Photo.

About a year ago, Greg Casals and Allie Thielens didn’t have their own company, but they did have a mutual vision: clothing that looks good but is also super functional and made of high performance, technical fabrics.

By October of 2014, this vision had already materialized into the launch of NINOX’s first collection—4 jackets that use technical performance fabrics in a more sophisticated way. They have since released a few more pieces including hoodies, pants, and shirts while hoping to further the expansion of this collection in the near future.

While this is all very impressive, it’s a type of ambition that Casals would say isn’t all that unique in Boulder.

“When you’re starting a company from the ground up, working a ton of hours, and doing everything you can to get noticed, it is great inspiration to look around at the many companies in Boulder that also started with just an idea.”

Not just tech ideas either—and that is something that Casals and his business partner Thielens think deserves to be highlighted.

“A lot of people don’t realize that there’s not just tech in Boulder because the tech hub is so huge right now,” Thielens told us, “So we thought it was important to highlight Boulder for all these different kinds of companies.”

That’s where the idea for Boulder Icons came from—where they do just that: highlight these innovative Boulder companies, entrepreneurs, athletes, and icons.  On this section of their website, they’ll share a short biography with these icons along with a photo of them wearing their popular Weston Hoodie.  What better way to show your product off in such a thriving startup community as Boulder?!

Allen Lim of Scratch Labs wearing the NINOX Weston hoodie

Casals and Thielens believe it’s important to show off the story behind the brand and the innovation—a belief that they and Innovators Peak both have in common.

“We think that if someone is buying NINOX clothing, they are not only buying the clothes, but the whole story behind the clothes,” Casals told us, “and we thought that highlighting some of the brands based in Boulder, the consumer would also get a better understanding of the DNA of the Boulder community that NINOX is a member of.

We think that part of that DNA is all about improving products that are part of consumer everyday lives. Men’s interest in fashion and interest in the story behind their clothes has exploded over the last few years. We are having fun being a part of that.”

NINOX is slowly but efficiently meeting new people and brands while continuing to launch and share the stories behind these brands with their own followers and hoping that they’ll also share NINOX’s story and photos as well. It’s a truly interesting story of community collaboration between Boulder’s innovators and entrepreneurs.

“There’s so much creativity and innovative ideas whenever you go,” Thielens said of the city, “and that’s really helpful for the support you need when you’re starting a new company.”

If you’re interested in simplifying your wardrobe with fashionable and high-end, high-performance, versatile fabrics that you can wear anywhere from work to a mountaineering trip, check out NINOX’s collection now.

By Joseph Afton