THE SMART GUIDE DREAMING BIG Avant-garde clothing firm Vollebak has rocketed its profile globally in just a few years – and now it’s headed to space and constructing its own private island down here on Earth // By Johnny Davis SUN LEE RANKIN FASHIONING THE FUTURE From top: Vollebak’s founders Nick and Steve Tidball; the Garbage Watch, made from electronic waste THE FIRST AND ONLY billboard advertisement Vollebak ever produced was a memorable one. It read, in full: “Our jacket is ready. How is your rocket going?” The billboard could be found in Hawthorne, California, directly opposite SpaceX. Its purpose was to let Elon Musk know that Vollebak, a London-based British clothing start-up, had launched its Deep Sleep Cocoon. Part jacket, part portable isolation tank, the Deep Sleep Cocoon featured an innovative segmented hood that folded over like a space helmet and fastened into place with magnets. Built for the first missions to Mars – but equally useful on long-haul flights on Earth – it was designed to eliminate external stimuli and allow the wearer to get some rest in inhospitable places. It also happened to look pretty cool. What Musk made of it we may never know. Vollebak is still waiting to hear. But it did prompt NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to get in touch, and the company is now working with them. The story illustrates what makes Vollebak one of the most remarkable companies you’ve probably never heard of. It’s strapline is “Clothes from the future”. But that’s just the start of it. Established by twin brothers Nick and Steve Tidball in 2015 its radical approach to clothing has included the fireproof, windproof and water-repellent 100 Year Hoodie, designed to outlive you, the Full Metal Jacket, built with 11km of copper, which offers the ability to kill bacteria and disease, making it a potential building block for the next century of clothing, as well as garments made from algae, nettles, blueberries, turnips and raw hemp. Its designs have won multiple awards from Time and Wired. Vollebak’s commitment to material innovation has made it a magnet for some of the world’s smartest and most forward-thinking companies. They include not just NASA’s 24 NetJets
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