Paka Apparel Launches ‘Breathe by Paka’ Activewear
Paka Apparel, launched in 2016 by founder Kris Cody, has this month debuted “Breathe by Paka,” a collection of breathable men’s and women’s activewear in eco-friendly Royal Alpaca fiber, Tencel and organic pima cotton.
“It’s based in function, and seeing nature as a technology, which we’re all about,” Cody explained over Zoom, adding that his time spent over the past five years living in Peru, building out his company vertically while diving deep into the non-microplastic, performance-wear alternative fibers all led to the company’s earth-friendly collection.
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“The benefit with Paka is I’ve actually lived in the Andes Mountains, building these systems with the farmers directly. With the development, we don’t release anything until it’s been wear-tested a crazy amount by our ambassador team,” Cody added of the activewear, which is made start-to-finish in Peru.
The Breathe launch includes alpaca fiber based hoodies, zip-ups and joggers, which are available on the brand’s e-commerce for less than $150. The brand will continue to roll out its natural and organic dyed styles — socks, jackets and base layers (long- and short-sleeved T-shirts) — throughout the year alongside Instagram and e-commerce based conversations with ambassadors, such as Jay Alvarrez, whom Cody tapped for the “Breathe by Paka” launch.
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“We structured [the drops] into an education series because as a brand, we want to educate and give people the right tools to make the decision about what they buy. People think about what they eat in food, but don’t think about clothing the same way, right now,” Cody explained of his initiative to continue the conversation about plastic-alternative activewear and uses in the fashion industry.
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