Live Boldly Blog

There are so many different fibers these days, it’s hard to keep them straight.  Here is a quick checklist of some of our favorite fibers.

Fibers From Animals:

Merino Wool – Prized for their wool, Merino Sheep deliver a soft, fine fiber that is naturally antibacterial, repels water and stays warm and toasty even when wet.

Cashmere – Cashmere fibers come from the downy winter undercoat of Cashmere Goats.  Cashmere wool is finer, stronger and lighter and three times more insulating than sheep’s wool.  Often garnishing a premium price even over Ultrafine Merino Wool.

Mohair – A fine and delicate fiber from the Angora goat.  Angora is notable for its high luster and sheen, mohair is warm in winter yet moisture-wicking and cool in the summer.  Mohair is naturally elastic, flame and crease-resistant.  Mohair is often blended with other fibers (like nylon) to increase its durability.

Angora – Not to be mistaken for Mohair, which comes from the Angora Goat (see above).  Angora refers to the downy coat of the Angora Rabbit.  Angora Rabbit fur fibers are much warmer and lighter than wool due to the hollow core of the angora fiber.  There are several animal cruelty concerns in the “plucking” of fur from Angora rabbits.  “Plucking” might sound bad, but plucking in this sense refers to the brushing out of the rabbit’s undercoat so you get fewer outer fibers (sort of like using an undercoat brush on your dog).

Alpaca – Alpaca is a cute animal (well, we think so) resembling a Llama.  Alpaca fibers are similar to sheep’s wool but actually hypoallergenic because it lacks lanolin.  Alpaca fibers are naturally water-repellent and warmer than sheep’s wool.

Silk – The silk worm isn’t so much an animal as insect, but we’ve put it into this category.  A silkworm creates a cocoon from one continuous thread of protein. The silk is harvested from the cocoons.  The cocoons are boiled or steamed to kill the pupa and loosen the seracin that holds the cocoon together.  Individual silk threads are unraveled from the cocoon and spun into a thread.  Each cocoon can contain a continuous thread between 300 and 900 meters in length.

From Plants:

There are many different plants and plant products made into apparel fibers these days.

Soy Beans

Cotton – The most widely produced natural fiber on the planet.  The cotton seed head contains the fiber that is spun into yarn.

Linen – made from the stems of flax plants.  Linen is one of the few fabrics that is stronger wet than dry.

Lyocell and Modal – fibers are manufactured from wood pulp.  Chemicals are used in the production of these fibers, but the process is free from harmful solvents, and the processes are closed loop (meaning that the chemicals are captured and reused over and over again). Tencel® is a certified form of Lyocell that is guaranteed to be made from sustainable wood pulp.  Bamboo Lyocell is sustainable because bamboo is a fast-growing sustainable crop.  Our Fall 2018 Lightweight Base Layer collection features Tencel®.

Soy – An eco friendly fabric manufactured from food production waste (tofu manufacturing), made from the hulls of soy beans.  Soy is soft, easy to care for and absorbs dyes quickly.

Viscose,  Hemp, Jute, Bamboo, Sisal, and several others – are all different wood pulps and plants used to make apparel fibers.

Meet the woman behind the amazing illustrations on our lightweight base layers and new bags coming out this Fall. Hillary G. is based in Boulder, CO just down the street from the Krimson Klover office. Hillary has a natural talent when it comes to art and design. She has vast experience in apparel design starting with Diane von Furstenberg and ranging from Macy’s to Neve Designs and now Krimson Klover. I had the pleasure of meeting up with her to ask a few questions about her artwork and her lifestyle and how each influences the other.

When it comes to what inspires her artwork, her base layer designs are motivated by vintage ski posters and retro ski fashion ranging from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. She aims to modernize the vintage ski look into a new, fun, yet relatable image. For her folkloric prints, she focuses on different themes each season. Hillary explained, “If you stick with the same traditional Nordic motifs and patterns they tend to look a little repetitive and can be overdone. Each new collection is inspired by traditional art motifs from different cultures to keep it fresh and interesting.”

Some of her Fall ’18 inspiration came from the Ukrainian Psyanka designs (traditional Easter eggs) with intricate line work, whereas her upcoming Fall ’19 designs are influenced by Romanian embroidery motifs and Peruvian floral designs. She gives her vintage fashion girl designs a modern retro vibe in fun après ski scenes.  Adding bright pops of color makes this artwork come off as modernized and fresh pieces that are highly sought after.

