The original article I wrote erroneously appeared critical of Peter Lumley and Outdoor Trade & Industry. I have great admiration for Peter and his work and am greatly saddened and apologetic that my comments had appeared defamatory.
I wish to clarify that the language used was supposed to merely express disappointment that my second edit had failed to reach Peter before the article went to press. I had no gripes with OT & I, nor Peter, only a sadness that things hadn't turned out the way I'd hoped due to a difficult schedule and my own misunderstanding of the schedule.
My comments were not meant as criticisms of either the magazine's content, nor of Peter, nor OT&I's conduct. On failing to clarify that the "vague[ness]" & "inaccuracy" were not due to OT&I's fault, it sounded like an attack on Peter and the magazine's reputation. This was in no way intended.
My sincere apologies to Peter & the Outdoor Trade & Industry team.
I wrote the following for Peter Lumley of Outdoor Trade & Industry, an earlier draft of which went into publication:
In the past month or so Oliver Nissen has finished a work placement for the Performance Sportswear Design course at the University of Derby. Studying under the supervision of Charles Ross, his aim is a masters degree. From a young age he has been an avid skier and it runs in the family. Oliver's great grandparents were early British ski tourists, members of the Alpine Club in the 1880s and had an Alpine peak named after them for a wedding present.
12 years ago Oliver swapped over to snowboarding and later qualified as a snowboard instructor in Canada, but an injury ended this career route. An interest in ski-touring (but using a snowboard!) has led to his quest for lighter high performance equipment. Ambitious trips to Patagonia and the Khibins in Russia, involving both ski-touring and snow-kiting, require careful selection of gear and clothing.
Oliver has shown Trade and Industry one result of his work placement which involved some time in Poland. The sample Baltoro Jacket (shown) was specifically tailored to fit over an XL multi-sport helmet, as is used by the designer - “I've got a huge bonce!” says Oliver. But otherwise the jacket is a large sized sample weighing in at 715 grams (without using a coated fabric). In production, a large sized jacket will weigh an estimated 880grams when the Tundra Dry fabric is used – which is excellent considering that it contains approximately 380 grams of diamond grade down.
Designing and pattern cutting to achieve a sample production of the Baltoro meant a spell working in Warsaw, Poland. Says Oliver Nissen “The PSD course has nurtured many successful designers including many of the UK's Outdoor apparel designers, and others have had successful careers abroad. Whether or not a designer is employed by a UK brand or not, working abroad is usually a significant part of the job.” “I took my work placement with Warmth Unlimited and the Tundra Sleepingbags operation run by Chris Allen. This helped to further my knowledge of down product, which had been a focal area for a previous project on the course, and I'm a firm believer in the merits of using natural fibres and materials in sportswear. Down is not only a sustainable material, but its long life makes it an ecologically sound choice.”
Another spur for Oliver was Chris Allen's perspective on ethical product and material sourcing. The down used by Tundra, Chris stresses, is harvested from bird's nests, not directly from the birds. This “Ethical Down” is sustainable and cruelty free, unlike down from the meat industry where birds are force fed and typically live for 4 to 6 weeks. During the Sars scare there were images broadcast of live birds being jet washed for down collection – think about it!
Having a manufacturer closer to home was a further attraction for Oliver, “Poland offers so much when considered against the prevailing environment which is associated with the far East production chain. I can say that not only is the quality of Polish production and QC of the highest order, but the Warsaw factory is one of the most friendly environments in which I have worked.”
He spent two months designing and pattern cutting in Poland and says “I feel I have found a home from home, and really look forward to returning some day.” “What I helped bring to the mix was a fresh British design perspective that compliments traditional and dependable Polish product. The result is a product with a UK performance sensibility – light weight but loaded with sound but uncomplicated features, plus a clean modern yet conservative aesthetic.” With a masters degree the Spring objective, the next stage for Oliver is to “settle into working with an employer who can help nurture my aims and profit from my skills.”
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