Black Diamond Equipment®, a global innovator in climbing, skiing and mountain sports equipment, and Green Theme International (GTI), a revolutionary PFC-free DWR that permanently bonds finishes to fibers without using a single drop of water or release of any hazardous discharge, announce their partnership for Black Diamond Equipment’s spring 2019 apparel line.
“We are pleased that Black Diamond Equipment has selected Green Theme International to be the central component of its spring 2019 technical outerwear wind collection,” states Brian La Plante, strategic marketing director at GTI. “GTI’s rigorous product development and focus on innovation align perfectly with Black Diamond’s. It is exciting to work with a company that continually aims to bring the most advanced technologies to market, which provide the ultimate in performance and style.”
GTI’s revolutionary Breathable Water Protection technology incorporates an environmentally friendly PFC-free water-repellent finish that is superior in performance compared to any other C-6, C-8, or C-0 DWR. This performance is only exceeded by its durability, as the GTI technology is permanently hyper-fused to the individual fabric fibers, and there is no need to ever refresh the jacket with an additional spray or wash-in finish. This technology will debut in Black Diamond’s spring 2019 Distance Wind Shell and grow in future seasons to be implemented into Black Diamond’s proprietary BD.Dry™ ski, alpine and rainwear collections.
Black Diamond also announces The Woolmark Company as a long-term partner for its spring 2019 apparel collection and beyond. The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that help fund the company. It is taking an active role in educating the internal Black Diamond team and connecting the brand with wider wool supply chain and supporting business units on product innovation.
To be showcased in its’ sportswear category, Black Diamond’s Rhythm Tee features a breakthrough co-developed Nuyarn Merino wool fabric technology at a superlight 95g/meter – making it significantly lighter than other tee shirts, while increasing durability and performance at the same time. The Rhythm’s Nuyarn fabric also dries five times faster than standard Merino, while providing 35% more stretch making it an ultimate high output, breathable layer or trail running shirt. The Rhythm Tee is machine washable and is certified by the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS).
“Collaborating with such an iconic brand as Black Diamond and its core group of active users allows us to showcase the natural benefits of Merino wool including thermo-regulation, odor management and movement in the context of cutting edge design and innovation,” states Stuart McCullough, managing director of The Woolmark Company. “The very nature of our relationship demonstrates the versatility of Merino wool and the vision of Black Diamond’s apparel design team.”
Another key component of Black Diamond’s spring 2019 apparel collection is the inclusion of BD.cool™. BD.cool is Black Diamond’s innovative mineral based in-fiber cooling technology, which reflects 71% of near-infrared rays and reduces the wearer’s temperature. Designed for climbers, mountain runners and professionals on the move, BD.cool will be incorporated in several of Black Diamond’s sportswear tops purposefully built for the outdoors.
Additionally for spring 2019, Black Diamond is collaborating with YKK on the world’s first YKK Super Lightweight Zipper. At 40% lighter than any other, the new zipper will shave valuable grams for FKT’s and ultra light missions and will be featured in the Black Diamond Deploy Wind Shell. Using a proprietary 5 denier nylon fabric from Toray Japan and weighing in at only 48 grams, the Deploy Wind Shell will be among the lightest wind protection pieces on the marketplace supporting YKK’s company tagline “Little Parts. Big Difference.”
Lastly, with features designed for climbing, and style for everything else, Black Diamond announces the addition of its new Forged Denim. Black Diamond’s new Forged Denim for spring 2019 will use a combination of best-in-class materials, incorporating Cordura™ fibers in the fabric to achieve a durable, yet unbelievable light and stretchy fabric, with climbing specific features to create the world’s best climbing denim.
“Black Diamond’s athlete-employees live by the company ethos: Use – Design – Engineer – Build – Repeat. We are dedicated to relentless innovation and integrity, designing and engineering equipment that pushes limits and challenges conventions for our global community of users,” explains Trent Bush, Black Diamond’s vice-president of apparel. “BD’s apparel partnerships for S’19 help manifest this philosophy and will empower our customers to perform at their best.”
Black Diamond Equipment’s spring 2019 collection will be on display next week at OutDoor, June 17-20, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and at booth #42081-UL at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, July 23-26, in Denver, Colorado.
About Black Diamond Equipment™
Black Diamond Equipment is a manufacturer of equipment and clothing for climbing, skiing and mountain sports. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain/canyon environment, Black Diamond Equipment has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond Equipment, visit www.BlackDiamondEquipment.com
About Green Theme International™
Green Theme International (GTI) creates innovative textile products by using environmentally friendly chemistry and manufacturing processes. Our mission is to eliminate water waste from the production of textiles while creating innovative products that fundamentally change consumer experiences. Please visit www.greenthemeint.com for more information.
About The Woolmark Company:
The Woolmark Company is the global authority on wool. Through our extensive network of relationships spanning the international textile and fashion industries, we highlight Australian wool’s position as the ultimate natural fiber and premier ingredient in luxury apparel.
The Woolmark logo is one of the world’s most recognized and respected brands, providing assurance of the highest quality, and representing pioneering excellence and innovation from the farm through to finished product.
The Woolmark Company is a subsidiary of Australian Wool Innovation, a not-for-profit enterprise that conducts research, development, and marketing along the worldwide supply chain for Australian wool on behalf of about 60,000 woolgrowers that help fund the company. Please visit www.woolmark.com for additional information.