GRVL showcase a sustainable cycling apparel business model
“We’ve grown up watching the industry make careless choices, dressing fellow cyclists head to toe in plastic, with little to no regard to the environmental damage this causes our planet,” reads a statement prominently placed on the website of apparel brand GRVL.
Stuart Brooke founded GRVL in 2022 based on the idea of “a sustainable approach to gravel cycle apparel”.
So far, so on trend, for current-day messaging. As we move toward the arrival of an EU Digital Product Passport, claims like these will need to do more to stand up to interrogation from curious consumers and regulatory bodies alike.
Exploring the origins of GRVL, cycling industry professionals will be familiar with the name Stuart Brooke. This – GRVL – is by no means his first apparel brand or his only business.
Brooke founded Ashmei Performance Cycle and Run apparel in 2011, having already built a decade of experience carrying out design work for the likes of launch era Rapha, whilst working under the business name Blue Associates Sportswear Ltd.
As the apparel industry, from sport and leisure to high-street fashion, explores what transparent garment labelling looks like, and how auditing a supply chain can be communicated in consumer-facing messaging that isn’t immediately disparaged as “greenwashing”, brands that are early, sincere, and committed in their efforts, will increasingly stand out.
Talking about GRVL, the business points out that: “Our main supplier are certified by GOTS – The global standard for Organic Textiles alongside having both GRS – Global Recycling Standard and RCS – Recycling Claim Standard that certifies and guarantees that the final product is produced using recycled or sustainable materials and that the entire production chain complies with the procedures required by each of the standards.
“Not only (do they) produce activewear for many of the leading premium sportswear brands but are doing so responsibly by using 100% renewable, green energy, reusing water and recycling.
“The investment in sustainability over the last 5 years has resulted in a reduction of 80% in water usage and 76% less CO2 emissions.”
For businesses that are also positioned to go direct-to-consumer, there can be no let up when it comes to packaging.
Yes, it needs to reflect the brand, delivering on the brand promise – premium doesn’t come in a generic, plain black, plastic bag. Arguably as, if not more, importantly, packaging choices also need to reflect that sustainability messaging.
“Our packaging is biodegradable using recycled natural materials and we produce locally wherever possible to reduce the carbon footprint of our products throughout the entire manufacturing process,” points out the press release we received from GRVL.
Here we also get a little window into that Digital Product Passport future insight – raw materials mileage and carbon footprint. If your certified recycled materials have clocked up a trip from Europe to Asia, and back, that’s going to present some interesting challenges when presenting a sustainability-focused message to increasingly savvy consumers.
Big picture insight
For context, as just one example, if you are a producer of footwear using Gore-Tex, that’s currently one high mileage (carbon footprint) round trip your shoes will have to take, to a Gore-approved production facility in Asia.
Reshoring will not be an easy nut to crack for many in the sports clothing and footwear space.
It might be possible to find Europe-based, quality and volume, manufacturing capability and expertise, but where are the raw materials travelling from to arrive at the factory?
This is why it’s encouraging to see a brand like GRVL take steps, building a brand, and its core messaging, around a sustainable focus: “Influencer” applies to more than just photogenic types who’ve become Instagram famous.
