Live Boldly Blog

Our #WomanCrushWednesday this week is Katerina Nash.

She is a pro mountain biker after our own hearts with her two-wheeled adventures and accomplishments. She continues to amaze after 5 Olympic appearances and too many winning races to count on our fingers as a Clif Pro Team member. 

She told the Clif Pro Team why she loves biking: “It’s a great way to live life. People dream about riding bikes and can’t wait for the weekend. I get to ride my bike every day. I like that my sport happens outside and it takes me places. I never spent time in a gym. I’m always outside. I also like that racing is always different because courses and conditions are always diverse. It keeps me interested and with its evolving nature I have to keep learning and working at it.”

Shop the Katerina Tee

We agree, it is a great way to live life boldly and we dream about the mountain trails we might conquer next weekend. That is why she is the inspiration behind Krimson Klover’s long sleeve tee of the summer. Our designer created original artwork for the tee featuring Katerina and her two Vizsla pups, Lola and Rubi, racing down the mountains on a summer bike ride. You can’t help feeling inspired to be adventurous with this illustration on your back. The Katerina Tee’s Viscose and Spandex blend lends itself to active spring, summer, and autumn adventures. Bonus if those adventures are on a bike!

Learn more about our #wcw Katerina Nash from the Clif Pro Team, or follow her on instagram to see more of Lola, Rubi, and Katerina’s mountain biking adventures! 

Krimson Klover headed a few miles southeast from Boulder to Denver at the end of January to the Snow Show. It was a busy, yet fun couple of days for our team showing off the next fall collection to our retailers and other businesses in the outdoor and ski industries. The Snow Show was the first trade show of 2019 that Krimson Klover attended. Outdoor Retailer is one of the leading business-to-business outdoor sports show where industry brands, retailers, reps, suppliers and leaders gather.

(Above) Snow Show was held at Colorado Convention Center in the heart of downtown Denver.

At Outdoor Retailer Snow Show, Krimson Klover did everything from writing new orders to meeting new accounts and making new connections. OR is where the new happens. And with its conferences, training sessions, leadership seminars and educational opportunities, the show is a great event for Krimson Klover each year!

(Above) Krimson Klover picked out some of next fall's favorites to dress the mannequins.

A lot of planning went into this 3 day show, from which sweaters to put on the display mannequins for a great first impression, down to when the Krimson Klover Team took their lunch break! It was an “all hands on deck” event. Even one of our office dogs was put to work, greeting our guests and grabbing passerby’s attention.

(Above)  Fall 19 collection features new original artworks as well as this past season's favorites on base layers, vests, and accessories.

One of the highlights of any show is hearing the retailers’ first reactions to the new collection. We share in their excitement for bold patterns, textures and colors that are uniquely Krimson Klover. Distinctive patterns, vintage inspired original artwork, and seamless knits make this new collection stand out and our new performance fabrics ensure that the pieces stand up to your active lifestyle.

At the end of the show, we were all a bit tired from all the action, especially our little greeter, Koa.

Look for Krimson Klover Fall 19 to hit the stores and the website in August. In the meantime, let's think Spring - coming very soon!

There are millions of products out there, but how do you know exactly what to get for your mom, sister, or friend especially when they don’t give you their wish lists? Here’s a list of things that will give you some inspiration for your gift giving, and maybe you’ll find some things to add to your own list, too.

For Mom

From Krimson Klover: Monday’s Open Cardigan

Why? Because it’s so comfy! Mom works hard during the holidays to make it special, so she deserves a sweater that she can relax in!

Other: Wine Accessories

Why? Drinking wine is fun as it is, but make it a blast with accessories like cork coasters and monogram bottle stoppers. Maybe mom will even share a glass with you!

For Your Adventurous Sister

From Krimson Klover: Camber Pullover

Why? It’s a cool and classic sporty sweater. The Camber is going to keep her warm while she treks through the mountains on her skis or snowshoes. It’s a cute look while she stays active.

Other: Letterfolk Passports

Why? These passports allow the adventurous girl to record her travels and activities in a unique way! There are many different passports to choose from, whether she loves to hike or visit different National Parks, you’ll find one that fits her passion.

For Your BFF

From Krimson Klover: Cascade Sweater

Why? It’s cute! You’ll have your best gal pal looking gorgeous in this romantic sweater with ruffle sleeves for your Girls Night Out.

Other: Cocktail Recipe Book

Why? What are besties for if they aren’t shaking up a tasty new cocktail for you at your next Girls Night In?

For Grandma

From Krimson Klover: Valley Girl Weekender

Why? So she can travel in style the next time she comes for the weekend to visit!

Other: Custom Photobook

Why? Grandma will love to look at this when she can’t make the trip. You can fill it with personal photos to preserve her favorite memories. She won’t have to fumble with the phone to find pictures of her family because she’ll keep the photobook at hand on the coffee table!

For Your Favorite Coworker

From Krimson Klover: Stellar Sock

Why? These fun merino wool socks are a small way to say, “I enjoy working with you!” Take a look at our other socks to find the perfect pair!

Other: Silly Office Supplies

Why? It makes work a little bit better! Animal shaped paper clips, a Rubix Cube pencil holder, or fast food shaped erasers will bring a smile to their face at work!

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