Peter Kallen

What kind of response do you get from customers when they see how versatile your clothes are?

People are literally blown away. Most people think clothing will only perform in a single setting, and they are really surprised that they actually went snowboarding or skiing in something stylish and it really works. Designers talk "waterproof this" or "waterproof that," but I think it's the proper application of technology that makes something really great.

What was your most memorable eco-challenge with Nau and how was it resolved?

The first season we created all the fabrics, with the exception of three or four, from nothing. Most companies can go into a fabric vendor and they can choose from this or that and change this slightly to fit. But for us we couldn't do that. There are certain sustainable and performance standards that we set for ourselves. Making sure that all of our work is transparent is a challenge. You can audit factory conditions, but it's hard to audit hand work. For one season, we created this handknit sweater and we thought how great would it be to use the cottage industry and knit these sweaters overseas. But then we thought, wait a minute, we can't do that because we can't keep an eye on their working conditions. It just opens up this whole other point-of-view that you have to pass all the processes through.

Do you have any eco-sins?

I have a lot of them, just like we all do. Music is one of them. I buy vinyl and CDs: You could get these things electronically, and I could download them, but there's something about grabbing the object and applying it that I think is special.

In Nau's design philosophy, there are three criteria listed on your website: beauty, performance, and sustainability. Which criteria trumps the other two?

Sustainability always trumps the other two. The collection's versatility means a jacket can work great on a mountain and can also fit in an urban setting, moving seamlessly through an existence while requiring fewer items—which is ultimately sustainable. That's what we call the keystone of our business model. Then second or third is beauty and performance, not necessarily in one order. We hope everything is beautiful, but that is ultimately in the eyes of the beholder.

Do you remember having an eco-awakening, a moment where it dawned on you that you had to do something that was environmentally conscious with your life?

I wouldn't say I had one eco-awakening. I was fortunate to grow up in the Mount Hood area and I was very involved in the outdoors. I knew how precious it was. There's a lot of logging going on and you can see the ugliness that occurs from that. I've always had to struggle with creating products whether they be apparel or furniture: It's making more stuff. So how can that be eco? Well, okay, I'm making things that will get people further into nature or experience it better; all those cross-hairs right now are in this company. It puts the biggest smile on my face and leads me to believe it's a destined direction because of those early passions. In the past, I've had moments where I thought I was never going to make anything else again. I love thrift shopping and reclaiming things, I love it.

How did you get the job as design director?

I've known Chris van Dyke [the CEO of Nau] for a long time. I worked with him years ago at Nike. He contacted me before the company was completely formed and he said he'd love to have me be a part of it. He presented this idea and it was really inspiring and I couldn't pass it up. Sometimes I wake up and I realize what we are doing on so many levels is really great. You'll see what a collective it really is. It's very tight quarters, packed to the gills with people. We are all in it together. It's how we interact with the factories. It's thoughtful, at the same time it seems natural to do it this way. Why wouldn't you run a business like you want to live your life, mimic that state?

How is designing performance wear different from straight fashion?

Things have to be waterproof, they have to regulate temperature, they have to protect from environmental elements. I'm a pretty avid outdoors person, so over the years I've learned what is required: cuffs or a hood to adjust to have good peripheral vision, maybe a core vent or pit zip venting, internal pocketing that you need to keep things warm (like skins for skiing that might freeze if they're not near your body), ample pocketing in the proper place to access various things you need in the back country, like a bandanna or chap stick. Those kinds of things in the performance sense are truths, so that's not difficult. I love to mix that bag of truths in with a fashion sense. We can be inspired from and add couture lines that are classic and flattering to give a fun cut or fit to a garment. Or add old simple tailoring techniques so that the garment fits and works, like on biking shirts, making the sleeves long enough so they don't ride up onto your wrists.

How would you describe the "Nau woman" or "Nau man"?

They are very diverse. But one thing they have in common is they are confident, they have a sense of their own being. The thing about Nau products in general is we encourage the idea that the person inside the clothes is what makes the clothes. There is no external logo and that is intentional. We want to create beautiful objects that will work throughout the day whether you are climbing, skiing, going to a gallery, a movie, or on public transit. However you work through your day or however it flows, we want our clothes to work seamlessly. The individuals inside them are daring and we want our clothes to invite interaction and have a beautiful aesthetic. We like those people that challenge the norms. You don't have to look like a cycler to be a cycler. There's something more beautiful about the sense of being intentionally vague and purposefully inconclusive. We don't want them to be an identity; the identity is the richness of the individual that wears it.