry is the world’s first modern human-powered backcountry ski area, with 4,200 skiable acres (1,200 avalanche evaluated and 3,000 guided only out-of-bounds).

Bluebird boasts zero lifts and will welcome 200 skiers per day.

The Culturelines team connected with co-founder Erik Lambert who dove into the vision for Bluebird.

“When someone asks me, “When you boil it down, what is Bluebird Backcountry?”, my answer is: It’s one part ski area - with all of the comforts and amenities of that; One part guide service - you can learn at the highest or most basic levels and we’re doing all of that onsite now; And one part true backcountry, where you get to have more of a wilderness experience than you would in bounds. You’ll see wildlife, have fresh tracks all day. You get to have a true backcountry experience without all the BS of having to uphill it at a resort.”

6

Those things totally changed how people move on snow. We believe this is one of those landmark moments where we can offer an entirely different experience and perspective on skiing, and reimagine learning how to backcountry ski.”

Due to gear, knowledge, safety and other factors, backcountry skiing has a hardcore, alpha history. Can that be changed, do you want it to change?

EL: “Yeah, it’s really intimidating.

It’s really bro-y. And it doesn’t need to be. We think there’s a better way to learn.

In general, outdoor sports are relatively gear and knowledge specific, which makes them exclusive. You need to know someone to start doing certain outdoor activities. But then layer in the required fitness, education, and gear and compound that with the risks of traveling in avalanche terrain, you end up with a high barrier to entry. That barrier is appealing to a lot of people it’s the reward - and that’s great if you have the time, money and mentor to make it possible.

We see backcountry skiing as about 30 years behind rock climbing - a dangerous sport built on a mentorship model. Before climbing gyms were prevalent - which make climbing and education more accessible - you needed to know someone to show you what to do.

The gyms also create a community hub for climbers to gather.

Those are elements that we are striving for with Bluebird - a democratized backcountry ski experience. You shouldn’t need thousands of dollars or a mentor to start your journey. You should be able to try it in a safer, friendlier environment that’s designed to welcome you.

Ultimately we want to provide a rich experience that meets people at any ability level, provides knowledge and empowers people to want to learn more. This way people can start the journey without feeling overwhelmed by the barriers to entry.”

“The last real innovations inside a boundary were terrain parks and the snowboard, and that was 30 years ago.”

7

/PLACES How do you cater to both skiers and splitboarders?

EL: “We’re not in the business of telling people how to do it. We want to provide different tools and learning opportunities for anybody who wants to get into the backcountry.

Sure we jab at each other sometimes for fun, but the reality is that we know there are lots of great ways to get out there, and people should do what’s comfortable.

It’s the same for our courses: if you connect with a network that shares your own views, you’ll be more inclined to pick up that skill and knowledge in a way that resonates. We have women’s courses, splitboard courses and a series of lessons that build toward the Avalanche Level 1. We try to put like-minded folks together, partly because of moving through the terrain but also for equipment; if you’re new to the gear and have a mechanical issue, you want to have an instructor who’s pretty savvy.

8

We also look at other ways to make people feel more welcome and comfortable, and that’s why we have some of the amenities of a traditional ski area on site, because not everyone wants to be out in the woods without a bathroom, hot food, the comfort to warm up, or ski patrol.”

What do you think is going to happen this season?

EL: “We’ve had great early signals.

We don’t expect to be doing 100,000 skier visits this year, nor could we. We cap it to ensure that people have a good backcountry experience. But we’ve sold through 95% of our season passes and we’ve opened sales of our transferable four packs and 10 packs, which are popular.

What’s clear is that the mom and pop grassroots scene is missing these days. People tell us they are running away from crowds, others are bored with the resort experience.

We want to provide something that’s different and memorable.

Bluebird makes it easier to learn, develop skills, and get a proper education before entering the true backcountry, but it’s also about providing a new outlet for winter recreation.

The power of earning really appealing to But it’s also really to some people. We

your turns is some people. not appealing get comments

- “Why would I pay money to hike uphill?” and we say well, okay, this is not for you.”

