Seven Questions: Outdoor Voices

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There isn’t much you can’t do in Outdoor Voices. Designed to be “as versatile as you are,” the NYC-based label’s recreation-ready pants, shorts, tees and jackets combine state of the art performance fabrics with a clean, minimalist aesthetic, so they’ll keep you looking and feeling good whether you’re breaking a sweat on the running trail, or lounging on a lazy sunday. OV’s clothes are also tough as nails (proudly made in Los Angeles) and fit great (see every photo in this post). Add all that up, and you’ve got yourself some seriously solid gear, no matter how active – or inactive – your lifestyle may be.

Outdoor Voices’ Partner / Owner and President Andrew Parietti recently took some time out to answer a few questions through email. Here’s what he had to say.



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Well Spent: Give us the Outdoor Voices origin story.
Andrew Parietti: We started a couple years ago under the premise that we wanted to create an activewear brand for our generation. We’ve grown up with Nike, and never really resonated with Lululemon, and felt an immense need to create something that was for us and by us. Tyler Haney originally founded the company after Parsons in NY and I joined as her business partner.



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What, specifically, makes Outdoor Voices an “active” brand, as opposed to just another fashion brand?
At OV we make core activewear. We utilize the best technical fabrics in the industry to make apparel for recreation. Our form of active is more than just sport performance. It’s about the body, the way it moves, and looking good doing it whether that is jogging, yoga, the gym – hell, even a game of capture the flag.



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Why’d you decide to produce the line in the US? What have been the pros and cons of doing so?
First and foremost, we believe in quality. We are currently working with a legacy Nike factory in LA who has an incredible tradition of producing some of the best activewear in the US. The highlight of this relationship thus far has been the opportunity to personally get to know this family owned operation. LA is a quick trip away and we love walking the floor and catching up with the cutters, sewers, and managers. The downside is definitely their capability beyond cut and sew. There are some more advanced techniques that simply do not exist in the US.



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When designing for OV, what comes first: form or function?
The design process begins with our activewear kit. We believe that there is a set of about 10 core pieces that every active wardrobe should consist of. These pieces aren’t built with one activity in mind, but rather they’re built to perform across all forms of recreation. They are classic, and we work and rework each piece in order to make what we consider to be the best sweatpants, the best shorts, the best etc. in the industry.

Instead of focusing on the overtly technical aspects of the pieces (we’re tired of the “this shirt is going to make you run faster and jump higher” branding), we wrap this up with an injection of design and elements. We are obsessed with the details, especially with the interaction of different tones and textures. Ultimately, it’s the way that our form and function interact that really separates us from our competitors.



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You’re currently based in NYC. Where are you favorite places in the city to run?
We have an OV Jogger’s Club in both NYC and Austin. We keep it pretty casual and inject some humor into the whole thing.

In NYC, it’s hard to beat the Central Park loop in the fall. It’s an oasis. We also love combining a couple of the bridges and making our own loop: Manhattan, Williamsburg, and 59th St are three of the favorites.



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Though based in NYC, you just opened your first store Austin, TX. What led to the decision to go brick and mortar? Why’d you pick Austin?
We love brick and mortar. In our mind, the era of the internet and e-commerce has reinvigorated just how important in-person experiences are. The point of 606 Blanco isn’t as much about building a profit center for the company. Rather, we wanted a space to engage with the Austin community. We do yoga sessions on our lawn there, Jogger’s Club meetups, it’s quickly becoming the hub of recreation in Austin.

We’ve had a big following in Austin since day one. We love it down there and we feel that the way they approach active is very much in line with what we believe in at OV.



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What would you say to someone who’s still on the fence about buying from Outdoor Voices?
It’s simple, really, we say: doing things is better than not doing things. So just do it. 😉



For price and purchase info, visit Outdoor Voices.