DUER encourages adventure-seeking and outdoorsy doers alike to get dressed well in ridiculously comfortable clothes, so that they can get to the important stuff in life. The brand’s sustainable mission combines both fashion and function to ensure durable clothing that does more and lasts longer for the active individual. Now, after years in the making, DUER opened its first U.S. brick-and-mortar store in RiNo, making Denver its third-ever location worldwide.
The Canadian-born denim brand may seem like a local transplant at first, however, according to its founder and CEO, Gary Lenett, Denver had already developed a strong DUER fan base through e-commerce and wholesale channels before its local debut. “Having spent a lot of time here [in Denver] myself, it’s easy to feel connected to the city and the lifestyle,” he told 303 Magazine.
Gary Lenett and Abid Hafeez — having over 50 years of combined experience in the jean-making and performance fabric industry — brought their creative talents together in 2013 to launch a denim line that adheres to the beliefs of adventure, simplicity, purpose, health, bravery and authenticity.
Social responsibility and premium design have always been at the heart of everything DUER does from the very beginning. Creating a durable product in a LEED Certified garment factory, using low impact resources and ultimately reducing water waste are all part of the company’s ethos.
Each pant is made with a signature gusset for added flexibility, super stretch to move with ease and temperature control to help you stay cool. The pants even have fibers that are designed to mimic the comfort of a sweatpant while having the appearance of everyday clothing. This, in turn, inhibits bacterial growth and decreases the necessity to wash the garment frequently.
In fact, DUER’s chosen fabric has natural-based components that include cotton and tencel. Tencel is plant-derived and developed through a ‘closed loop production process’ which allows for the use of recycled water and requires fewer chemicals.
“Our clothing combines comfort with style. We’re able to achieve this by blending natural fibers with technical fibers. The technical properties enable the clothes to perform across any activity — from a morning cycle, mid-day lunch, to a business meeting and evening BBQ. We want our customer to do it all in the same pair of pants,” Lenett shared.
DUER’s powerful set of ethical values also encourages sustainability, environmental and social responsibility and acts a reminder to live with intention — just to name a few. Preferring to consume less, the brand inspires its customers to find their real style by better understanding themselves to dress accordingly. Essentially, looking beyond the status quo of fashion.
DUER’s future initiatives — when it comes to its growing sustainable story — are to transition to using a low-impact dye technique, have its denim constructed with organic cotton and have its pants be free of leather patches (vegan). Plastics and synthetics are also foreseen to be minimized across the whole product line, from packaging to fabric composition.
And, for those who prefer to shop online, DUER also offers shipping for online orders that is more sustainable. DUER’s process allows the carbon footprint cost of any online order to be calculated based on the distance, package weight and mode of transportation.
So, as DUER says, ‘get on with it’ and live intentionally while being thoughtful to the people and the planet around you.
All Photography Courtesy of DUER