Guidefitter Spotlight Episode 06: Dustin English, Chief Experience Officer at VOORMI.

Transcript

Bryan Koontz (00:02) Hey everyone. The following is a conversation with Dustin English. He's with a very cool outdoor clothing company called Voormi based in Colorado. And actually they have a retail center and a sewing facility here in Bozeman, Montana where Guidefitter is based. Dustin's dad, Dan, started the company about 10 years ago and it's got a really interesting history. Dan comes from the technology industry. He used to work at Microsoft and so has a real head for technological innovations. He then spent some time at Mossy Oak, working tightly with the team there around licensing and doing some guiding and really looking into what really is or should be state of the art fabrics. And from out of those two experiences came Voormi. So I encourage you to listen to the interview with Dustin. He talks about why Voormi is unique. They've really done some innovations, some patented innovations around fabrics, which I'm wearing a Voormi hoodie right now. And as we say, we talk about in the interview, It's one of those pieces of clothing that you can hang out on the couch on or go outside and go hunting in or go skiing in and whatnot. And so take a listen to the interview, get to know Voormi. Once you try on a piece of Voormi, you're going to realize what I'm talking about. I'm a huge fan and I think others who enjoy the outside love hunting. I've worn their stuff in a duck blind several times this past year. You're going to really get to know the brand and fall in love with what they're doing. So take a listen and welcome to the Guidefitter Spotlight.

Bryan Koontz (00:00) I and I am wearing for me it's not because I'm

Dustin English (01:48) Okay. Yeah. Hehehehe Yeah, nice. Looks good.

Bryan Koontz (02:16) necessarily because I'm talking to you, I found that since I bought, I think I now have seven pieces of Voormi and since I bought some of these, I have this one and I have the, what's the one like the zip up one with the big hood, it's called the high, the, oh, what is that one called? The, it's a, it's a three, it's a three quarters. The high, yeah, that one I wear almost every day. I'm learning. Yeah, Kit, who works with you called it his security blanket. And now I understand why it's just sort of on all the time.

Dustin English (02:30) 3 quarters zip or the full zip? The Diversion Hoodie maybe? Oh, the 3 quarters zip, the High E Hoodie, yep. Yeah. Nice. That's awesome.

Yeah, it's funny. We get that a lot. A lot of folks are, I don't know why this is so awesome, but I love it and I'm going to tell all my friends about it and I can't take it off. And yeah, and it's funny, folks just can't almost describe it. And that's where we find that really high repurchase rate and customer loyalty with our products. And we find that once folks get indoctrinated into the Voormi brand, then they're hooked for sure.

Bryan Koontz (02:53) I agree.

Yeah, I bought one of your just regular straight up hoodies like two years ago, I think when we first started working with you. And I still wear that. I gained a little weight, I'm not going to lie. But now I'm losing, I could probably wear it again now. But I remember when I first put it on, I'm like, whoa, this feels different. This fabric is, what the heck is this? And it was just kind of like, I don't have any other piece of clothing that feels quite like that. And living in Montana, I tell you, especially today when I was driving to work, it was negative 33.

Dustin English (03:21) Hehehehehe There you go. Yeah. Yep. yes all that uh...

Bryan Koontz (03:41) So, but anyway, I know, I know. So you're, it's a really interesting product from the first time you touch it as I've done. And, and I'm just, you know, I'm looking forward to having a conversation about how did Voormi gets started. What's it all about? You know, where's the brand going? Just, you know, I think when I look at it, now that I've gotten to know you guys and your products a lot more. I see it coming at it from just someone who's outside as often as they can be and who likes to hunt. It's a technical fabric that I don't think the hunting community knows enough about. Well, I'm certain they don't know enough about it. And then just in general, I think more people should know about it, especially people who live, you know, who love to be outside anywhere, but especially in the, you know, when it's cold and things like that. So how did this company get started? And what, yeah, tell me about the origin story.

