What is next for the Vancouver based clothing brand NF?

Unsurprisingly, many riders are unfamiliar with NF , a small yet revered operation based in Vancouver, British Columbia. However, those of us with an appreciation of well-made, well-designed, and locally manufactured riding garments will know the brand well, as they have been consistently producing some of the most sought-after MTB apparel in the industry. As a dynamic brand that has remained unfaltering to its original ethos, I wanted to find out more about NF’s history and unwritten future. I recently spoke with co-founder Travis Bothner to dive deeper into his brainchild's past, present, and future.

What sets NF apart is the unique approach to design and manufacturing. Much of the brand’s success can be attributed to the unwavering dedication, passion, and designer perspective that Travis brings to the formula, in conjunction with NF co-founder and Travis’ wife, Ying's, grounded and analytical approach. As Travis admits, “I am the creative and art behind the brand, but without Ying keeping everything balanced and realistic, none of this would be possible. If left to my own devices, the brand might still just be a couple of pants and jerseys launching here and there.”

Travis and Ying's journey is a testament to their resilience. They have been in this industry long before NF was a concept. Travis has had a number of roles in design and global production, while Ying has an impressive history with the logistical and management side of the industry, making them quite the power couple. Together, in 2016 they started their own operation, working with a list of prominent brands in the active outdoor and lifestyle space designing products, sourcing material, and coordinating supply chain logistics.

After a number of years in business, they found themselves in turbulence when a bill passed, lowering the duty charges for exporting in a number of Eastern Asian countries, subsequently shifting a majority of their client's offshore manufacturing operations to these countries. This saw them lose most of their clients almost overnight, leaving their company hemorrhaging and on the verge of extinction. However, Travis and Ying proved to be creatively resilient and decided to dedicate their facility and operations to providing design and manufacturing services to local brands. However this proved to be an unsustainable approach and resulted in more downsizing along with the final days of the company they had built together.

This wasn’t the end, though. With the knowledge and expertise required to run a brand, they decided to give it a swing and launched “Needs Factory” in 2018 as a way to flex their creative muscles, all while offering something of substance to the culture that Travis was so heavily invested in. After a name change from “Needs Factory” to “NF” for legal reasons, NF was formulated. Sprouting as a passion project and a way for Travis to scratch a creative itch and get the ideas from his mind out into the world. The instigator was the Quickstrike projects; these one-off creations were, and still remain, a testament to Travis’ desire to offer something new and different to an industry that can oftentimes feel creatively stagnant. But what makes these creations so special, and how did they become the catalyst for where the brand is today?

“It’s difficult to see the growth from the 1st person, it's like when a parent doesn't see how much their kids have grown over the years because they are there every step of the way. I see how much the brand has grown, but it still just feels like a tiny operation in the grand scheme, and I want it to grow. It all started with me getting my ideas out and posting on social media, waiting for someone to claim a jersey. And now it’s hard to keep evergreen things in stock, and we open up preorders for the one-off stuff until we hit our cap. It’s amazing to see.” said Travis, reflecting on how far NF has come since 2018. What started as some templates for riding pants and some jerseys has grown to be a prominent and somewhat recognizable name in the industry, and what I find most interesting is they have not expanded their offerings much. They know what they are doing and stick to it.

“ We don’t really pay attention to what other brands are doing. Why would I want to copy another brand that doesn’t make a product that I like? It actually goes the other way, and we see other, larger brands noticing what we’re doing and borrowing our design elements. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, right? ” Travis remarked.

One of the laurels that NF stands on is not working outside of their proverbial toolbox. This toolbox is the experience of the team, the facility and machines they have at their disposal, and the physical location of the operation that influences the design and end product. Travis said he draws inspiration from real riders in real-life situations. “ I will sit at the trailhead or entrance to a trail and take note of what people are wearing, and man, people with the $500 gore-tex jacket are rarely wearing that on the climbs. It’s always tied to their waist. ” This might explain why NF has never massively expanded its offerings to include unnecessarily complex tech jackets or waterproof riding pants, they offer riders everything that they need, nothing more and nothing less.