North Star Base Layer

After touching on her inspiration from different places around the world, I wanted to know where she likes to travel and how much of an influence that has on her work. Immediately after asking her, she responded with “Everywhere inspires me”. Wherever Hillary goes she is searching for and aware of her surroundings that inspire her. “The more you travel, the more knowledge and inspiration you gather”, she told me, so she tries to travel any chance she can. Hillary went to Morocco last year and found herself drawn to the beautiful tile work, natural dye colors and architecture around her. On her honeymoon in Italy she was surrounded by gorgeous ceramics with ornate patterns and bright colors.  Just a few months ago she traveled throughout Scotland and was inspired by all the rich plaid tartans and elegant wool and cashmere knitwear.  Hillary is hoping to explore Peru next, and I’m sure many more places in the future.

Hillary started illustrating custom prints at Neve Designs in 2012.  Rhonda, founder of Krimson Klover, founded Neve designs back in 2010.  When she started designing at Krimson Klover, Hillary and Rhonda wanted to transition those dynamic prints into something a little more modern and fresh, and still reflect the retro flair of the European ski heritage.

Hillary was fascinated with art from the moment she was able to hold a crayon. Her mom saw the talent and potential that she possessed and signed her up for many art classes as she grew up. Hillary’s mom and sister are both designers as well, so the passion clearly runs in the family. She attended CSU for fashion design and was admitted into the competitive fashion program as a freshman where at the time only 25 students were accepted. As her apparel design career developed, “It was a nice surprise falling into print design”, she told me as she talked about her life after graduating from CSU. Hillary has designed prints in previous roles and learned how to design knitwear when she was hired as an Assistant Sweater Designer at Macy’s in New York.

With two offices, one at home and one on swanky Pearl Street in Boulder, Hillary likes to switch up her location of work to keep ideas flowing and fresh. “Staying in one place for too long creates a bit of a road-block for me, so I like to change up my surroundings.” She shares her office in Boulder with her older sister, Jillian, who works as a contract Art Director. The two are actually starting their own apparel brand called Glenn + Glenn, launching in the Spring of 2019. Glenn + Glenn will feature women’s woven contemporary apparel such as tanks, dresses, skirts, blouses and items of the sort. They are aiming to achieve a minimalistic, clean and modern look. “This line will be very different from what I currently design for other clients, but will still have that same modern, fresh look.  It has been a lot of work in the making, but we are very excited to create this together.” Be sure to look out for Glenn + Glenn coming out next spring!

Adrenaline Base Layer

Lots of artists and designers have a ritual or routine they do before getting into their work. Hillary likes to take a couple of days after she gets her design brief to begin looking for inspirations and motivations. She likes to go through her daily routine with the idea in the back of her mind, seeing what might pop out to her. Like most of us creatives, she likes to look through Pinterest, magazines, and books to spark ideas. “Inspiration takes the longest time, for sure, but it is the most fun”, Hillary said while talking about the process. “Once you know what your client is looking for, it’s helpful to keep that idea rolling around in the back of your head for even several weeks before putting anything on paper.” On that note, I was curious to see if she found herself creating several drafts before presenting her final idea. Since she takes her time curating the idea in her head, she is able to come up with several options once she begins her sketches to present. Rarely does she completely throw away an idea, rather just narrows down and makes changes when presenting them to her clients.

Hillary’s favorite thing about illustrating is seeing her sketches evolve into actual garments. Usually the initial print idea and the final product evolve quite a bit along the way as tiny details emerge in the design, so she loves to see how the final design compares to her original vision. “Seeing my rough black and white sketch turn into colored vector art on the base layers is a really fun experience. Typically, the original design ideas are done in pen and ink because the color palette has not been finalized yet.  “This makes the process very exciting as the design kind of jumps to life when we add in the color,” she told me when talking about her sketches. If she ever gets stuck on a design or idea, she tries to switch gears, work on something else and then goes back to it. It usually just takes reworking the design until it flows– whether it’s moving motifs around or re-doing spatial patterns. Attached at the end are a few examples of her sketches moving through the process.

