What inspired you to found ACAI Outdoorwear, and what does the brand stand for?
ACAI was born from a very personal frustration. I love being outdoors, but for years I felt that women were an afterthought in performance outdoorwear, either the kit didn’t fit properly, didn’t perform, or didn’t reflect who we are. After training in luxury fashion and then deliberately moving into performance apparel to understand the technical side, I saw a clear gap: women deserved outdoor clothing that worked hard, looked great, and was designed around their real lives.
ACAI stands for inspiring women to spend more time outdoors. We design performance-led, feminine outdoorwear that supports women through adventure, motherhood, work, and everything in between. At its core, ACAI is about resilience, independence, and proving that women don’t have to choose between strength, style, or ambition.
How would you describe ACAI Outdoorwear in three words?
Fearless. Functional. Female.
What gap did you identify in the outdoor apparel market that ACAI aims to fill?
I identified a clear gap where women were consistently underserved. The outdoor industry was extremely mal- centric and women’s outdoor apparel was simply ‘pinked and shrinked’ where men’s bestsellers were made smaller and turned into a more feminine colour or it focused on aesthetics at the expense of performance. Fit, functionality, and real-life versatility were often missing – especially for women who move between adventure, work, and family life. This is exactly where ACAI sits in the market.
Could you walk us through the design process for your flagship products?
Our design process always starts with real-life use. I design from the perspective of an active woman, testing the samples myself and with other team members, listening closely to our community, and identifying the frustrations that other outdoor brands overlook. We begin by defining the performance requirement first: how the garment needs to move, protect, and adapt in different environments and body positions.
From there, we focus on fit and silhouette. Because women’s bodies are not static, we spend a lot of time refining pattern cutting, adjusting proportions, and testing across a range of sizes and activities. Every flagship product goes through multiple rounds of sampling and wear-testing to ensure it performs in the outdoors but still feels confident and considered in everyday life.
Finally, we refine the details: fabric selection, seam placement, stretch zones and practical features like pockets or adjustability, always balancing technical performance with a feminine, modern aesthetic. The goal is to create versatile, hardworking pieces that women can rely on, without feeling like they’re wearing purely functional kit.
How do you balance function, comfort, and style in ACAI’s collections?
For us, function, comfort, and style aren’t separate considerations – they’re designed together from the very beginning. Our 3 pillars and ACAI DNA are style, performance and fit. We always start with function, defining what the garment needs to do in real outdoor conditions. Comfort comes next through thoughtful fit, fabric choice, and how the piece moves with the body over long periods of wear.
Style is then built into those foundations, not added as an afterthought. My background in luxury fashion and womenswear design allows us to consider silhouette, proportion, and detail while staying true to performance requirements. The result is outdoorwear that works hard technically, feels effortless to wear, and still reflects women’s identities, whether they’re on a hike, local walk or school run.
Ultimately, the balance comes from understanding that women shouldn’t have to compromise. ACAI is about giving them clothing that supports confidence, performance, and self-expression all at once.
What sustainable or ethical practices are embedded in ACAI’s production?
We work very closely with our factories and have a clear, high-level set of criteria and grading standards that every partner must meet before we produce with them. Ethical working conditions and responsible practices are non-negotiable for us.
Our evergreen approach to product moves intentionally away from trends and instead focuses on long-term investment pieces, garments designed to live in your wardrobe for years, not seasons.
We use a high proportion of recycled fibres across our collections, and one of my favourite innovations is the insulation in our jackets, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. It allows us to deliver warmth and performance while giving new life to waste materials.
Sustainability for us isn’t about perfection, it’s about making thoughtful, informed choices at every stage and continually raising the standard as we grow.
Where do you source materials, and how do you ensure quality and transparency?
Our core performance fabric is sourced from specialist performance mills in Taiwan, chosen for their technical expertise and innovation in high-quality, durable fabrics.
We work with a small number of trusted factories in China, Turkey and Portugal, long-term partners we’ve built strong relationships with over many years. Every production run is thoroughly inspected to ensure consistent quality, performance and finish.
We also work with nominated suppliers for all trims and components, including thread, buttons and zips, giving us full visibility and control across the entire supply chain. This careful oversight allows us to maintain the standards we expect while ensuring every garment lives up to its purpose in the outdoors.
What challenges have you faced as a founder, and how did you overcome them?
We’ve faced many challenges along the way, particularly in the early years when money was incredibly tight. There were moments when we sold our sofa and even our car just to pay for stock, and periods where we lived in separate countries, staying with family because we simply couldn’t afford rent.
All of this was happening at the same time as starting a business while having a baby, navigating new motherhood alongside the pressure and uncertainty of building a brand from the ground up. It was emotionally and physically exhausting, and there were moments where everything felt stretched to its limits.
Those years were incredibly testing, but they shaped our resilience in ways nothing else could. Looking back now, they were some of the hardest moments of the journey, but they built the foundations of who we are today, reinforcing our belief in what we were creating and teaching us the power of perseverance, adaptability and grit.
Can you share a pivotal moment or turning point in ACAI Outdoorwear’s journey?
A real turning point came when we secured our second round of investment, an investor who is still with us today. Having the right partner who truly believes in the vision and understands the long-term journey has been transformational for the business.
Another pivotal moment was hiring our Managing Director. Bringing someone on board with such strong experience has been invaluable and is now helping guide ACAI through its next stages of growth. Having the right people around you, partners you trust and leaders who elevate the business — makes all the difference.
How do you test and validate the performance of your outerwear in real-world conditions?
Our team and our ambassadors wear test garment for months before it is approved to production. We do shower testing for our waterproof jacket, wearing samples in everyday to truly understand how fabrics stands top the elements and how it wears.
How important is community engagement to ACAI, and what local initiatives are you involved in?
Community is absolutely central to ACAI, it’s not something that sits alongside the brand, it’s at the heart of it.
From the beginning, ACAI has been about more than clothing; it’s about supporting women to get outdoors, build confidence and feel connected. That belief led to the creation of The Outdoorsing Club, which has grown into a powerful community of women who encourage, motivate and uplift one another through shared experiences in nature. Seeing the real-life impact that community has had, from improved mental health to renewed self-belief, continues to shape everything we do.
What are some of the most popular items in your current lineup, and why do you think they resonate?
The Skinny Outdoor Trousers have been our top seller for 9 years, I think they resonate because they meet all 3 pillars of our ACAI DNA, it’s a simple reinvention of a classic trousers. You can’t go wrong with that.
What are your long-term goals for ACAI Outdoorwear over the next five years?
We plan on expansion of product, creating more physical touch points for our brand, such as pop up stores and strategic retail partners expansion, the global expansion. It’s very exciting!
If you could give one piece of wisdom to your younger self starting ACAI, what would it be?
I’d also say: don’t underestimate the power of resilience and patience. The hardest moments often become the most important ones in shaping both you and the business. Trust your gut feeling (very important!!), stay true to your values, and remember that progress doesn’t always look loud or linear. Failure is a lesson and we need those throughout the journey.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasia-bromley