Bluebird Backcountry is on the Continental Divide near Rabbit Ears Pass and is centrally located about 30 minutes from Kremmling and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA. bluebirdbackcountry.com

9

/PEOPLE

The Artist:

Evan Hecox Experiencing the art by Evan Hecox could be described as having a moment of zen on a trip - when something that you’d walk right by in your everyday life instead makes you stop, take it in, look at the lines, shapes and colors, and really think about it for a moment. It might be a building, a motorcycle, a mountain, a house but whatever it is, a snapshot is clearly imprinted in your mind.

And that’s exactly what drives Evan - he’s fascinated with the complexity of the urban landscape and people from the mundane surroundings that one would normally overlook. His approach is on the process of amplification as it affects form and color, breaking down the image to remove certain elements while emphasizing others.

Ultimately, his art is about exploring human existence, both in

10

how we affect our environment and how it affects us. His work has design references from Japanese prints, European poster design, 1960’s era illustration, as well as Bauhaus typography and folk art. He started his career with Boulder’s Twist, and for more than 20 years he created graphics for the brand Chocolate Skateboards, as well as high-profile collaborations with brands from Nike to Volkswagen.

As a fine artist, he was featured as one of the original “Beautiful Losers” and has shown his work in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong.

Culturelines is proud to feature Evan Hecox’s work, which you’ll see throughout Issue 1.

Learn more at evanhecox.com.

11

In this inaugural issue of Culturelines, our goal is to provide a snapshot of who we are and what we are creating within the ARTILECT STUDIO, including the brand itself. In future issues of Culturelines, we will focus heavily on things going on outside of our little world.

What is ARTILECT? We are a new brand in a space that has typically been well defined.

The easy answer is that ARTILECT is an “outdoor brand.” Saying that, you’d expect that we are based on other brands that already exist in the space, and a related design aesthetic that goes along with them.

But ARTILECT is not an outdoor brand: it is a performance brand that excels in the outdoors. We are not willing to be defined by outdated labels. ARTILECT was created to break conventions.

As brand architects we utilize the most forward-looking, fieldproven technologies with the world’s most innovative patterns in fabrics and construction techniques to bring a higher level of performance from a different perspective. Massive shifts in innovation and technology have occurred in every aspect of our lives, from the computers we carry in our hands to the fuel we consume, yet performance apparel hasn’t kept pace.

Most of us on the team grew up in a time of punk rock and skateboarding, of hip hop and electronic music, and in a digital revolution leading to the current state of hyper-speed evolution.

While we love to be outside, it is within the whole experience where we find the most fulfillment: the journey, not just the destination.

We also know there can be as much discovery and adventure getting lost in a city as in the mountains, surrounded by new cultures, environments and experiences. Not to mention new beers to try and coffee shops to experience while we’re out there. At ARTILECT we believe that if you are outside, you are outdoors.

12

We have deep respect for all of those who came before us and who taught us their craft. That doesn’t mean, however, that we have to follow arbitrary rules or conventions that say we have to follow in those footsteps or use the same methods. Things have changed, and so have technologies - and we’re all about innovation and positive change. We especially hold on to the belief that products we make should last, and last, and last, because making fewer things better is the ultimate sustainability platform.

Most importantly, the needs of consumers have increased significantly in the past few years. Physical demands have increased, and the greatest threats to comfort and safety have shifted from outside your apparel to inside. Regulating the internal microclimate of the entire system is the only way to perform at the highest level. The reality is that consumers spend massive amounts of money on their equipment, instead of paying attention to their most important piece of equipment: the human body.

We take a systems-based approach because that is the key to increasing performance. We are small, nimble, unafraid, and unapologetic. The promise ARTILECT brings to the world is that while each individual style we create will exceed your expectations on its own, your mind will be blown when you put the entire system to work.

At the same time, we are not testing our theories on consumers.

ARTILECT is driven by people with decades of experience at the highest levels of designing, developing, and using performance apparel, and we will stop at nothing to empower your game at any level. We also believe that sustainability isn’t optional, and we have a responsibility to reduce impact with every decision we make.

We are not exclusive or elitist. If you need the performance ARTILECT supplies, you’re in.

Welcome to ARTILECT. www.ARTILECT.STUDIO

13

/PLACES Fundamentally, it’s all about speaking to a new type of customer who is interested in a curated range of quality outdoor clothing and talking about other culturally relevant things that interest. We create a touchpoint where people can immerse themselves in a new version of outdoor and create a community in the process.”

How do you build community for Outsiders, especially in this era of COVID?

