Lady LUX

The Nau brand gives back to the community and does it while creating easy-to-wear, innovative clothing for men and women. The Portland, Ore.-based company makes sustainable outdoor apparel with an urban feel and calls it “integrated designs for the modern mobile life.”

At Nau, the company’s website explains that, “All aspects of our business - from the product to the business model - are an extension of who we are and how we live. We design for ourselves, first. If we won't wear it, why should you. The same goes for business: if we can't stand behind the decisions we make, why should you. So, in that sense, we're a little self-absorbed.”

And, “We're a small team - less than twenty of us, for now. We spend a lot of time together, always talking, testing things out, sketching, pinning things up, asking, heckling, critiquing, revising. It usually gets too loud. We work hard.We play hard. We like to go outside. A lot of us ride bikes. We also ski, snowboard, climb, surf, run, make music, see music, take pictures, grow food, eat food, stay out late, have families, and have dogs who clack around and sleep at our feet.”
Oh, and for the record, Nau is pronounced “now.”

All of this left us wanting more, so Nau Director of Marketing Lindsey Morse took time to talk to LadyLUX about the company and it’s goals.

LadyLUX: How did Nau begin and when was the company founded?

Lindsey Morse: A small group of executives took a risk, left their big jobs at Patagonia and Nike and came together to create the “perfect outdoor apparel company”. One based on the belief that design can be used to redefine business so that it can be a force for change. Nau was founded in 2006 and launched it’s first line in Spring 2007.

LL: What is the mindset behind Nau?

LM: That you should never have to compromise style, performance or sustainability. The Nau brand is rooted in the outdoors but our purpose is delivering style in an innovative and sustainable way to a consumer who is looking for a stylish edge as they move between urban centers and open spaces. Whether you are walking the streets of New York in the middle of winter or meeting friends for a weekend camping trip, the elements come to you. We want consumers to feel confidence in the style of our apparel, in it’s ability to perform and be able to tell a positive brand story when friends ask “where did you get that great jacket?”

LL: Do you hope to inspire other companies to be a positive force for change?

LM: Of course. That is why we exist. We have open patents on all our sustainable fabrications because we are trying to build a stronger, more vibrant supply chain, and get others on board with that supply chain. On the social side, we empower our consumers to choose where 2 percent of every purchase goes via our Partners for Change program.

LL: Tell me about some of the things Nau does to be a positive force for change.

LM: We donate 2 percent of every sale to our humanitarian and environmental Partners for Change. We pioneer new fabrics – sometimes up to 35 a season – crafted from premium, natural and renewable fibers as well as recycled and recyclable synthetic fabrics produced in a sustainable manner. And most importantly we design for lasting beauty by crafting styles and product details that are durable, timeless, and able to move seamlessly through the day and all it’s unpredictabilities.

LL: How do you give back to the community?

LM: The most obvious way is through our Partners for Change program and the 2 percent of revenue that we donate to them. But we are proud of our Portland, OR roots. Portland made us who we are and we will continue to build a strong brand tied to the values that make this city such a great place to live and play.

LL: What are you most proud of in regards to Nau?

LM: That we are uncompromising. If a fabric does not exist that holds up to our environmental standards, we’ll develop it. If a garment does not perform AND look good, we won’t design it.

LL: What is your best selling woman's item? Mens?

LM: It changes with the season, but there are a few iconic Nau silhouettes that are always top sellers like the Men’s Vice II Blazer and the Women’s Urbane Jacket. This season we’ve seen some new stand outs with the Men’s Treble Jacket and the Women’s TwoThirds Jacket.

LL: What's next for Nau?

LM: We are embarking on a new stage of growth right now that will include pushing our designs and sustainability even further, opening up a select number of showrooms in key urban markets and expanding our reach with collaborations with like-minded brands like Snow Peak and Handsome Bicycles.

LL: Where can our readers buy Nau?

LM: www.nau.com or use our dealer locator to find a local retailer.

Tagged in: clothing, sustainable, nau,

Lifestyle / Causes