Dustin English (04:27) Yeah, for sure. Yeah, so we started it in 2010-ish, and really kind of from the genesis of really just trying to build better clothing for what we're doing and have to take less clothing on the adventures that we were heading out at the time. Our CEO, Dan, who is also my father, he was traveling the world as a hunting guide and with Mossy Oak Camouflage for a long time, and so he always had...

Bryan Koontz (05:00) Oh, he was a guide? I didn't know he was a guide.

Dustin English (05:02) Yeah. You know, he helped guide for them as well. And then was also, you know, one of the owners. And so it was, uh, you know, traveling to different, you know, hunting camps with them and, um, spending a lot of time in the field, you know, hunting and chasing critters, uh, from that point of view. And so he, he also, he always had, you know, large duffel bags of stuff for the really the, the just in case. Right. And, um,

Bryan Koontz (05:05) Oh, that's cool.

Dustin English (05:22) And at that same time, I was living in Alaska, uh, working as a mountain, mountain guide and, um, and was guiding, you know, folks up to Denali and the Alaska range and, you know, all throughout, uh, throughout the world, really at that point in time. And so, and it was experiencing the same thing. I carried, you know, large duffel bags for, for just in case. And, uh, and you know, there were usually, you know, restricted to, you know, weight and size on, on airplanes and bush planes to get into the field. And then just, you know, literally how much.

you know, I can actually carry for that just in case scenario as well. And so, uh, so, you know, it was during that time that we both, you know, realized that, uh, you know, why not, you know, try and create something that can help bridge the gap and really alleviate that, that just in case, you know, with, with better clothing, you know, for the activities that we're doing. And so that's really where, you know, Voormi kind of, you know, spawned from was this need to, you know, make better clothing for, you know, wide variety of conditions from that point of view.

And so Dan came from Microsoft kind of before Mossy Oak days, and so really kind of ingrained in that tech entrepreneur spirit. And so we're always trying to push the envelope and really innovate from a true innovation level versus just the next color of blue like we see with so many brands today that they call innovation. And so we really came out of the gate wanting to truly have a unique product and really elevate what folks can expect.

Bryan Koontz (06:27) That's awesome.

Dustin English (06:45) from textiles and clothing today. And so that's why we chose to basically make all of our own textiles in-house using proprietary technologies and construction methodologies that we've developed. And so we're really a textile first company where we develop textiles. And then once we develop that textile for something that we're psyched on, then we'll develop styles and use cases based on what the attributes are to that textile.

And so from there, we've really allowed to truly up the expectations of what folks can experience with their hoodie or their jacket that they're wearing and really help alleviate that just in case, because the clothing can do more.

Bryan Koontz (07:26) Yeah, that's awesome. I think what's, again, as I've learned a little bit more about you guys, correct me if I'm wrong, but my perception now is that, you know.

Really at your core, you guys are a bunch of like hardcore technical fabric nerds, like always innovating, always kind of like, OK, this is version three, that's better. But you know what? I think we can do one better more on version four. And so and I think you see that even in your product selection, like things are that maybe that was there last year. It's just not there anymore because you're just constantly. It's almost like a lab. You guys are like in the lab all the time with the fabrics and like tweaking and tweaking and tweaking, which I don't know of any other.

Dustin English (07:43) Yeah. Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (08:08) I'm not sure of any other brand I know that does that. That's pretty cool.

Dustin English (08:11) there's only maybe a couple out there. Most folks, most big brands source from the same half dozen mills around the world and even make their garments in the same factories around the world. And so it's really just what we call the sea of sameness. And we really didn't wanna play in that sea of sameness. And so we truly, really are building award-winning active wear for the outdoors. And you're absolutely right. We are, again, that textile technology company first.

The facility I'm in, we have a full textile R&D lab here where we'll get a new swatch of fabric that we've developed. We'll bring it here in-house. We've got a full gamut of lab testing that we'll conduct here. Then being right in the heart of the San Juan, we've got great field testing capabilities as well, whether it be out skiing or chasing elk in the fall too. So you're absolutely right. We are...

