Kathmandu wins prestigious international award
Kathmandu’s Women’s Seeker 4-inch Shorts were awarded for their “deep connection to sustainable technology”
New Zealand outdoor brand, Kathmandu, continues to drive international award-winning product design from its Christchurch homebase, receiving a second ISPO Award in 2024, this time for its newly launched Women’s Seeker 4-inch Shorts.
The ISPO Awards recognise the most outstanding products and services in sport globally. The highly respected international accolade celebrates products that set new standards, and Kathmandu’s win underscores the brand’s commitment to delivering world class product and sustainability innovation within the outdoor apparel industry.
Kathmandu’s Women’s Seeker 4-inch Shorts were awarded for their “deep connection to sustainable technology”, confirmed the ISPO Award Jury. The Shorts are designed with:
- Carbon Capture Technology: a pioneering approach that transforms carbon emissions into yarn. The Shorts main fabric is made with LanzaTech’s carbon recycling technology, whereby carbon emissions are captured from steel mills before they enter the atmosphere, then converted them into ethanol using fermentation by bacteria. The ethanol is then converted into a chemical used to make polyester.
- Advanced Recycling: A secondary fabric used to craft the shorts is Q CYCLE by Fulgar: a nylon derived from recycled plastic waste, including end-of-life car tyres, using principles of mass balance.
- Bio-Based Anti-Odour: A citric acid-based treatment by Ionic+® Botanical, eliminating odour-causing bacteria.
The ISPO Award Jury further explained: “The highly functional shorts are an excellent example of how the need to protect the climate is creating new opportunities for innovation in the textile industry, even transforming emissions into new raw materials.”
Kathmandu’s General Manager of Product, Karinda Robinson, said: “In-line with our B Corporation certification, Kathmandu continues seeking ways to reduce our climate impact. By using LanzaTech carbon recycling technology, we are working to reduce our reliance on virgin fossil carbon to make new fabrics and support the recirculation of carbon-rich gases.
“We are incredibly passionate about designing product that pushes industry boundaries, and to be recognised for that, on a global platform, is an honour and we are immensely proud.”
In addition to innovative technologies, Kathmandu’s Women’s Seeker 4-inch Shorts were designed with meticulous attention to detail, prioritising performance and comfort; the lined shorts allow freedom of movement with four-way stretch and keep wearers cool and sweat-free with moisture-wicking fabric.
Kathmandu’s award-winning Shorts are a key piece in the brand’s inaugural Outdoor Active range, responding to the emerging trend of consumers choosing the outdoors as their training ground.
Earlier this year, Kathmandu won an ISPO Award for its Feather Flight carry-on-trolley: one of the lightest bags in its class, globally, for airline travel. The Feather Flight is a small but mighty powerhouse, designed to give travellers the largest amount of space for the least amount of weight, weighing an ultra-light 1.6 kilograms and boasting an impressive 40 litres of internal packing volume.
For more information on the Kathmandu 2024 ISPO Award, please visit www.ispo.com/eu