North Star Base Layer

When it comes to working with Krimson Klover, Hillary likes the fact that we are easy and fun to work with. “Rhonda gives me a lot of creative leeway, which is nice because it allows me to add in my personal creativity and come up with a few different ideas that maybe weren’t initially included on the design brief.” She said that Rhonda likes to push the envelope as much as she can with ideas and imagination, which creates a productive working environment. “Rhonda is so great to work with because she can look at my initial designs and can see the vision and potential. After working together for several seasons, we both have an understanding in the process.  Rhonda shows confidence in my initial ideas and they usually turn out better than we originally expected. It makes it a lot easier to work with someone who is creative in that way and can see my vision from the beginning.” Hillary also mentioned how important Krimson Klover’s new “slow-fashion” movement is and how Rhonda really stands by that. “Rhonda understands that creating detailed prints takes time. She wants to get it right for the customer and doesn’t rush the process which is very helpful for a designer.” Something Hillary really notices about Rhonda is that she is very in-tune with the Krimson Klover customers; “If there is a piece they really loved from last season, we will be sure to include a new update in the next season to serve those customers wants and needs.”

Back Country Base Layer

Hillary has a few people that really inspire her and that she would love to do a co-lab with if she ever got the chance. “Print-wise, Diane von Furstenberg has always really inspired me because I was able to go behind the scenes of their design process.  Every print is done in house and created by their designers. They also resurrect a lot of DVF’s classic vintage prints and rework them in a fresh way.  Mara Hoffman is another fabulous designer I would love to do a co-lab with. Her use of color and variation of print work is always exciting to look at.”

When it comes to how Hillary Lives Boldly, she is very active and loves to take advantage of living so close to the mountains and being outside as much as she can. “I love to snowboard and travel.  That is the benefit from being a contractor – you can work from almost anywhere!”  Tennis is a big love of hers and she also attempts to keep up with her husband mountain biking. Whenever she has the extra time, Hillary loves to be a part of the community and participate in any social events happening in the Denver and Boulder area.

Submitted by:  Emma Feeney, Krimson Klover Intern

If you've read last month's post, we made a tribute to our mom's for Mother's Day.  We know without mom, we may not have survived childhood.  However, there is a special place in our hearts for dads too.  Being strong, dynamic, independent women, we owe our dads a debt of gratitude for treating us like we can (and will!) do anything we dream up.  Our dads taught us how to camp, fix things, to throw and catch, and how to stay out of trouble.  No matter what you call him (pops, dad, pa, paps) his job is just as important as mom's.  Here are a few stories about our KK dads:

My Dad was a huge outdoor enthusiast. He loved to swim, fish, ski, ice-skate, sail and hunt -- which he passed along to his 6 kids. We spent a lot of time in the woods, fishing and camping.   I ended up with a career in the outdoor industry because of his influence.  For some reason every time we went camping it would pour down rain. It was never just a little bit of rain -- but a full on big rain. We had a big old canvas tent that was held up by 4 iron poles with a square set of iron poles in the peak. When it rained, the tent got really, really heavy and you couldn’t touch the canvas sides, or it would leak. On every camping trip that I can remember the tent would come down on us in the middle of the night from the weight of the water and somehow we managed to not get beaned in the head by the iron poles! Thank goodness tent technology and fabrics have come a long way.  I miss my pop every day, and I am so thankful for all the time and fun we had in the outdoors. -- Gail, Chief Operations Officer

My Dad is always active and we both find it difficult to sit still. His pride and joy is his spectacular English garden, complete with orchard, greenhouse and incredible vegetable patch. I miss shelling (and eating) peas together, picking raspberries and helping him dig up potatoes. I enjoyed being outside in my wellies “being helpful”.   He encouraged my love for sports by taking me to English football matches.

Luisa being "helpful" in the garden with her dad

We went on many bike rides around the stunning Cotswolds region, and I still am at my happiest when cruising along on a bike.  We spent summers hiking and adventuring in France and the Scottish Highlands. It didn’t matter what the weather, we were almost always playing outside. I truly believe my decision to make Colorado my home away from home stems from these experiences. When my parents first visited me out here they fell in love with Colorado too.  Our next adventure is a trip to Japan. I’m excited to hike post roads, ride bikes around Kyoto and enjoy Japanese whiskey together. -- Luisa, Sales Director

Mike, a.k.a. "Mike the Bike", a.k.a. "Mingo", a.k.a. "Dad" is soon to take on a new moniker, GrandDAD! And I'm so very excited to give him his first grandbaby. My kid will have a lot to learn from this dear ol' dad of mine. Here are just a few of the lessons that he taught me:

To love the outdoors, the flora and fauna and to protect and preserve it. From a young age, I watched him hunt, fish, and cultivate the land with reverence. As a marine biologist, Dad loves the ocean and would even teach me the scientific names of all the seashells we would find on trips to the coast of Maine. To this day, I can still recall that the slipper shell in Latin is Crepidula fornicata.

