Daniel Odermatt, brand director, Ventile

Performance cotton fabric Ventile, initially made in the UK but now under the ownership of Switzerland-based Stotz & Co, marked its 80th anniversary in 2023. Its brand director, Daniel Odermatt, explains its new direction.  

In 2023, Ventile formed a joint venture with the Egyptian Biodynamic Association to support its membership in making the transition to organic and biodynamically cultivated cotton. Can you tell us how this partnership came about and why it is important?

Egypt is a strategic partner for us as a producer of organic cotton extra-long staple cotton. We understand Egypt has a good reputation and it is ideal that it’s not too far from our base in Europe. We were invited by Sekem, an organisation that focuses on organic produce and helps farmers convert from non-organic to organic production, to visit the ginners, spinners, and weavers, and it was immediately of interest to us. Through a sponsorship deal, we now support farmers through the conversion period, which can take four years. Our message is “Join the movement, love the environment, choose slow fashion”, and so we wanted to do something that reflects this.

Is this where you will source your cotton from in the future? Can you get extra-long staple from everywhere?

In the future, it would be fantastic to be able to say that all of our cotton would come from these farms as we know the quality is very high. For now, we also use US Pima cotton which is excellent. Only 2% of the world’s cotton crop is classified as organic, and only 2% of that is an extra-long staple source – so that 0.04% is what we use; it’s a rare cotton fibre.

What’s so special about Ventile? What important milestones have you reached?

From the extra-long staple cotton fibres, we produce extremely dense cotton fabrics. It’s the densest cotton fabrics available on the market and the unique natural performance balances waterproofness and windproofness, while remaining breathable. In terms of milestones, expanding to recycled and blended fabrics as well as converting to PFC-free coatings were big steps in our history.

In 2018, Ventile launched an Eco range, featuring organic cotton and then recycled options. Why did you go down this route?

More than half the fabrics we sell now are from our Eco range, and 85% of these sales are from organic. The majority of the market is served by synthetic fabrics, but synthetic fabrics typically include microplastics, and nobody wants those in the environment. When people look for alternatives in natural performance fabrics, they find us.

Is it the brands that care about microplastics, or are consumers aware of the problem?

We are finding more and more that the consumers are aware of the problem. They are specifically looking for natural garments and garments made from natural fibres, and sodesigners are responding to that.

Your marketing promotes slow fashion, describing Ventile as “the antithesis of fast fashion”. This is a movement that is gaining ground.

Absolutely. Our partners produce classic garments, not necessarily trend-led fashion garments, and they choose classic colours so they can be worn for many years. 

Can you give us some examples of the brand partners you work with?

We work with brands across luxury fashion as well as in the outdoor market such as Stone Island, Gucci, Canada Goose, Calvin Klein, Hugo Boss, Loewe, Nigel Cabourn, Dr Martens, Converse and Jil Sander. Ventile fabric is used for outerwear, accessories, footwear, and even for horse coats and watch straps.  We also still supply to the British and Swedish armies.

2022 was a record year for you, so how is Ventile growing?

The coronavirus crisis was of course a step back, as it was for everyone, but in 2021 we made a big step forward. I thought it might be to compensate the loss of the previous year, but 2022 was even better. We have tripled our sales in six years. In five years, we have increased our organic cotton usage from 20% to over 50% of our sales.

How does using recycled cotton affect the performance?

By its very nature, the fibres used in recycled cotton are shorter so the performance isn’t exactly the same. With normal cotton, we reach 600mm of hydrostatic head [a measurement of waterproofness], and with the best recycled ones, it’s 500mm, which is still very good.

You’ve expanded into Asia recently with new agents in South Korea, for instance. Where are your biggest markets?

It is a very exciting time for us and we can now say that geographically, we are in almost all the continents, except Africa. Our work with our partners in South Korea has been informative and has helped to support growth. Right now we have our sights set on additional activity in the US as well as continuing our great success in Europe. 

Can you tell us a bit about Ventile in the footwear market?

The versatility of Ventile means that our fabric has been used by Dr. Martens. The fabric worked particularly well as part of the upper, with the brand choosing Blaze Orange and Black Navy. That was a nice collaboration, as we have a similar history. French brand Bonne Gueule, known for their sustainable practices, also chose the recycled cotton version for a recent collection. 

