In a surprise announcement this morning, Vermont based and long time merino wool clothing manufacturer Ibex will no longer use merino sheep wool for their apparel but will use domestic dog fur instead. They’re calling it D.F.F. – Dog Fur Fiber – the ultimate natural fiber. The story is best told by the Ibex team themselves. More details available from their press release provided in part below the video. An allergen free D.F.F. is slated for fall 2016.
Ibex is proud to introduce D.F.F from Ibex Outdoor Clothing on Vimeo.
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT. (April 1, 2015) — Ibex Outdoor Clothing is leading the charge in the world of natural fiber performance clothing by introducing a revolutionary new fiber that will change the way the industry makes performance clothing. After years of research and development, Ibex has found a fiber of unrivaled performance and a fiber that inspires unconditional love. That fiber is Dog Fur Fiber (DFF).
“Ibex is proud to introduce such an innovative new fabric to the outdoor industry,” said Ted Manning, CEO of Ibex. “We have searched the globe for natural, sustainable fibers to make performance apparel and realized that the best fabric was right under our desks all along.”
After sitting under Ibex’s noses for so long, the Product R&D team at Ibex began experimenting with DFF, and tested and retested what they now consider the finest and highest performing natural fiber in the world. One of the strengths of DFF is that dog fur comes in a variety of colors so Ibex is able to use the natural palette of the dog fur. This means they use very little dye, which is of course, very environmentally friendly.
The new Ibex DFF collection comprises the following performance fabrics:
Shiloh – This blend of 75-percent German Shepard and 25-percent Husky is the perfect blend for high performance winter pieces. Huskies are great cold weather performing dogs and that performance is passed on to this technical fabric. The German Shepard helps to keep the user focused and alert during winter activity.
MiniShnauz – This is 100-percent Miniature Schnauzer fabric. Like the Miniature Schnauzer, this textured fabric is wiry and durable. These characteristics make it perfect for Ibex’s high performance alpine warmth layers keeping you ready to go at any time.
BS115 – Great for casual performance wear, BS115 is a blend of 50-percent Bull Dog and 50-percent Shih Tzu. The laziness of a Bull Dog and the elegance of a Shih Tzu combine perfectly to form the backbone fabric for Ibex’s Live collection. While still being able to perform when asked, this fabric is for clothing that you wear on a lazy Sunday or after a hard trail run.
“One of the strengths of DFF is that it is very easy to clean,” explains Dave Maslen, Animal Fiber Specialist. “You can clean it with your own saliva or that of someone else. It holds odor very well and the product will continue to give long after it is sheered from the dog.”
Ibex will officially debut DFF at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in August 2015. In the meantime, Ibex encourages dog owners to send their dog hair to the Ibex headquarters in White River Junction, VT following trips to the groomer and after vacuuming your couch. The dog hair will be recycled and turned into new Ibex DFF garments. For additional details, please visit ibex.com.