He taught me to throw like a girl. I always loved sports and I learned from him that being an athlete was more about hustle and dedication than physical ability. "You throw like a girl" was a tease, but it was also a compliment. Eye on the target, point your elbow, step, release and follow through...he was my coach and my cheerleader and throwing like a girl came to mean hard, fast and accurate. Plus, learning to keep your eye on the ball and focus on the target is just a great metaphor for life.

He taught me to explore, and that it's never too late to learn a new skill or hobby. Dad taught himself to play guitar in his thirties and took up singing with two different choral groups just a few years ago. I've watched him pursue his many passions throughout the years and it's taught me that at any age, it's okay to be open and vulnerable to new challenges and adventures. It's this same inquisitiveness that I embrace in my life and hope to instill in my kids.  Love you Dad! -- Alison, Customer Service Maven

When I was little, my dad would organize canoe trips. We would venture a week at a time to upcountry Maine, paddle down beautiful rivers, camp out and enjoy nature.  My dad constantly gives great advice on all life's obstacles.  I can't think of one piece of advice that is better than the rest. Lately, we've been having great chats about the similarities and differences in our values and opinions. I've been really grateful to be able to listen, learn and share during these talks.  A few years ago, just the two of us went rappelling down a waterfall in New Hampshire's White Mountains. It was a really fun day and experience that I'm glad I was able to share with him. When my dad visits Colorado, I love to take him into the mountains and show him all the beautiful landscapes and secret places I've discovered. When I travel back to Boston, he does the same by taking me up in his Cessna to enjoy aerial views of the Atlantic coast and flying over the old seaside cities I miss. -- Ellen, Product Development Manager

I'm pretty sure my dad was hoping to have a boy and disappointingly ended up with me.  This actually became an advantage for me because my dad has treated me like a boy -- which is to say, he thought of me as capable to do anything.  Since before I can remember, he used to give my mom a break and I would sit on his lap and watch football with him on the weekends.  We still talk football and when something big happens in the NFL or our favorite teams, I can't wait to talk to him about it. My dad at the beach where his heart is full.

When I was young, he definitely supported (and maybe sometimes forced) me into all kinds of athletic and outdoor endeavors.  My first sport was soccer, I played on a co-ed team (thank you Title IX) his company sponsored our team and provided our uniform shorts.  I ended up playing soccer through college and in high school I ran track and was the shortstop on our softball team.  I am so thankful to have participated in team sports, I gained so many great skills and confidence that I have used throughout my life.

My dad was born and grew up in Hawaii and learned to live, love and respect the outdoors from a young age.  He learned to fish and hunt from his uncles and spent most of his free time in the ocean swimming and surfing.  He shared all of that with us, (mostly to give my mom a break and get us all out of the house) we'd go fishing, camping and on hunting trips.  I now live in Colorado, and I didn't know until I moved here, how much I need water in my life.  I know both of us find being near the ocean and in the water the best remedy for any problem, second best is being outside and getting a good sweat on.  -- Emelie, Marketing Maven

Mark's dad, Sam.

"My supervising pastor in seminary was a seasoned Southern parson named Sam Stanely.  Sam pastored a little chapel in Arlington, Virginia, and people packed it to the gills every Sunday.  You could easily underestimate Sam because of his laid-back style and bone-deep gentility.  He wore his considerable clout like an undershirt, unconcious of it.  Yet Sam was both the strongest and most subtle pastor I have ever known.  Despite his determined opinions, he seldom spoke at meetings.  He made himself available for appointments or counseling or coffee.  He was an ace preacher; worship was memorable and moving.  He and his wife Ruth ate lunch together every day." -- Excerpt from a book published by his student Kendra, about Mark's Dad. Mark, Operations Manager

We hope all the dads out there have a great Father's day and get a big squeeze from your mini-me.

One of the best holidays on the planet is Mother's Day...quickly followed by Father's Day of course!  (sorry Dad!)  Moms come in different sizes, colors, you might have two moms, and she may not even be exactly 'related' to you -- but no matter we celebrate them all, without them we wouldn't be here and life wouldn't be the same.

The KK team wanted to share a little bit about why our moms are so wow-worthy, please share yours with us in the comments below.

Ellen's mom and mommom during their first visit to Colorado.

