Moritz Lorenz is the mastermind behind Jeckybeng. It was after a trip around the World on which his main objective was to surf the famous spots he had seen in Surf magazines and on Youtube. After his return he settled in Nuermberg. Here he fulfills himself another long kept dream. His own clothing brand. The vision for Jeckybeng is of sustainable nature reflecting his experience and urban habitat. As you can see on his blog he is actually sleeping and cooking outside, surfing spots, even in winter, but he is neither a country bumpkin nor did any of the so called outdoor gear convince him.
He had to design the stuff he would wear himself. Now almost ten years later, he is an expert in ‘natural’ textiles that leave less footprint than most other brands. For example by approaching textile-pioneers in the developing phase before any one else takes them serious and by his own input into the process.
Jeckybeng has been a very much recognized brand on the Makers Bible Borderlands booth at Outdoor_by_ISPO fair. A very encouraging fact. Read the interview with Moritz.
Makers Bible: What is your background?
I am a Graphik Designer.
MB: What was it about the fashion industry that interested you?
I always wanted to have my own brand. Making my own clothes. Designing the Logo, Packaging, Hang Tag. Creating the graphics. Telling my own story. Taking photos for my own brand. In short, produce something, mostly by hand, that says: “Its me”, it is what I believe in.
MB: Where do you want to go with the brand?
At the moment we focus on Germany, Austria and Switzerland. We think there is a very good market for urban outdoor equipment. Making a name for ourselves. Other than that, life is about opportunities.
MB: The items you’re producing are made to last, how you define and implement this in your product process?
We only work with the best natural materials like our weatherproof cotton, Merino Wool and Organic Cotton. These are, by nature long lasting materials. Together, with Taiwanese fabric experts Hermin, we have established The Natural Laboratory Project. The project studies the science of bionics in order to transfer natural features and phenomena to textile surfaces, with a focus on renewable raw materials such as cotton, wool, linen and cellulose and palm fibres. The goal is to highlight the natural characteristics of these materials and to combine them with the newest weaving, yarn and equipment technologies. The resulting fabrics are a natural alternative to modern synthetic materials and are manufactured in harmony with the environment. Furthermore we produce in family owned factories so we are able to work with the tailors directly.
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MB: You host a very active outdoor blog, yourself are being seen surfing in Winter, etc. How much inspiration do you get from that?
Going out by myself to test our garments is a very important factor to understand the functional demands of outdoor gear. Actually for me going out is more like a „getting a clear head“. Surfing, hiking or snowboarding is a cleansing process. All the chaos of thoughts and pictures in my head gets forgotten for a while and then, almost magically I come out “sorted”. Most inspiration comes from my daily life – talking to people, sitting in a cafe, drinking coffee and looking at the people.
MB: Where do you take the brand from here?
Expanding our collection into other categories through collaborations and partnerships that still back to the urban outdoor lifestyle.
MB: What are innovative elements?
We are using only natural materials and take advantage of their natural functions. This has taken new turns when developing our backpack. These learnings were then applied to new jackets.
MB: How do you define the brand’s future and progress?
Slow growth. No seasonal collections. Timeless products, never out of stock.
MB: Manufacturing is often understood as being “traditional”, but it needs to develop, right? How do you make the brand ready for next decades to come?
There will always be a demand of great craftsmanship, high quality, timeless designs and products with a story. For example: “don’t believe the hype” for example “organic cotton”: It is of no use if a product is made of Organic Cotton but it has been poorly produced. Our approach to sustainability is to produce durable products.
MB: The key of success in business is longevity. How do you see this, and how do you apply it to your work /business/ activities with Jeckybeng?
We don’t follow hypes. We want to bridge the gap between urban and outdoor. Many people are living in cities – and sometimes nature calls: They feel the need going into nature. But why do they do this wearing an over-engineered garment made of plastic and looking like they are going to battle with nature? And why would you own one jacket for every purpose? In my opinion there are designs and functions that serve all purposes, urban and outdoor.
Thanks to Moritz Lorenz / Jeckybeng
Join us for another outdoor story at the defiant quest across the Dolomites in brand new mountain mucks.
