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Recently announced a new Olympic sport, climbing is one of the fastest growing realms of the athletic sphere, with more and more people taking up the activity as a pastime and a passion.
3rd Rock, currently raising on Seedrs, is driven by sustainability and performance, to create what they hope to be the world’s number one ethical brand for climbing clothing. We sat down with the Founder Jessica Mor, and CEO Guy Mor to discuss the brand’s plans for the future.
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What is 3rd Rock’s vision?
We really have a three-pillared mission: to become the global leading climbing-wear brand within five years time, to be globally acknowledged as the primary provocateur in the sustainable activewear market and to advocate fiercely for fashion that enables both the planet and its occupants to thrive.
What is the inspiration behind the brand?
3rd Rock’s journey started in 2009 while Jessica was a pattern cutter for catwalk designers in the London fashion industry. Acutely aware of the destructive side of the fashion industry, Jessica quit the industry when she was asked to cut an Arctic fox fur jacket. Being asked to create something from the fur of an endangered species was the final straw.
A month later Jessica found herself a volunteer on African conservation projects to clear her conscience. In South Africa she fell in love with rock climbing and noticed a big gap in the market for functional yet beautiful climb-wear. Jessica was inspired to create her own alternative clothing brand, focusing on made-to-move, ethically-produced garments that enhance performance and comfort.
Now our team has grown and we eat, drink and speak climbing – except for Clair… she’s more into Bingo! We all love the outdoors, nature and our planet and want to build something valuable that gives back.
In what ways does the brand champion sustainability?
All of our products are made from sustainable materials such as organic cotton that is usually GOTS certified, recycled fibres or regenerated fibres (GRS certified). We are most proud of the regenerated nylon fibres they use for most of our leggings and bras. We also reuse the off-cuts of the garments we create to transform into new products such as our chalk bags, and we hold the relevant certificates for each season.
We also make an active effort to visit the factories we work with to ensure that conditions are met and the factories themselves are certified by Sedex or similar accreditations.
What was one of the most exciting successes for 3rd Rock?
Through everything we do, we really try to champion our target audience: climbers and free-spirited individuals with an affinity to the outdoors and a drive to protect our planet. For that reason,being nominated as the best sustainable climbing brand in the world by ethicalconsumer.org was a huge success for our whole team, that shows we’ve really succeeded in staying aligned with the vision that the business was founded upon from the very beginning.
What will this raise help you accomplish?
We’re really excited to bring investors on board to help us grow the business and continue to make an impact in the ethical fashion space.
Moving forward, we’ll be emphasizing direct-to-consumer efforts. Our strategy will focus on a direct-to-consumer model whilst still retaining and developing key wholesale accounts in the UK and overseas. This will enable us to foster a deeper relationship with our customers, who have always been our strongest brand advocates. It will also give us the resources to push our ‘hero’ products and accommodate the changing preferences of those who purchase them.
We also have big goals in mind in the way of expanding our product range. We will of course keep offering our signature pieces, alongside a wider technically engineered clothing offering. We will also offer a wider range of products for climbing that go beyond clothing and further into the accessories and outdoor equipment sphere.
One of our recent surveys showed 58% of our customers actively practice, or are interested in practicing yoga. As such, we intend to branch out into lifestyle products as well. So, while focused on climbing, we’ll be capitalising on the increase in demand we’ve seen for our products within the yoga sector.
What makes 3rd Rock stand out from other competitors in the market?
We have a truly unique combination of in-house elite pattern-cutting and garment-making that allows for better movement and performance. That, together with our laser focus on climbing and a supply chain that promotes 100% sustainability, we’re really one of the only brands that prioritises both performance and ethical production simultaneously.
How are you currently navigating the Covid-19 climate?
Today’s environment hasn’t been easy for many businesses. We’ve really pushed to engage with our community and take their needs on board, by generating consistent content they would like to hear, read and see while they are stuck at home. We also donate a percentage of our gross profits to local food banks, and have kept all our employees working with full wages.
Are there any exciting initiatives you have upcoming?
We are about to launch our Spring collection this weekend and announce new partnership with the Peak District foundation, a national bouldering initiative where we provide free entry-level workshops across the country. This initiative will really kick off once the Covid-19 crisis has subsided and we can continue exploring the outdoors and providing our community with the products they need to do the same. We’re also currently undergoing discussions with some new and exciting ambassadors for the brand!
What’s your favourite pastime?
Easy. Climbing.
What’s the greatest thing about the outdoors?
It makes you happy! De-stresses, puts things in perspective.
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To find out more, and for the opportunity to invest, visit the pitch now.
