7mesh is a young Canadian cycling clothing brand making waves across the Atlantic. Unreservedly high-end and high-quality, they are doing things a bit differently. While in Squamish we stopped in at their facility to meet the team and find out how they are making their mark.
Looking at the surrounding environment, the birth of 7mesh was inevitable, just a matter of time and patience for the right moment to present itself. A group of friends living in one of the world’s best cycling hotspots, riding together on the roads and trails of Squamish while working for another high-end technical clothing manufacturer – it was just a matter of time! We sat down with 7mesh’s R&D and Design team leaders, Ian Martin and Conroy Nachtigall to find out more about their philosophy.
“The first step to doing things differently is to go back to basics and ask yourself what you want from a jacket and that is what the 7mesh team have done. As cycling consumers, the first thing we do on picking up some cycling kit is to try it on and then we stand up straight in front of the mirror to check that it looks and fits OK. 7mesh asked themselves why we would want cycle clothing that fits perfectly when we’re standing, surely we want kit that fits right when we’re on a bike, assuming the position that we’re going to be in for the next few hours. Unlike a lot of sports, cycling is relatively static, especially in the upper body area so clothing can be patterned and articulated to really work with that position.”
“The next step in the chain is to find the right fabric, there are a whole load of incredible fabrics out there and the one you choose will define your clothing. 7mesh have decided the right fabrics are the ones that stop you getting wet, not the ones that deal with the moisture once it’s already in. Lightweight fabrics rule the roost because, quite simply, “a smaller sponge absorbs less water”. Also stiffer, less stretchy fabrics have better waterproofing properties making them ideal for cyclists who don’t need to lunge after a tennis ball or execute a (purposeful) somersault.”
What marks 7mesh apart here is their uniquely hands-on approach to getting the shape just right. We were interested to see that unlike many brands that send designs offshore for prototyping, they take to the sewing machine themselves and stitch up a prototype there and then. Ian adds “The most common way of getting designs from the drawing board to the model is to send the drawings off to a factory, often in Asia and wait for the prototypes but the team have endeavoured to cut out this time consuming procedure. We all do the machining, we share the patterning, we’ll figure out the process of how it goes together. Stitch, test and repeat – after each attempt you’re a step closer to the perfect product.” 7mesh don’t make all their products in house but they do perfect them in house, creating the perfect fit for aesthetics and function, before sending it to their tried and trusted factory in Asia to produce the finished items.
“If you understand completely how to make a garment it allows you to break the rules but if you don’t know how to make a garment in detail, it makes it really hard, you don’t know what rules you’re breaking. Become the master of your craft or your domain, you can do what you want to do”.
We were impressed with the team from 7mesh, their passion and dedication to function is evident in their enthusiasm.The complete focus on fit and optimum materials means that 7mesh has developed their own aesthetic simply by designing products to their optimum. The look is almost completely symptomatic of the purpose of the clothing but the clean panelling results in a desirable no fuss appearance. It also means that a lot of their clothing isn’t defined into a particular cycling discipline. While mountain bikers are discovering how fit and function can aid performance, road cyclists have forgotten what they always knew, that fabric and fit increase performance and that doesn’t begin and end with lycra. We are currently testing some of their garments and will bring you a full review very soon.
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Words: Photos: Cat Smith
