Appalatch is an outdoor apparel company
located in Asheville NC, with a plan to make the world’s first custom fit
sweater program for the masses. They are striving to make gorgeous, high
quality, custom fit sweaters using totally domestic fibers and labor. Already,
with an offering of domestically made and mountain inspired goods on appalatch.com, they
are ready to spread their wings.
Recently, Appalatch was featured in NY Magazine and exhibited at SXSW Eco, as well as at the exclusive men's American pop-up market, NorthernGrade.
We think Appalatch's story is interesting for the following reasons:
1. Appalatch's products have a timeless appeal that is ultra classic and of very high quality. Their design for both women and men keep one eye on performance and the other on timeless design. The result has been a unique hybrid that attracts people who are simply obsessed with wool for its performance attributes, and others who simply love quality and style.
2. Ethics and sustainability are the back bone of all decisions they make when it comes to manufacturing. Their custom fit sweater program will help further this mission. For example, with the 3D like knitting machine they are looking to purchase, they can drastically reduce the 20-30% of fabric that is thrown away in typical manufacturing. 3D printing sweaters means virtually zero waste.
3.Appalatch's story is entirely domestic -- everything they offer is made entirely within the USA. With American made clothing increasingly being sought after, they offer a solution to the problem of 98% of clothing bought last year, coming from abroad. Appalatch is working to rebuild the textile manufacturing industry at home, one sweater at a time!