Bryan Koontz (08:57) Totally.

Dustin English (09:04) you know, truly a technology and textile company first, and then we use, you know, Voormi as the brand to showcase those new achievements that we've created.

Bryan Koontz (09:14) Right, right, got it. I think one example of that is I think the core construction, which I know that is really maybe like kind of your flagship or leading kind of technical fabric, I think. But I think I'm wearing a piece today and a couple other pieces that I have. And from what I understand, let me see if I can get this right. It's when most fabrics are just kind of like millions and millions of little loops

Dustin English (09:23) Yep.

Bryan Koontz (09:45) or whatever you call it, right? That are making up the fabric itself. And a lot of times, most companies, I think when they wanna make something waterproof or they wanna add a lining or whatever, it's like, this is the piece of thread that they're either putting the backing on it or they're putting it on one side or the other. But it sounds like you guys have figured out how to kind of put that membrane or whatever in the middle, which gives you a lot of different options. Did I get that right? Something like that, which sounds hard to do.

Dustin English (10:12) Yeah, you're pretty close. So, I mean, if you think about your normal, you know, waterproof, breathable jacket, that's, you know, or even soft shells to some degree, you know, those are all done with a laminated approach. And so they have, you know, an inner fabric that goes next to skin, then they have a membrane and then an outer fabric. And they use a lot of, you know, heat gluing pressure to, you know, force all that stuff together. And those are really, you know, 2% of the time jackets where you're only going to wear them, you know, maybe 2% of the time because they're hot, they're loud, they're crunchy.

Um, you know, and it's a very rare occasion that you need, you know, protection like that, that level. And, um, and so, yeah, nobody wakes up and is like, I really want to put on this, you know, crunchy layer, three layer, you know, three layer laminate jacket this morning, exactly, you know? And, um, and so you're absolutely right. Core construction is our sort of, uh, you know, bread and butter textile here that we've, that we've developed and we're super excited about. And, um, and so what we've done is during the knitting process,

Bryan Koontz (10:52) I'm not going to hang out on the couch in my crunchy three layer sweaty yeah right

Dustin English (11:09) we basically take those three layers and knit them together as one single layer. So we have that same waterproof, breathable membrane on the inside of that textile, and we actually put it all together during the knitting process, so it's one continuous layer. And so what that allows us to do is have a higher degree of control with our moisture vapor transfer and breathability of the textile and how waterproof it is, and just increase the comfort level of that garment. So you're wearing...

one of our core construction pieces inside the studio there, where I'm sure it's comfortable temperature. And you're not hot and sweaty and clammy yet. But yet you can wear that, you walk outside when it's 20 below and windy and you're still comfortable because it has the capability to shut down those elements as it needs to be. And really, again, just elevate the use cases of our textiles and our garments here today. And so...

Bryan Koontz (11:44) Holy.

I'm not sweating, no.

Dustin English (12:05) Especially in the future here in the next, I'd say, you know, 12 months and beyond, you're going to see even more and more innovations from Core Construction with us and more of our products shifting into Core Construction in various weights and various capabilities too. We're super excited about where this fabric construction is going and the products that we're going to release here in the next, you know, year plus.

Bryan Koontz (12:25) And the other thing I learned is I think that there are three layers of like breathability. I think this piece is one of your newer pieces is like zero breathability. Although, wait, I learned the difference between I learned the difference. There's a difference between breathability and wind, wind penetrating. Like it's like is the is the air going out through the fabric from your skin or your body? Or is it coming in? And so I think it's the coming in that it prevents or something.

Dustin English (12:35) Yeah.

There it is, yep.

Totally. Yeah.

