A new sustainable activewear line made from recycled plastic bottles has been launched by a former New Zealand representative cyclist and Air NZ aeronautical designer Geoff Gates.
New local brand Zovari is designed to bridge the gap between high performance and fashion – while remaining environmentally focused as well.
Designed in New Zealand, Zovari activewear is crafted with love in Bali. “We selected our manufacturer not only because of their superb 30 year track record of manufacturing the world’s best luxury activewear, but also because of their impeccable working conditions, ethics and employee satisfaction,” says Gates.
“We are so proud to be supporting our amazing family in Bali by providing them the opportunity to manufacture our NZ designed activewear. As a brand that is all about people, we are so grateful to work with such amazing human beings who are masters of their craft and are passionate about what they do every day.”
“The lifestyle of every aspect of Zovari products are considered from production to purchase. From the fabrics and material made from recycled plastic bottles, to the reusable packaging we provide with our products, we’re committed to doing everything we can to sustain the planet we call home,” says Gates.
The 2022 launch collection is a curated selection of pieces available in limited numbers. Made from recycled yarn from plastic bottles, buttery soft compressive fabrics and bold, audacious designs reflect the aspirational and performance based brand heritage.
With an extensive background in high performance sport and fitness, Gates developed his long held vision of creating a label that merged sustainability and high performance with design, to create active-fashion collections with the X-factor.
“A lot of brands make performance wear, a lot of brands make luxury fashion wear – but we wanted to create a concept uniquely Kiwi and sustainable that ticked both boxes, and would make people feel special on the inside as well as on the outside,” he says.
Combining different fabrics, textures and fits, the range uses fabrics from Italy, fabrics made from recycled plastic bottles, and designs that are made to be seen. With the collection available in strictly limited numbers, Geoff wants to keep the brand exclusive and personal, with frequent limited edition releases.
Gates who previously designed multi-million dollar interiors of private jets as well as Boeing, Airbus and Air New Zealand aircraft says the activewear industry needs to be more inclusive.
“The industry has traditionally been dominated by brands with limited size ranges and limited diversity.
“Ethically we have some real concerns about the message this sends women and we wanted to ensure our range inspires and includes all women no matter what their shape or size,” he says.
Gates says public ‘fat shaming’ of women in the fitness fashion industry has been common with a former CEO of an international brand quoted as describing their product as not “working for certain women’s bodies”.
The range offers sizing from extra small to XXL.
“As the range grows we hope to expand the offering to include a greater number of sizes and styles for a more diverse range of body shapes,” Gates says.
