Outlier_ _is a New York-based performance apparel company, founded by Abe Burmeister and Tyler Clemens. Their philosophy is interesting and best said in their own words:
We want to build the future of clothing. Clothing should be liberating. What you put on in the morning should never restrict what you do with your day. We make garments that dance around the boundaries of fashion using a function driven design process and high quality technical fabrics.
The world does not need more design; it needs less. As designers we must wake up to this challenge every day if we wish to truly create objects worth creating. Honesty, experimentation, and a commitment to learning from history are our best tools.
One well considered object can take the place of many cheaply made ones. We think the traditional fashion system is flawed and that it is possible to create higher quality garments at better prices by rethinking traditional cycles of development, production and distribution.
Businesses need money the same way humans need water. It is essential to function, but profit should never be the goal or reason a company exists. A healthy organization creates value that extends far beyond money and into all points of its operation; from suppliers to employees and from customers into communities.
Outlier began with one particularly elusive value: an intense feeling of exhilaration and liberation that comes from riding in the city. With Outlier we want to take that feeling and bring it everywhere we travel.
By foot or wheels, by air or by magic, our garments are built to perform better every day. Our first product was a pair of pants designed around bike commuting. An item designed to extend the freedom of a cyclist into the broadest range of possibilities. We still make those OG Pants but we rapidly evolved into something more dynamic, a company that makes innovative and good looking clothing to improve the way you move through this world.
With any luck we'll soon evolve even further, but regardless of where we end up we never could have done it without the support of an incredible network of customers, suppliers, and friends. More than anything our goal is to build Outlier into a company worthy of your respect. One step at a time we move into the future.
To get a more personal taste, Burmeister’s talk at the 2012 PSFK CONFERENCE NYC, titled “How I Built A Fashion Brand With No Experience, Just Punk Rock Spirit (And The Web)” will not disappoint.