Yeah, and that kind of goes to the, you know, the moisture, vapor transfer, the NVTR rates on the textiles as well. And so we've kind of, you know, rolling out this, this new, uh, you know, way to gauge, you know, how breathable and how, um, you know, kind of the use cases for some of our, our fabric technology. And so we're calling it to air one, two, and three. And so air one is kind of the least amount of airflow that comes into the, into the fabric. Uh, I mean, so that would be kind of more your traditional outerwear type approach, like the hoodie you have on today.

You know, air two is kind of a mid-weight, mid-breathability, where it allows more airflow in and out. And it's very similar to if you think about like a wetsuit and how a wetsuit works, right? A wetsuit really only keeps you warm because it traps that water on the inside and then warms it up that way. And so we're using the same sort of approach, but with the power of air. And so with our Air One garments, it allows that warm air or that air in and your body heats it up and it kind of keeps it in there.

Um, you know, at a comfortable temperature, but does let some leak out so you don't get too hot too clammy air too is kind of like a lesser, uh, mil wetsuit, right? So it allows more of that transfer of, uh, of environment with inside your microclimate and then our air three is our super lightweight stuff where. Again, it's, you know, really high transfer of air between, you know, your inside microclimate in the environment around you. Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (14:08) Got it. Yeah, that's super cool. And another thing about Voormi I think is unique, I was in your store here in Bozeman the other week and spending some time with Kit and crew and looking around. And we were talking about hunting. And I think that brings up the topic. When I

Dustin English (14:26) Mm-hmm.

Bryan Koontz (14:31) first started getting to know Voormi a couple years ago. It seemed to me like, ah, very cool company, but mostly oriented maybe towards skiing, mountain running, those sorts of activities. But more and more, I'm seeing that there are products. I mean, and.

Dustin English (14:54) Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (15:20) for me personally using them, like I grabbed your new rain jacket, the V1. I have had it in a duck blind here, just north of Bozeman here several times, including some really cold weather. And I've also then worn that same jacket, you know, in cities in Europe, like last month, which I really love, but, and I've worn like hoodie and hunting and a couple of the guys now have some of your stuff and have already taken it hunting. And I'm seeing that more and more, like you guys have seemed to be one of those very few brands that are.

Dustin English (14:45) Yeah.

Right?

Bryan Koontz (15:27) appealing and I think it's probably a testament just to the product, just the fabric, you know, that but you're appealing to really different ends of the outdoor spectra. Even so much as I know in your store you have this really awesome parka that has a fur, one of them has a fur hood on it and I think someone said, well, that's a coyote fur, that wasn't farmed, like that was trapped or, you know, hunted and that's super rad, that's amazing. So,

Dustin English (15:49) Mm-hmm.

Yeah, the Wolf Creek Park, yeah.

Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (15:45) I'm just curious, like you guys hunt, I think you and your dad and the other folks there, you're into mountaineering and all this stuff, but you also love to hunt and all that. And that's coming out into the brand. So yeah, I'd love to hear more about your thoughts on that.

Dustin English (15:49) Yeah, no, we all, yep.

Totally.

Yeah, for sure. And you're absolutely right. There's not too many brands in the outdoor space that can really cater to all areas of pursuit or necessarily even want to some degree. And so we really look at Voormi as a mountain lifestyle brand. And so we look at folks kind of with a good analogy we use that we follow the water a lot of times. And so we'll start now in the wintertime where all the water is frozen in snow.

And so a lot of our folks are professional users or high active users. And so they ski patrollers and mountain guides and folks living and playing in the snow every day or just truly want the best gear. And so they'll wear a lot of the same stuff that you're wearing today, doing those jobs and playing in the frozen snow and the frozen water. Here, before too long, all that snow is going to start to melt and it's going to increase the rivers. And so a lot of those folks then...

go from their ski patrol jobs to a river guide job. Yeah, for sure. And so, you know, a lot of folks are on the Grand Canyon and all over the place and they're wearing the same clothing set, you know, from what they were doing in the wintertime to the summertime, you know, maybe not the Two Pocket Hoodie like you have on, but definitely the Riverrun hoodie that, yeah, that has on under it, our Air 3 stuff, which is a good, you know, UPF resistant shirt. But again, it's still acting as their first layer while they're skiing.

