Namuk: outdoor clothes for kids

Ever heard of a ‘mole child’? The eldest son of Franz Bittmann, founder of the Swiss kids clothing label Namuk, was definitely a mole child in his early years. ‘His day consisted of eating, sleeping and digging in a hole in the ground for hours,’ says Bittmann with a chuckle.

Sounds like a dream for many parents, but there was a catch: Bittmann’s youngest boy was forever tearing his trousers to shreds in the mud. ‘Four pairs of trousers in three weeks was not unusual.’ Most families just throw torn trousers in the bin, but Franz Bittmann had other ideas. He took some scissors and a magnifying glass to examine his son’s worn clothing more closely.

What he found left him less than impressed: ‘Cheap fabrics, porous seams, poor quality. For kids’ clothing, cutting corners seems to be the rule!’ What Bittmann aspired to were durable jackets and trousers that let kids run around outside for hours, in all weather. So, he sat down at his sewing machine and started making clothes for his son.

No compromises and attention to detail

Not all dads can do that, of course. But Bittmann could, having learnt to sew at school. As a passionate snowboarder, he designed his own winter sports clothing from an early age – initially just for himself, then for friends, and later on his company produced clothing for 300 shops in 17 countries under the name Eleven. The decline of the snowboard boom signalled the end of the brand. After that, self-made tailor Bittmann advised major brands in the textile sector on design and production. The birth of his son got him back into the business: ‘As my son grew up, I also realised that there was a huge demand among the people I knew for kids’ clothing that was suitable for tomboys, daredevils and young adventurers.’ The result of all this? Franz Bittmann and his wife created the kids’ clothing label Namuk in 2016.

Bittmann’s goals are ambitious: ‘We want kids to spend as much time outdoors as possible, beyond all the temptations of electronic media. And to achieve this, we kit kids out so that they can stay outside whatever the weather, for as long as they want.’ For Bittmann, there are no compromises: ‘We put the maximum amount of work, passion and attention to detail into every one of our items.’ The Quest ski suit is a good example. It was Namuk’s first product on the market and is still a bestseller today.

Being 100% waterproof and nice and warm is almost a given, of course. But kids and parents alike are also impressed by the toilet zip, incorporated braces and a removable waste pocket. Other features include a concealed dummy holder, gloves with magnetic fasteners and quick-opening zips: all features that are game changers for stress-free everyday family life. Each pair of trousers or jacket needs about two years to develop until the fabric, cut and technical details are just right: dedication that Bittmann hopes Namuk’s customers notice and appreciate.

Vision and wisdom

The brand’s headquarters in Wetzikon, in the Zurich Highlands, are surrounded by a real paradise for the mole kids mentioned earlier. Lake Pfäffikersee and the nearby Tössbergland mountain region are the perfect playground for Namuk’s digging-mad product testers, mischievously called the ‘heavy-user kids’ by Bittmann. They are the real reason why Namuk knows what kids (and parents) want. ‘When we develop a product, we take five different fabrics and put the clothing through its paces for three months.’

The samples are then returned, accompanied by a completed questionnaire. For the small and relatively young Namuk brand, it’s the feedback from the mole kids themselves that opens the doors to the world’s most innovative textile manufacturers. ‘Global retailers sometimes need five years for their feedback. With us, the suppliers know after three months whether something is working.’ This might be one of the reasons why Namuk is one of the first brands in the world to offer clothing with biodegradable Primaloft fibres.

Namuk is also the name of the cute owl that forms the company logo. It represents vision and wisdom, says Bittmann. A good fit, as Namuk has made sustainability a top priority. The company uses recycled materials wherever possible. Products are manufactured in a socially responsible and fair way. ‘We’re bucking the consumer craze, deliberately keeping our collection small and only change it every two years. The products retain their value for a long time,’ explains Bittmann. ‘They sell for top-dollar prices at swap meets.’ This also puts the relatively high purchase price into perspective, says Bittmann. Before long, his own three children will have outgrown the Namuk target group age. Is there going to be a collection for teenagers? Franz Bittmann is cautious on this: ‘At the moment, we’re sticking to clothing up to the age of twelve.’ Who knows though: maybe Bittmann will reach for his scissors and magnifying glass again some day. Namuk’s visionary mind may already know when.