I'd just moved to Colorado and my Mom, Mommom (Grandma) and myself on Mother's Day 2015; a.k.a. Denver gets wrecked by a freak ice storm. They luckily made their flights out just before the storm hit and we spent the day stepping over frozen branches, touring the Molly Brown house and brunching at Denver Biscuit Co. It was a blessing to share the special weekend with them and show them around my new city. -- Ellen, Product Development Manager

My favorite memory of my mom is her sewing in our basement growing up. She made wool capes and ponchos as a side business and I have always admired her creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. She worked nights as a nurse and would come home, get my sister and me off to school and sew in her off time so that we could have nice things. Thanks, Mom!  Besides looking a lot like her, I've inherited my mom's design style. I love the story behind the things I collect and that eclectic style is apparent in how I dress myself and my home.  -- Alison, Customer Service & Showroom Manager

My favorite memories of my mom are of the two of us out searching for wildlife. She always had me out searching for Bullfrogs, birds and snakes. Climbing steep hills to search for baby owls. Sometimes to be attacked by the momma birds. She has such a large curiosity around wild life. All animals were always incredibly curious about her.  In another generation she would have been an animal whisperer.  I inherited her creative side which has helped me in every aspect of my life she also instilled the belief that I could do anything, and I thank her for that. -- Rhonda, Founder and Creative Director

One day out of the blue, my mom says to me "I wish I had named you Emma".  Me: "What!?!"  I happen to love my name but I thought it was funny, so I started signing all of my cards and notes to my mom "Love, Emma".  Now, my mom, sister, nieces and nephew all call me Emma or "Auntie Emma".  The rest of my family and friends call me Eme or Em and have no idea who this Emma person is.  My mom is an amazing seamstress and made all of our Halloween costumes and special occasion outfits for years.  I can't remember how old I was when she started the tradition of me making homemade Christmas ornaments for the whole extended family, now I have a big box full of ornaments made by me from several years of her mini-sweatshop (haha).  I've maintained my crafty/creative side she gave to me and I appreciate the value of hand-made goods because I know how much love goes into them. -- Emelie, Marketing & Communications Director

Emma and her mom

My favorite memory of my mom is when she surprised me at Windy City Smokeout, a country music festival in Chicago, by spontaneously showing up with my dad. I was there already there with a friend and had no idea that they were thinking of coming, so when my mom texted me a picture of the stage and talking about the song that was just performed I was so excited that she was there and I instantly started searching for her and my dad! We have gone to many country music festivals together and every time it’s such a blast. She’s always down to throw on a pair of cowboy boots and have a great time - I’ve got a pretty cool mom.  I am like my mom because as stubborn as I can be sometimes, I always put others first and try to make my loved ones happy and I get that directly from my mom. I also luckily got her sense of style and creativity! -- Emma, Public Relations Intern

My Mom is an angel.  I know this because, for the last 4 years of my Dad's life, she took care of him morning, noon and evening in the nursing home he was in.  He had Alzheimer's, Parkinsons and blood cancer. In 4 years, she did not miss even a handful of days. She never made a big deal about it or complained even once. My Mom the angel. -- Mark, Operations Manager

I inherited my Mum’s competitiveness when it comes to quizzes and puzzles, and this was also instilled in my sister. We make quite the team at pub trivia night! -- Luisa, Director of Sales

Gail's mom, a consummate cheese head.

One of the things that I love and admire about my mom is her wonderful sense of humor. She is quite mischievous and as a child, I loved to listen to her stories about all the crazy things she did with her friends growing up. One of my favorite stories was when she and her best friend Rut, who both attended Catholic school, were on their way to summer camp at the age of 17. They decided it would be a hoot to dress up as nuns, so they tracked down the appropriate costumes and accessories, boarded a train in Milwaukee, and stayed in character for the 3 hours it took to get to their station in Northern Wisconsin. Her camp buddies who were also on the train did not suspect that the two young nuns in the back (one with nail polish, both sneaking cigarettes) were their old friends. 60 years later my Mom still makes me laugh! I only hope that I have instilled in my two boys my mom’s wonderful sense of humor and adventure.  -- Gail, Chief Operations Officer (currently the only actual mom in the office, but only for a few more weeks, Alison is about to become a mom soon!)

 Cooper, Gail's oldest son

 Miles, Gail's youngest son

We wish all the moms out there an awesome mother's day, and thank you for all you do for us!