Outlier: A Brand at work...

Outlier offer tailored performance clothing for cycling in the city.

Outlier is a Brooklyn based clothing company owned by Abe Burmeister and Tyler Clemens who offer tailored perfomance clothing for cycling in the city. Despite rarely cycling myself (London's roads are far too frightening for that) I have kept a close eye on the development of the label. I first heard about them over on Gentleman's Corner, where the ever reliable ear to the sartorial ground that is Jason Dike acquainted me with their range of future classics. Since the brand produced their first garment, trousers in 2008, Outlier have carved out an interesting niche in two saturated and blogging favourite markets, fashion and cycling. When they started out neither of the duo really knew how to make clothing. They just knew that they couldn't find the garments that that wanted and if no one else was going make them then we would have to do it ourselves. They began hunting down the best technical fabrics in the world and brought them to small factories in New York City where craftsmanship still reigns supreme. Through a constant process of experimentation and refinement they started producing a line of goods that they were proud of. Their company tag line of 'tailored performance,' refers to their primary inspiration and motivation as urban bike commuters. From the first pair of trousers, they’ve worked slowly but surely to expand a line of clothes they consider future classics and who can disagree. Incrementally adding to their catalogue rather than reinventing itself each season like traditional fashion companies. They design one item at a time, and every time they release a new run of an item they try to improve it. Sometimes they start with a problem that needs solving. Sometimes they start from studying form and motion and trying to make a better cut garment. The more I hear about this brand this brand I am inspired. Following my recent post on Postalco, Michael from Tramnesia dropped me an email to thank me for the mention and to nudge me in the direction of his latest series of videos which just so happen to be on Outlier...

The video posted above is a short trailer for a much longer feature that documents the development and production of a single garment, a shirt. As part of their Working series, the inquisitive folks at Tramnesia were drawn to Outlier’s story because it underscores so many of the challenges involved in running a small business, especially in New York City. As they produce locally, Tramnesia were particularly curious to see how their production process worked when so much of New York’s once mighty garment industry has been offshored and lost. Visiting the garment district today is a clear reminder of that past; it still remains a hive of small-business activity, albeit smaller and less visible. Their visits to Outlier over the course of six months to the garment district showed us a network of small businesses, a microcosm of the city at large with its layers of inter dependencies. As they will readily acknowledge, Outlier is a business born of and reliant on New York’s resources. Outlier proves how despite knowing little about clothing, good ideas and resourcefulness can go a long way in establishing a business. The full-length, ten part feature learns about Outlier by observing the company at work. The first two parts are available to watch online and a third one is imminent. So why not make yourself a cup of tea, head over to Tramnesia and watch a brand at work....