Heart & Soul An interview with Dave Whitlow, Creative Director, Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports In the early 90’s, when the snowboard industry was finding its way into the global market, Dave Whitlow was at the forefront, ushering the sport by creating The Snowboard Asylum as a cultural movement adjacent to Ellis Brigham, the UK’s largest specialty outdoor and ski retailer.

Dave has always been a visionary, acting ahead of trends and with a unique perspective. His latest project, Outsiders Store, is an extension of Ellis Brigham designed to reflect the changing outdoor industry and cater to a new generation driven by community, inclusiveness, and innovation.

Outsiders Store has locations in Liverpool and King’s Cross, London.

What did you see in the market that led to the creation of Outsiders?

Dave Whitlow: “There has been a long history of outdoor influence creeping its way into the fashion 14

side of the market, and there has been a cyclical trend of the outdoor influence on street fashion in the UK. Recently, this is less a “blip” and more a permanent part of how people dress, especially as it relates to a younger generation.

With Outsiders, we didn’t want to lose the specialty activityfocused experience of Brigham’s, but knew we needed to create a new place similar to what we did with The Snowboard Asylum (TSA) in the early 90’s.

DW: “The last two or three months have accelerated everything five years. People are desperate for newness, especially in the outdoor industry, where many things are archaic in the way things are done with regard to the younger generation and women’s needs, and the market is clearly ready for change.

In times like these, the adjacent offer to the product is critical, and the culture you build pulls you through. When customers can’t come in, we reach out with content that fills their time with quality.

If we don’t waste their time with things that are irrelevant, and elevate their experience, we are able to keep them as a customer and a friend. It comes back to the heart and soul mentality.

We also stand out because we make sure we’re not speaking with a single, one-voice experience.

Outsiders is a place where people are welcomed to slow down, spend time and compare different thoughts and ideas.

By design, the store itself is an oasis of calm, and we encourage customers to come in and hang out. It’s a calming zen-like experience to slow down and enjoy the experience with all of their senses.

With Outsiders we’ve worked very hard to step sideways of a traditional outdoor model, but we’ve built that on deep technical understanding, because we are steeped in Ellis Brigham heritage and knowledge. We have been able to combine those two things, so it is deeper than many other types of shops who are really just driven by outdoor fashion.

It’s an ability to filter the quality from the noise, and that comes from experience.” outsidersstore.com

It’s a heart and soul business. It can’t be driven by accountants. We need to convey a sense of confidence in what we are doing, but we also need humility to be right there with our customers, just like in the early snowboard days. That’s the key to everything I have done throughout my whole career. It has to be heart and soul, driven by passion and authenticity. I believe that if you have that, it will work.

15

/PEOPLE

Ari Robey-Lawrence, Eric Porter

MEET WOOD // WORK

“The personal connections and collaborative relationships that we have among one another pre-date the existence of the collective.

A group of four of us were first acquainted in 2013 (some knew each other for at least a decade prior) in Berlin, and our friendships became solidified over that fall/winter season, and in the following years to come. We spent years building up kinship ties, jamming together, and engaging in deeper existential conversations around the artistic experience as Black folks, some as Black with intersectional identities. “wood//work” came to Ari in a moment of epiphany during a late night hangout with friends and chosen family in 2017. They still have the original drawing/ chart that gave birth to the collective name in their archives, at home in Berlin.”

“Music, or rhythm, is the foundation in our collective; as it is in the Universe. While we are rooted and connected through sound, and we express ourselves and support expression in all forms of art and creative existence. Currently this manifests in musical and live performance, and soon through our film festival and other forms of future creative-cultural interventions.”

“Steady growth and strength; roots to limbs and branches, may we leave our mark with each changing season.”

It feels like music is the foundation, but what is the complete artistic scope

What do the members of the collective each bring to the project individually?

“The beauty of wood//work is that every participant is encouraged to draw on their experience, abilities and interests and then find a way to channel that into serving the collective and its needs.”

When you bring all of the members together what emerges? What is the personality of the Collective?

“Unlike most popular culture, we love quirks.

That’s what otherness is all about. When you combine individuals from various backgrounds, engaging in our Blackness together, what emerges is a joyful noise - an ever-expanding conversation on who we are.”