Bryan Koontz (16:54) River Guide, yeah.

Yeah, well they're wearing like lighter stuff. Yeah.

Dustin English (17:18) And so then, you know, as the rivers start to subside, then they, you know, pick up a fishing rod and now they're a fishing guide, you know, same user set and the same clothing as well. And then, you know, and then come fall, once, you know, once, you know, the leaves start changing and then rut starts happening, you know, then they're starting to, you know, fill the freezers and, you know, kind of from a subsistence, you know, big game lifestyle. And again, they're wearing the same, same clothing set through there, just because that's, you know, the wide variety of use case of the factory.

fabric and the textile and the designs that we've created. And then again, the snow starts to freeze again and so they're just taking the same clothing set they had on and ride back into the ski patrol lifestyle. And it's super unique for us. I mean, everything all throughout our marketing and website, I think we can play with this because we're really, we wanna be humble and humility with everything that we do. Authentic with humility. And so we're really not.

Bryan Koontz (17:53) Right back at it, yeah. Yeah.

Dustin English (18:13) you know, out to necessarily, I mean, we all like to, you know, find big animals and, uh, and get those big, big bulls. But, uh, but on the flip side, you know, we're really there just to, you know, be a part of nature and be outdoors and experiencing all that together in the best and most comfortable way we can. And, uh, and we, you know, feel like we could do that, you know, with the Voormi brand and our products that allow us to, again, really just cross the chasm between, you know, ultra light backpackers. And we have the Continental Divide trail that runs, you know, right.

Up Wolf Creek, which is just 45 minutes from here. So we get a bunch of, you know, through life through hikers in the, in the spring as well that come in and, you know, pick up a river run and do that. And then, like I said, we have, you know, all the hunt guides in the fall that are, you know, buying the same hoodie and. Yeah. So, yeah.

Bryan Koontz (18:55) That's awesome. And I'm curious, given the history with your dad and Mossy Oak and all that, are you guys, talk to me about camo patterns? Is that part of your future or not? One of the things I love about the raincoat is it's not camo. I love the just sort of solids and all that. But yeah, I'm curious about where that.

Dustin English (19:07) Yes, we...

Yep.

Yeah, so we have a different approach when it comes to that. So we offer some concealment stuff today, but we do it as not a, since, you know, primarily Voormi is a natural fiber brand. And so nothing that we do is a hundred percent wool and that's for very strategic reasons, right? Because, you know, wool inherently has some negative attributes to it. So we really, you know, increase those with our construction and, you know, we dive more into that in a little bit. But,

And so therefore we're not printing synthetic, you know, prints, you know, big leaves and trees on our garments. And so we do it as a yarn approach where we actually dye the yarn in a specific way so that once it's knitted, it does what, you know, camouflage is supposed to do by breaking up the human form, you know, within a distance. And so, but we do that through yarn and textile engineering. And so if you look at our phase, phase SC, you know, product line, then

Bryan Koontz (19:47) Yeah.

Dustin English (20:12) And so it breaks up the human form without being, you know, big synthetic printed leaves on you. So therefore it really doesn't look like camo. I mean, I wear a lot of our phase, phased-eyed stuff while I'm skiing and it just is a cool textile. But then, but then again, I'll wear the same piece that I was back country skiing in as I will in Alberta, you know, hunting geese, you know, in the fall as well. And, um,

And so, but what we find is with our natural fibers that it actually absorbs light as well. And so in low light conditions, when you're usually out chasing critters, you know, synthetics tend to glow. And so whereas natural fibers actually absorb that light and kind of make you even more invisible, you know, in the field while you're out there too. Yeah. So that's kind of, yeah, that's how we look at concealment is again, from a textile and a yarn engineering versus a big.

Bryan Koontz (20:53) Got it, got it. That's super cool.