This isn’t the only reason NF has not seen quick expansion over the years, though. While the brand sees the demand for increased operation and would love to grow to offer more essentials to riders, the cost of scaling the brand is a big hurdle for such a core entity. The operational overhead just isn't there to devote towards expansion. Travis stated, “We (NF) make products. Sell them. That revenue from sales goes to pay bills. Then we source materials for the next run of products with whatever is left over. The pricing structure is not designed to stack money, I don’t want to rip anyone off.”

The approach is unique and admirable for a brand in this position, where they could easily operate purely to maximize profit and produce the cookie-cutter stuff that already saturates the apparel industry, but that goes against everything the brand represents. They don’t spend on marketing, there’s no sales team, and they don’t push products on anyone. The success is based on how kick-ass the product is because, at the end of the day, customer testimony is the most effective marketing tactic.

This still leaves the hurdle of scaling to be vaulted, and without a big cash injection, this is not really possible. Large changes like this can be a roll of the dice for a small brand trying to source capital and pausing production while dedicating time and energy to migrate manufacturing offshore. The major lift here is finding the right investor who shares the same vision as Travis and Ying, aspiring for the brand to reach its own definition of success. The investment cannot just be monetary, it would also have to be an investment in the ethos that makes NF what it is.

“We’re [NF] just rolling with the punches right now and trying to figure out the next steps. We see the expansion to overseas manufacturing as a gateway and positive. It would allow for the same, if not greater, level of craftsmanship but on a larger scale, meaning more product availability and more opportunity to innovate.” said Travis. There is always a negative connotation that overseas manufacturing is lesser, but that just isn’t the case these days. Often these factories utilize the same machines and techniques as the NF headquarters in BC, but they do things on a much larger scale with greater efficiency.

The reason for this shade on overseas production is due to the fact that most brands find a factory that makes X products for Y brand, and then Z brand contracts the same thing for their product lineup, with only minor aesthetic alterations. This cuts down on the overall cost because there is no real product design input from the brand itself. “A product is only as good as the design. And I wouldn’t ask someone to make something that I couldn’t cut and sew myself. That is where a lot of brands miss the mark. There is no actual design work going into a lot of products.”

Travis explained. This is where NF has the vision to do things differently. Travis has the design prowess, and Ying has the logistic expertise required to take a design from inception to production overseas without a decline in overall quality. This isn't to say that NF would move the entirety of production offshore; there would still be a core selection of products available from the Vancouver facility for those who still want to support domestic manufacturing, albeit the price would reflect the process.

NF 6-Day Pants and Prototype Jacket on the Production floor

NF 6-Day Pants and Prototype Jacket on the Production floor

Moving to a more advanced overseas production facility would also add a new selection of tools to the aforementioned “Toolbox” that NF operates with and would allow Travis to really dedicate efforts to creating exactly what he wants to offer to riders. “While everyone loves our products now, I don’t see them as something spectacular. We’re all our own worst critics, I guess and I’m only able to create within the means of where the brand is at today. With access to more resources I could fully realize the vision that I have for NF.”

I have nothing but respect for the operation that Travis and Ying are running, and after having a conversation with him, the respect has only bolstered. NF is a small, admirable presence, holding a compass that is pointed in a compelling direction, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. With NF requiring a serious injection of capital to expand production and grow, they are in a unique position where they do not want to take the typical route of investment, wherein someone with only profit in mind would have a say in how NF operates, which can be a tricky stance when seeking contributors.

After speaking with Travis, the striking and abundantly clear takeaway is this: no matter what happens, the brand will not stray from the path it has always followed, and its products will remain a tier above. NF is ready for growth but does not want compromise and welcomes the potential for honest investment in its mission.

“Be yourself, everyone else is already taken” - Oscar Wilde.