Adachi Pimental, Chris McWayne

When we caught up with the music and art collective wood//work, trees served as an instructive metaphor. Themes of cultivation, growth, branching organic networks, individual specialness, group strength, transformation, and propagation all figure into their vision as a collective of black artists working to manifest and celebrate a kind of fantastic black otherness in the world at large. They’d be the first to say that their collective is still just a sapling, but its roots already run deep and its leaves are collecting sun rays in Oakland CA, Berlin, NYC, and New Orleans.

of the collective? Is all art and creativity on the table?

What is the wood // work ethos?

Culturelines contributing editor Amani King, creative director of Avocados and Coconuts, spoke with Ari Robey-Lawrence, Eric Douglas Porter, Darice Jones, Chris McWayne, Adachi Pimentel and Khalil Anthony Peebles from the wood // work collective.

When we consider a tree, we tend to think of its “above ground” presence – the trunk, the branches, the leaves. But so much of a tree lives underground, its roots drawing water and minerals in through mycelial networks, nourishing from below while photosynthesizing up above. From the root to the fruit, everything matters.

How did wood // work come into being?

How did you find each other?

Consider a tree. The way it can grow and propagate from a single sapling to a networked forest. Consider wood//work.

16

17

Khalil Anthony Peebles

/PEOPLE Why do human beings make music and art?

What does “representation” mean to you?

“We create because we’re alive.

Everything alive creates and expresses in some way. We also have a need to see ourselves, and to offer our visions to others for examination. Music and art allow connection with ourselves and with others that operate in the realms of rhythm, movement, symbol, and metaphor. These realms lend to connection in ways that are sometimes bound up and stifled by the judgement or stiffness of linear thought. All forms of art invite us out of our minds and into our bodies, which is a powerful realignment.”

“It means everyone who is here is heard. Existence without borders.”

What makes Black music / Black genres / Black art different from other music/art?

“This is an interesting question.

Perhaps there is no such thing as Black music because of Black involvement in the creation of all forms of modern music. Blackness is the root of all things. Maybe all music is Black music? All art is Black art. Personal reflection and education around that notion is important.”

Can you point to others who came before you who embody fantastic Black otherness and inspire you deeply?

“Prince.

Lorraine Hansberry.

Sun Ra. James Baldwin. Gladys Bentley. Octavia Butler. Betty Davis. Toni Morrison. Audre Lorde.

Nikki Giovanni.

Nina Simone.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Just to name a few. If you know of these individuals, or are familiar with their work and their legacies, you may recognize how each of them pushed back against the walls that attempt to constrict Blackness into a monolithic and eternally disenfranchised state of being.”

What does mentorship look like in the wood // work frame?

“Mentorship manifests in a range of ways. We all have things to teach each other. We all have things to learn from one another. From the creative, to the personal, to the political. Experience (rather than age) is a big factor.”

Can great art exist without struggle?

Can it be effortless?

“Nothing exists without struggle.

The real question is: where does struggle meet you? Effortlessness is a privilege. It is also simultaneously part of the beauty of the universe. Planets orbit, and ocean tides sway. Such feats seem effortless to us, but require great amounts of force and friction to achieve. Art requires great amounts of emotional energy and openness to manifest. Likewise, it requires great skill and practice to be able to translate this energy. But the results always feel effortless.”

How do you bring others into the fold, create or connect with the community, and sow the seeds?

“The art we create, and the platforms we build, serve as beacons to folks far and wide. They inspire and bolster strength. Our initial wood//work projects helped establish a fanbase and ultimately attracted new members. We are now working toward the launch of Bijou Film Festival, which we imagine will have a similar but greater effect.”

If I stumbled into a live wood // work event knowing nothing about the collective, what would it feel like?

What unique quality or memory might I take away from the experience?

“How it feels depends on how you show up. For those who find their home in multi-layered Black creative expressions, it will feel like home. Others may feel more like special visitors being granted temporary access to the sacred space of another culture.”

How do you keep the fruit from the tree you are growing in the community?

How can your efforts continue to be built upon instead of being exploited from the outside?

“We are a community-based, community-oriented creative platform.

Exploitation is a possible (read: likely) outcome of interactions with noncommunity-based, communityoriented entities. Our efforts are continually being built upon as long as our aim remains such.

Preventing exploitation from the outside is of no consequence when our eyes are focused inward.