Dustin English (21:03) printed synthetic stuff that looks good on the retail floor under fluorescent light. Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (21:08) Yeah, right. And I've seen the fabric that you're talking about. It almost has like a 3D effect with what you do, however you guys do your fabric magic.

Dustin English (21:17) Yeah. Yep.

Totally, yeah. And it's, like I said, very similar to a moiré pattern where it's kind of repeating conflicting patterns to some degree. And again, it just breaks up the human form, which is what it's supposed to do. And then with the natural fibers, you truly disappear within your environment when you want to.

Bryan Koontz (21:36) Right. Can you talk to any sort of future roadmappy stuff that's with clothing that's maybe more targeted towards the hunting community or is that just kind of, yeah.

Dustin English (21:45) Yeah. So, I mean, you know, again, over the next, uh, you know, 12 months, you're going to see more and more products, you know, utilize Core Construction as we're doing this and in different weights and different capabilities. And we really, you know, Voormi really is the future of clothing. And, um, and we're going to do this from a technology and a textile, uh, point of view as well, we're really going to elevate, you know, how you should experience, uh, your textiles and, and really, you know, use your, your garment and your textile as.

as a service, so you should, you know, what you would expect out of your hoodie from, you know, connectivity to letting you experience your microclimate and being more adapt to, you know, how you should layer it and how you should expect your garment, the textile to perform, is really what we're going to lean into over the next, over the next 12 months. So you're going to see, you know, even smarter garments come from us, even more wide use case from the same hoodie and even more capabilities.

you know from a technology point of view. Yeah, exciting times for sure. We have a lot of cool things on the horizon that's gonna just really change the game when it comes to apparel and outdoor stuff.

Bryan Koontz (22:52) I heard someone describe your stuff as kind of like the best of Lululemon or loungewear and it combined with like hardcore mountain gear like an art like a thousand dollar Arc Teryx jacket or something like you wouldn't hang out on you wouldn't hang out on the couch in that jacket and you wouldn't go out into the mountains with your Lululemons only but it's kind of that comfort because I felt like I go home and I hang out on the couch and like you said earlier so is that I mean is that in on purpose or did it just sort of happen that way? Okay.

Dustin English (23:05) Yeah.

Right.

Yeah.

Well, no, it's definitely on purpose. And that's where, and I think you just, basically what you just described is the power of knitwear, right? And so your Lululemon stuff is all knitwear, super comfortable, you can lay on the couch, you can go for a casual run or whatever in it. So in our core construction fabric and the garments you have on today, those are all knitwares. And so you get that comfortable of knitwear, but yet you want the performance of that.

like you said, that Arteryx jacket or that Burley outerwear. And so that's where our core construction comes in because we're able to add the same level of performance and capabilities that you were just describing, but into a comfortable knitwear. And so therefore you get the comfort and you get the protection all in one piece. Yeah, so it's super exciting.

Bryan Koontz (23:46) Mm-hmm.

That's awesome. Very cool. Very, very cool. Well, we'll look forward to more stuff coming out. But I think, again, I've got a little bit of limited experience with the pieces I just bought because I kind of went hard into the paint for me in the past two months and have been out a few times. But...

Dustin English (24:15) Yeah, that's awesome.

Bryan Koontz (24:19) you know, just from the little bit I've been able to wear it, it's great. And I also love the approach you guys take to some of the accessories where you really don't let a lot go to waste. You take the scraps from making the core pieces and then that's where your buffs and scarves and gloves and all that kind of stuff come around.

Dustin English (24:33) Yep.

It is, yeah. So we have two of our own cutting, or one of our own cutting facility and then two of our own cut and sew facilities, one in Bozeman, one here in Colorado. And then, and so this year we actually, you know, one of the issues or, you know, growing pains that we've experienced is just, you know, keeping inventory in stock over the last few years. And so we've, you know, this year we actually doubled our domestic.

made in USA commitment. And so we've got more products being made here in the States than ever before. But then we also added a international partner as well that's been able to bring a high level of quality and predictability to our garments too that we haven't experienced in the past. And so it's been really exciting with rolling out new styles and really high quality of garments as well that really exceed a lot of the things that we've done in the past. And so it's been.

