“It’s about creating durable workwear which also looks great,” April Utility Garments founder Patrik Rolf says. “All the small things matter. The difference with our clothing is in the detail and the uncompromising approach to quality.”
Solving a common problem
When buying clothes, the average person prioritizes comfort and durability. If working is a big part of your life, it’s even more important to find clothes which will give you value for your money while also providing comfort. Patrik founded April Coffee Roasters in 2016 and, just last year, he embarked on a quest for the perfect workwear while trying to provide his staff with work clothes.
It was during this quest that he was inspired to launch April Utility Garments – workwear for men who enjoy the outdoors and value quality. “It all started with us wanting to make workwear for our team,” Patrik says. “We explored the possibility of collaborating with other brands but that quickly grew into us deciding to design and produce the clothes ourselves.”
The creators of April Utility Garments draw inspiration for their designs from the street corners and boulevards of the world they experience on their travels. Each collection is inspired by one of three characters – The Creator, The Craftsmen and The Rebels. Their first collection is The Creator – clothes we use when we work and travel, made to be comfortable and durable with a modern look.
April Utility Garments workwear is made to be comfortable enough to wear every day. Clothes from this line are guaranteed not only to be modern and functional, but also to last a lifetime.
How to Crowdfund on Kickstarter
April launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund this workwear line and their first project was fully funded within 6 hours. Many entrepreneurs launch products on Kickstarter and Patrik says it’s important to focus on your goals. “Do it your way from start to finish and don’t pay for marketing,” he emphasizes.
Transparent and ethical production
One of the rewards April is offering backers for their support on Kickstarter is a trip to Seoul to oversee the production process and enjoy quality coffee. This is just one of many trips to an April production facility since their origin as a coffee roastery.
“We visit our coffee partner-farmers every year. It makes a lot of sense for us to translate that into our clothing project,” Patrik says. He and his team want to make sure that supporters and consumers know they can trust in good and fair labour conditions. “Transparent and ethical production is a vital part of any quality production,” Patrik adds.
April partnered with Birrot – a Korean design studio – to produce quality garments transparently and ethically. It took them 12 months to launch their first capsule collection – The Creator. Because they had to schedule a factory visit. “The whole process took a year because in addition to designing the collection, we wanted to make sure we had visited the factory and seen it for ourselves before launching The Creator,” Patrik explains.
Commitment to quality
The team at April believes quality is a way of life. They strive to make it a part of everything they do – from their coffee to their workwear. April Coffee Roasters has always been committed to perfecting the art of roasting coffee. Patrik carried this commitment to quality over to April Utility Garments and this is something his team demonstrates every day.
Instead of following the norm in the fashion world where designers create large collections, April prioritizes quality over quantity. “In April we focus on one outfit per collection. Make that outfit as good as we possibly can,” Patrik states.
Finding a factory that could meet their standards for quality, rather than coming up with a good design, was April’s biggest challenge. It took a while to find a factory that could turn the original design into reality in a way the April team was happy with. “Most clothing factories today are dealing with clients who are constantly trying to push the price down,” Patrik explains. “In our case, it was about finding the best possible quality. The main challenge was to make sure the factory understood our uncompromising approach to quality.”
April Utility Garments beyond 2020
Since April’s Kickstarter campaign now fully funded. The next step is to move into the first production run and start producing their second outfit. “We will take it one capsule collection at a time,” Patrik says. “We plan to maintain our commitment to quality by creating. When we inspired rather than trying to keep up with traditional fashion deadlines.”
At April Utility Garments, you can finally find the perfect clothes to wear when you’re working and exploring the world. “We have created workwear that we ourselves wear when we work,” Patrik says. “It’s honest and proper.” The Creator collection is only the beginning of a lifetime of quality clothing from April.