We are conscious of our existence in the face of a hyper-capitalist reality, where everything, but now most particularly race and marginal identity, are pervasively commodified. We realize that this is part of the reason why certain external entities may be attracted to our collective and its work.

It is our choices that determine the ethics and integrity of our partnerships and collaborations; and ultimately determine our ability to prevent external exploitation.

In a hyper-capitalist reality, these choices are never easy to make, but are made nonetheless.”

What does your most utopian dream for the future of Black artists look like?

“Our utopian dreams for Black artists of the future are no different than those of the Black artists and cultural workers who came before us, exist with us, and will continue to live on after us.

Equity. Stability. Intentionality.

Groundedness.

Accessibility.

Protection, in the form of structure. Collective Power.” woodworkcollective.bandcamp.com

18

19

/PRODUCT

How Changing Fabric Technology is Driving Innovation in Performance Apparel

Nuyarn Even within the last decade, the materials and fabric technology available to apparel brands, especially in the outdoor market, have evolved dramatically. Complex fiber blends, new construction technologies, advanced laminates, and far more sustainable and natural materials have changed the landscape of what is possible in performance apparel.

This is just at the beginning of a new age where innovation has started to catch up with the huge gains in athletic ability that we have seen in the recent past.

One of the examples is Nuyarn®, a new fabric technology that creates groundbreaking engineered Merino wool knit fabrics that allows forward-thinking brands to create products that can elevate user performance far beyond what they currently have access to.

To keep up with that blistering pace, Nuyarn has been adopted by some of the most hardcore outdoor-specific brands focusing on high-output activities, and Nuyarn is now also 20

available in performance Merino blends utilizing Polypropylene, Tencel, Bamboo, Mohair, and even Banana fiber.

Nuyarn is the “world’s first performance stretch Merino yarn” a patented process that offers unparalleled stretch, recovery, dry time, durability, and weight.

But what does that really mean for the future of apparel, and why does it matter? It matters because Nuyarn fabrics lend themselves to new efficiencies in every aspect of performance, to create products that were not previously thought possible.

The secret to unlocking the natural performance benefits of Merino wool is not to use a higher wool content, but to let the wool interact with the environment, much like a Merino sheep in the wild. The Nuyarn structure is a game-changer for high-output activities, with configurations designed for a broad spectrum of conditions and temperatures, in every season.

Nuyarn works by drafting Merino wool fibers along one of a number of high-performance core materials, creating a structure that amplifies Merino fiber’s natural properties.

the medical field, which creates a healing microenvironment next to the skin. TMC Innovation is pushing the boundaries of what is possible with textiles.

This results in a number of key differentiators, including improving the strength and abrasion resistance of any fabric up to 47 percent; “low spirality” that creates unparalleled stretch and regain; an open structure lending incredibly lightweight end products that perform like heavier ones; the ability to dry up to five times faster, wicking and breathability starting at the vapor level; and a spinning method that results in fabrics with seams 120 percent tougher in both directions as proven by AG Research, an International Accreditation testing center in New Zealand.

“Nuyarn produces 24 innovative new products every month. We are in a continuous evolution of improvement and therefore most of what we create are world-class, innovative products that are new to the high-performance sector,” says Andy Wynne, CEO of TMC. “When you have a technology so vastly elevated from any other spinning technology, new products and evolutions become the status quo.

Nuyarn is a continuous evolution.”

Another key feature of Nuyarn is that it is a mechanical process, not a chemical treatment that can wash out over time. Due to Merino wool’s natural odor resistance, it doesn’t need to be washed nearly as much as synthetic fabrics that are a fertile breeding ground for odor-causing bacteria.

The science stacks up – Nuyarn vastly improves performance, and you feel it.

The forward-looking Nuyarn was created by TMC Innovation - the first to create Enciel, “a pure white Merino wool” that was a base that brought bright colors to an otherwise dull marketplace.

TMC also created award-winning Encircle compression therapy for

Nuyarn technology uses 30 percent fewer raw materials, and with topof-the-line machinery can be spun between 140-240m a minute, compared to conventional ring spinning at 12-14m a minute. That means Nuyarn facilities consume less space and use less energy.

Artilects Nuyarn fabrics are currently being produced utilizing Australian Merino wool, and can spin a yarn, make the textile, and create a finished garment in under two weeks. Nuyarn is committed to responsibly sourced wool from suppliers and farmers who are devoted to animal health and welfare, using only responsibly sourced, certified non-mulesed Australian Merino wool.