Yeah, it's been a fun ride the last few months. And again, this roller coaster is just going to continue here in the future. Um, and so, but, you know, with that, we're able to keep tight control over, over our fabric, since we're making all of our own textiles, then you're exactly right. So we, as we lay a cutout, then we, uh, you know, utilize the markers to get the most yield out of it for the garments. But then you're right. Any scraps, you know, goes into our accessory line, whether that be, you know, the beanies or mittens or whatever the case may be.

Bryan Koontz (25:49) That's cool.

Yeah, and that's something I forgot to bring up. I mean, it's also unique. Like this hoodie that I'm wearing, I was able to walk into the back of your store in Bozeman into the sewing room and talk to the woman who made it, like, sitting at her sewing machine, you know, with the American flag on the wall. And that's pretty rare these days too, where, you know, it's hard, I know it's very hard to have every single piece, you know, made in the USA. I mean, that's good stuff. But the fact that

Dustin English (26:03) Yeah.

Yep. Totally.

It is, yeah.

Bryan Koontz (26:21) I could do that and the fact that you guys have actual sewing rooms in a couple places in the US is awesome.

Dustin English (26:30) Yeah, it's been fun and it's definitely been a challenge and a good thing. But like I said, this year we've doubled our commitment to domestic manufacturing, but then adding this international partner as well has helped alleviate a lot of the inventory burden that we were experiencing in the past.

Bryan Koontz (26:46) Yeah. The last thing, one of the other pieces I have that's new is the work jacket. Is it the San Juan jacket? Yeah, I actually wore it today. I'm wearing it. Now that one feels different. That's a whole different and you're targeting, are you targeting like the, you know, is it like a Carhartt killer kind of thing or like is it that the general direction or like...

Dustin English (26:54) Yeah, the same one jacket. Yep. Yeah, nice. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, it's, uh, you know, everything that we do, we try and, you know, make competition irrelevant in, um, in sort of all of our positioning. And so, but the San Juan, the San Juan jacket is exactly that we kind of built it for, you know, so we, you know, we live in, in a, you know, high end mountain town and not dissimilar to Bozeman but with folks, you know, work up a big sky or whatever the case would be. And so, you know, those guys are working year round and need quality gear, you know, to do that as well. And so we.

Bryan Koontz (27:13) Sure.

Dustin English (27:32) So that jacket in particular is made, the majority of the fabric is made from our Core Construction fabric as well. So it's super comfortable, wide variety of use cases, but then we increase the durability with a bunch of Cordura on the exterior of the jacket as well, just to allow folks that are doing real heavy duty construction work with sharp objects that don't play well with knits, kind of increases the protection of that piece too. And so it's...

Bryan Koontz (27:55) Yeah.

Dustin English (27:58) Yeah, it's a fun jacket. Uh, you know, it's been, um, you know, big seller for us. We've been really excited about it. And again, really geared towards, you know, utilitarian wear, you know, work wear dudes in the outside. I wear one skiing a lot too. And so it's. Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (28:11) I mean, it also just looks really cool. At first glance, it looks like a motorcycle jacket almost. Yeah, yeah. I'm not, you know, I don't swing a hammer and work outside, but like I love wearing it. It looks cool and it's warm. Yeah.

Dustin English (28:15) Totally. Yep.

Yeah. There you go. And that's, again, kind of a testament to the wide use cases of warming goods, too. Yeah.

Bryan Koontz (28:27) Yeah, awesome. Very cool. What else should people know Dustin about Voormi? I mean, again, our audience right now, a lot of basically represents the core of the hunting, fishing, and certainly in the hunting and fishing community and tons of other people who don't necessarily like to hunt, but like the same gear and need the same gear because they just love being outside. We got a lot of wildlife watchers. We got bird watching guys. We just got people who just love being outside all the time. So, you know, what...

