The Solar Charged Jacket from Vollebak

Vollebak is the brainchild of former adidas creatives Steve and Nick Tidball. Combining their passion for extreme outdoor sports and a strong desire to innovate, Vollebak is an 18 month old startup which aims to to enhance the performance of athletes using expert research and design, plus the personal experience and artistic insight of its founders.

The brand identity, the confident yet relaxed language it uses, the whole communication of its DNA and the fitness for purpose of its products put me in mind of the type of thing Massimo Osti would be doing if he was still around. There are plenty of brands which have taken his aesthetic and appreciation for fabric and largely replicated it, whereas Vollebak are very much their own thing with their own identity. It’s rare today that a brand comes along that is genuinely innovative and has a reason for everything. Vollebak is that.

Take their 100 Year Hoodie for example. It’s described as “as soft as your favourite cotton sweater, but built from the same materials found in spacesuits, body armour and aircraft carriers”. That mix of tech and lifestyle is what makes it ace, as far as I’m concerned. That’s why the Solar Charged Jacket is exciting. It’s made from a stretchy fabric ideally suited for an active lifestyle. And when I say active lifestyle I don’t mean riding your retro racing bike to the shops every few days, we’re talking ultramarathon gear here. If the video below doesn’t appeal to your inner adventurer then you’re probably a fully paid up psychopath, IMVVVHO. Of course, aside from it having an exceptionally well thought out hood, an ergonomic fit and lovely, considered branding the main hook for me is the fact it actually glows. It looks like it’s actually wired up to a massive battery, but its not, it’s powered by the sun. In fact, it’ll absorb light from any source, whether it be your phone torch or whatever.

It’s impressive stuff and I’m very much looking forward to cutting a dash as I ride my retro racing bike to the shops.