ARTILECT will launch with the most comprehensive collection of Nuyarn styles available from any brand in the world in Fall 2021. nuyarn.co.nz

21

/PRODUCT

CAKE Expanding Space 22

Stefan Ytterborn is founder and CEO of CAKE, the inspiring maker of zero-emission electric motorcycles from Sweden.

Culturelines caught up with Stefan and he dropped some science about his latest thinking, what gets him excited, and how he defines “premium.”

23

/PRODUCT

Stefan Ytterborn - CEO, CAKE

Sustainability, the future and the potential of the electric drivetrain to expand space.

SY: “One of the things that I get stoked about with the electric drivetrain is the ability to share space out there with wildlife and fellow mushroom pickers and whomever, in some kind of a mutual respect, and without disturbing or polluting. It’s such a nice addition to how we interact with each other and in the space we share.

Our whole journey is about making the product with a focus on zero emissions, and we also need to be viable enough as an entity to continue exploring, developing and leading our category as we define it.

We started with the goal of combining excitement and responsibility with the kalk platform which is much more similar to a trail/enduro style of bike, but we have been evolving quickly.

If you had asked me two years ago what our next platform would be, a mix between a motorized vehicle and a Swiss Army knife, I didn’t

24

have the product in mind, but that is what we are introducing now.

The ösa is all about utility and getting to the line of action.

Whether that be getting to the beach for surfing or going out fly fishing or bringing your climbing gear to go bouldering.

It’s electric so you charge it back home. And it’s modular - you build it according to whatever your transportation needs are, and the powerful battery means you can bring your friends for movie night in the woods or hosting a party in the forest powered by the bike’s battery.

And that’s something that touches on the situation that we’re in, whether it’s political or social distancing. It’s the ability to expand space, support independence, be off the grid, and expand the potential of what you can do with something that was considered just two wheels and a motor taking you from point A to point B. We knew that our motorbikes would be used for commuting. But down the line I’m sure we’ll be addressing people who will be in the outback and backcountry space. We build

our competence from performance and the knowledge of what needs to be done, in conjunction with the rider, and the technical aspects of the electrical drivetrain.

So it’s really interesting to investigate how a vessel, a tool - whatever you want to call it could change in terms of actual behavior, but also as a conceptual philosophy.”

Redefining premium.

SY: “I want to be humble about this because premium as a description has been around forever, but I feel, has been used in a sloppy way. I’m reusing the concept and defining premium in a way that makes sense to me and has substance when it comes to supporting our obligations and the need for sustainability.

For the past couple of years I’ve been really excited about this, and it’s a connecting thread through everything I’ve been doing: how people define premium, as well as premium vs. luxury. And this is a golden type of insight that I love sharing with people who are looking at adding new products

to the market, which is already drowning in products.

When I define premium it needs to have purpose. Luxury never needs to have purpose. It’s just something which is expensive, and it’s far from being purposeful.

So first, premium purposeful.

needs

to

be

The second thing is that premium has to bring innovation, whereas luxury does not.

It also needs to have a level of performance. So whether it’s a fabric that breathes better or a pair of sneakers that will make you run faster or reduce the risk of being injured, innovation is crucial to being defined as premium.

And the last thing is establishing a certain level of quality.

These four things - purpose, innovation, performance and quality - embraced by deliberate design through the process of making decisions and bringing these four elements together - to me that is what the definition of premium is all about.” ridecake.com

25

/PEOPLE What are the sustainability questions people should be asking today, particularly related to the outdoors?

JH: “There’s a lot of thought right now about the difference between resilience and sustainability, and whether sustainability is the right term. What we’ve seen in the outdoor industry, and consumer products in general, is that sustainability becomes an adjective - it ends up becoming a state: Have you achieved sustainability?

This places the focus on an environmental footprint, but sustainability has three legs - social, economic and environmental. By focusing only on a state of sustainability, the critical social and economic elements get left out. And we then think of sustainability as an endpoint.

RESILIENCE From Stress Comes Transformation

Joel Hartter is an Associate Professor and the Director of the Masters of the Environment professional graduate degree program at the University of Colorado Boulder. Joel is a National Geographic Explorer, and for the last 20 years has worked as a researcher, consultant, engineer, and educator focused on sustainability and resilience.