Dustin English (28:52) Yeah.

Absolutely.

Bryan Koontz (28:57) What are a couple key takeaways that they should just think about with Voormi? Because again, I think more people need to get to know the brand. And that's kind of one of the reasons why we're talking today, because I've become a fan and I want to sort of spread the gospel as much as I can.

Dustin English (29:05) Yeah.

No, that's awesome. That's, you know, we hear that, uh, you know, quite a bit from our customers that, you know, they're like, they finally, you know, put on a piece or experience it. And they're just like, I don't know why I like this and I don't know why it feels so different than anything else I've worn, but you know, I haven't taken it off in 10 days and I've done all these wide variety of use cases in it. And, um, and it's amazing. I'm going to tell my friends. And so, and that's, what's really exciting about the Voormi brand is that, uh, since we do make all of our own textiles and all of our own fabrics.

Bryan Koontz (29:26) Right.

Dustin English (29:37) you know, here in house, it's, uh, there's nobody else in the world that has, has a, we have. And so we're able to truly create, you know, a unique touch and feel and expectation when it comes to, to our apparel and our garments. And, um, and so that's what, you know, that's what we like. And then, you know, as we've talked quite a bit about just the, um, you know, non-specific use cases and so you can wear, you know, the same hoodie as you're out, you know, birdwatching or go to dinner that night or whatever the case may be. And, um, and you don't need kind of a new outfit for every occasion or every season.

Bryan Koontz (30:06) Yeah.

Dustin English (30:08) Um, and so, um, uh, truly stands the test of time and is really, um, you know, uh, unique and unlike anything else on the market. And I say, you know, last thing for the, for the future, I mean, we do, we truly have, uh, some, you know, breakthrough revolutionary technologies, utilizing Core Construction that we're going to roll out over the next 12 months that will, um, you know, really change the way, uh, folks are, you know, uh, used to interacting with clothing and garments and, um, and, you know, change the expectation, you know, really forever of what, uh,

what a jacket should do for you.

Bryan Koontz (30:38) Very cool. Last question. What does Voormi stand for? I think it's a creature, right? Isn't it like a mythological creature? What is it?

Dustin English (30:42) Yeah.

Yeah, and we're going to release some kind of a little bit new positioning around this too here in the next few months. But Voormi is kind of a bipedial, beastie creature that lives in a mountainous, harsh environment. And so when we started Vormi, we drew a lot of similarities around these type of creatures because they look like...

choice to be homeless mountain guides, you know, folks that are living in their truck and yeah, totally, and you know, following the storm or whatever the case may be and just embracing the lifestyle. And so there's a lot of similarities to that, but really, you know, this race of Voormies, you know, use their natural environments to thrive. And so we are, you know, building garments and building apparel for, you know, the places in the world that we live in and really want to do that, you know, in the best way possible.

Bryan Koontz (31:16) Total dirt bags. Yeah.

Got it. Awesome. Well, Dustin, thanks so much for talking today. I'm hoping that a lot of folks watch this and at least get more curious to learn more about Voormi. And like you said, you've won me over. I need to stop buying Voormi for a little bit.

Dustin English (31:40) Yeah. Thanks, Brian.

Well, we got a bunch of new stuff coming out here in the next few months. And yeah, you can obviously check us out on Guidefitter or learn more at vorme.com or stop in one of our branded retail stores in Bozeman, Montana here in Pagosa Springs, or we have quite a few other wholesalers around the country that carry Voormi products as well.

Bryan Koontz (32:00) I'm sure you do.

Awesome. Thanks again, Dustin. I appreciate it.

Dustin English (32:18) Yeah, thank you, Brian.

Bryan Koontz (32:22) Okay, just hold for a minute. Okay, cool. Let me stop it and let me just make sure the video uploads from your side because first time I did this, I had a long conversation with the president of the Colorado.

Dustin English (32:33) Yeah.