Ventile must be recognised by the consumers. Is that something you’re also trying to push?

It is great when we hear from our customers about their Ventile items. On social media, we recently featured a customer wearing a Ventile jacket from back in the 1970s. There are some avid fans of the fabric and it is always lovely to see; we would always encourage customers to get in touch if they have a story about Ventile as our brand is based on our heritage. Our partners also see this and love to use this message to promote their garments.

What are the priorities now? Are you working on anything new?

Our aim is to provide sustainable solutions for the next generation of designers. In the future we would look to be able to produce an entry-level fabric with a slightly lower price point, that is both sustainable, weatherproof and breathable. It is technically a bit challenging, we are not there yet, but this is one of my targets. 

Is this something your customers are asking for?

More and more the topic of biodegradability comes up and we are getting more enquiries about this than ever before.  It is clearly high on the agenda for consumers and brands in the textile industry.

Life-saving fabric gains new lease of life

Ventile’s first job was to save lives. During the Second World War, British fighter pilots were sent on reconnaissance missions, taking off from merchant ships. But with no way to land back on the ships, ejecting into the sea was treacherous and the outlook was grim: only 20% survived the cold water. The Royal Air Force (RAF) realised they needed new clothing, and the Shirley Institute in Manchester developed the tightly woven material using extra-long staple cotton which proved a game changer for the pilots: once wearing Ventile, the survival rate jumped to 80%.

Ventile was widely adopted by the RAF and used all over the world. It featured in the first summit of Everest in 1953 and was worn by Sir Ranulph Fiennes when he crossed the Arctic and Antarctic from 1979 to 1982. The British Antarctic Survey Team also used it for years, in jackets and in tents, protecting researchers from the 140mph winds.

“One of the beauties of Ventile is it is breathable,” explains Mark Burrows, who owned the Ventile brand from 2000 until his retirement in 2017. “Retired RAF pilots would ring up to tell me how good it was. The man-made fabrics that followed just didn’t give the same comfort and breathability at altitude. Hearing people’s stories who’ve been in the air with it or to the Antarctic makes you feel proud.”

The fabric was initially woven in UK factories, in Colne and then at Talbot weaving in Chorley. But as the British dyeing houses went out business, it was sent to Switzerland for finishing, and a relationship with Stotz & Co was formed. It produced a similar product called EtaProof, and the companies later collaborated on the manufacture of the fabrics. When Talbot closed, its then production manager, Mr Burrows, took over the Ventile brand with a colleague.

“Until then, it was mainly focused on Ministry of Defence, outdoor and expedition wear,” explains Mr Burrows. However, a meeting with a Nike executive catapulted it into the fashion and luxury sectors. “Companies began to put it in hats, jackets, bags and boots,” he says. “From then, it grew at a rapid pace.”

Shoe companies such as Converse and Clarks put in orders; Prince Charles wore a Ventile coat around Balmoral; actor Eddie Redmayne wore it on a magazine cover; singer Liam Gallagher’s Pretty Green brand bought thousands of metres. “He loves it, he still wears it on stage,” says Mr Burrows. 

One of his principles was to keep the price the same for everybody. “I never discounted, no matter where they were from or the volumes. I believed the fabric was of good enough quality to hold its price. You devalue the brand if you start discounting, and our customers respected that.”

The growth of Ventile brought closer collaboration between the UK side of the business and Thomas Stotz in Switzerland. When Mr Burrows retired, the decision to sell the brand name to Stotz was an easy one, knowing it was in safe hands. “Its origin dictated that it had to be top quality, and the important thing is it has not been cheapened with lower quality yarns.”

In 2018, Stotz began to offer an Eco range; first with organic cotton, later moving into recycled cotton, hemp, lyocell and linen blends. In 2019, it launched a marketing campaign promoting its role in ‘slow fashion’, and in 2021, it moved to a fully PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR). Last year, it celebrated its 80th anniversary, testament to the lasting appeal of this high performing cotton fabric.

Daniel Odermatt, brand director at Ventile.  
Credit: Ventile

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