Resilience is more important right now because it’s the concept that systems are constantly changing.

Resilience is about being able to anticipate, cope, mitigate, withstand and react to shocks in the system.

And that is the best description of what is currently happening in the outdoor industry, and it is what has happened because of COVID. And I think those are questions about resilience.

I teach students to look beyond just bouncing back to where we were, because that’s not where we’re going. After COVID we are going to be fully transformed. That includes supply chains, national conversations, business, higher education - you name it. And so the focus should be on bouncing forward. It’s the old Wayne Gretzky adage - you don’t skate to where the puck was or where it currently is, you skate to where it’s going to be.

And that’s what we’re working on here at CU - being able to anticipate

26

what’s going to come next. The same thinking applies for the outdoor industry - where does the industry need to be? Because it’s not just about creating a better widget, it’s about answering what needs to come and transform the industry.

That’s the kind of thinking that gets me excited.

Beyond that, the critical next question is getting people involved who are not inside our own circle; people who don’t look like me or have the same experience or educational profile.

If you’re solving environmental challenges you can’t just put a bunch of environmental specialists together. That’s part of it. We need many different skill sets and people who understand water, forest management, business, community, as well as local, state and federal policymakers. Without that we can’t get the whole picture. It’s the same for the outdoor industry.

We need to bring different people with different backgrounds, lived experiences, skills, and assets to bear to innovate and truly transform the industry and be better prepared for a post-COVID world.”

There’s consistent growth of people recreating outdoors - which is amazing - but can there be sustainability / resilience in that?

JH: “This is really challenging, particularly on public lands. But I firmly believe that we should always get more people outside, and everyone should have access.

Here on the Front Range of Colorado we need to account for the changing demographic. By 2050, the population will be much older, and the Latinx population is going to increase substantially. So we have to think about how people are going to recreate, but we also have to think beyond the people 27

/PEOPLE who are from Colorado, because we are the world’s playground.

But can it be sustainable? The question should be to whom and for what? Look at the three legs of the stool: environment, economic, social. It’s increasingly more sustainable because hopefully we’re working towards increased access for everyone, economic opportunities for communities, and understanding and managing environmental impact.

The next challenge is managing for growth and increased recreation.

Places like Rocky Mountain National Park could theoretically sustain more visitors if people were spread out across the entire park.

However, that would present other challenges – many people in the fragile tundra and backcountry; increased need for infrastructure throughout the park (and thereby increased impact). I’m not sure that is the right approach. But if we limit access, that also has its consequences. Take the case of Colorado’s 14ers. People come from all over just to visit and hopefully summit Colorado’s famed peaks. People are often determined to go to their destination. If they are turned away from their destination, we may see increased impacts on adjacent lands. So in a way, concentrating the impacts and recreation use is advantageous, but it also concentrates the impacts.

It comes down to policy and economic development levers because there will continue to be advocacy to get more people outside. We’ll need support from communities and businesses to support the spillover, such as partnerships to let people move between public and private lands.”

enormous challenges, but also some opportunities have emerged. But we know times of stress are when we can innovate and think ourselves out of a box. Times like these tend to galvanize communities, and people rally and hopefully emerge stronger. Now is the time to buckle down and think about what’s going to come next - that’s where innovation happens.

At any of the stress points I’ve experienced - 9/11, the recession - we’ve seen that people start to push and find different ways of being creative. They find and create new communities, and I find that really encouraging.

My belief is that we can’t go back to where we were. Every big shock shows that there was some flaw that led us to where we are. And that’s not just COVID, it’s also the important conversations about race, justice and equity.

So there’s a real opportunity to expand the thinking, and those conversations are hard and necessary.

Finally, I wouldn’t be doing what I do if it wasn’t my passion, but more importantly, there’s a lot of room to really innovate, and to grow. We can’t hold on to the ways it was done in the past.” colorado.edu/menv Joel Hartter

What do you see that’s positive, and what are you excited about?

JH: “I’m an eternal First, COVID has 28

optimist. presented 29

CULTURELINES /1

WWW.ARTILECT.STUDIO @ARTILECT.STUDIO @CULTURELINES

WWW.ARTILECT.STUDIO

ARTILECT STUDIO 1045 PEARL STREET BOULDER CO USA