Rockay is a premium US running apparel brand with a mission to provide runners sustainable and world-class products by turning plastic into fabrics. Rockay was founded by Daniel Chabert Pfefferkorn in 2018 because of his passion for running. He realised that the world does not need another average running brand. Pfefferkorn spoke to Fibre2Fashion about recycling ocean plastic to design high quality socks and the future plans at Rockay
How are the socks at Rockay different from others that help in running?
They are softer, more durable and free of odour. Washing them less will extend the lifetime usage of socks. That is not only sustainable but good for the wallet. We really work hard to place extra cushioning in the right places so you can avoid blisters and we add just the right amount of mesh zones so your feet can ventilate as well.
How and when did you start Rockay? Why did you decide to manufacture socks? What was the first variety of socks you manufactured?
We started Rockay back in January 2018, but we were not ready to sell until May the same year. I had the idea to make an entire line of running clothes, but I thought socks would be easier for a small company to start with. It is also one of the most important pieces of clothing for running and often cause of lot of problems for a lot of runners.
The first sock we created was the Accelerate, an all-round running sock that can be used all year and for more than just running.
Who are the major investors in the company?
Nobody but myself. I am not looking for any investors and do not look to sell the company. The idea is to make something that can become my legacy one day. I hope the company can inspire change from a sustainable point of view and I think investors often look for a return on their investment and not making a difference to our planet. I prefer to grow slower and bootstrap all the way versus growing ten times quicker with big investors. One day I hope I can convert the company into a fund, so it can never be liquidated or sold.
Where are your factories located? Is it following a totally sustainable model itself?
Our factories are in Lithuania. We sell about 40 per cent of our socks in Europe and so it is close to the market. We also try to ship directly from the factory to our main warehouses, cutting our middlemen and reducing additional transportation.
How do you pool in the ocean plastic waste to manufacture your products? Do you take help from any local waste disposal bodies for the same?
This is done via our partner Aquafil; they handle the entire process and are probably the best in the world at what they do.
Do you manufacture the fabrics for the socks? If yes, what is the process of turning ocean plastic into textiles? If no, where do you source fabrics from?
No, we do not make our own fabrics. Our goal is one day to have a lab that can work with turning waste into fabric and research and develop new technologies that makes our clothing even more sustainable but also perform even better. Sustainability doesn't mean much if the quality of the product is not world-class.We made these socks from Econyl, Qnova and recycled spandex.
What is the fabric composition of the socks made at Rockay? How different are these from the ones made from virgin fibres?
They are similar to virgin fibres, but ours are 100 per cent recycled. We switched from Merino wool because it was not durable enough in combination with nylon and polyamide. It would rip too often and therefore, we used Econyl and recycled nylon. We have improved the durability of the sock a lot.
Do you use only 100 per cent fabrics made from ocean plastic to make clothing? Any design or manufacturing challenges in using regenerated fabrics?
All yarns are 10 per cent recycled and on average about 50 per cent from ocean waste. We spent a year developing the yarn to what we need it for. You cannot just buy it off the shelves. We had to change the yarn to add more elasticity to it. Twisting it and dyeing it in a special way so it doesn't lose its strength and stretch and recovery. Same with the sock machines, they have to be custom coded to work with our yarns.
What is the carbon and water-footprint of the production processes used in making Rockay socks?
We do not have accurate numbers to give you something you can present here, but using waste and already produced fabric, and recycling it has been documented to offset almost 50 per cent of the carbon footprint of making new yarn from petroleum.
Are you only into socks or plan to extend into other products like leggings?
Yes, we will do a full apparel line-up with tights, jackets etc.
Which are your best-selling items? Which price-points sell well?
We have only sold two products so far but have opened for pre-orders on all the new socks now and the Razer Trail socks are really popular along with our all-day comfort and athletic sock, 20Four7.
Which are your major markets geographically? What is your retail presence?
The United States accounts for 50 per cent, 40 per cent is scattered around the European Union and the rest of the world is 10 per cent.
What is the target set for the next two years?
Last year we focused on making all our products 100 per cent recycled and on finding our mission and the right people to start this journey. Now we are ready beyond that to get into apparel as well. We want to make this brand a global one. We want to inspire change and really do something good for our planet.
What are your plans for next year?
A complete apparel line-up is coming up in 2020 and we want to get into casual clothing and running shoes as well. (HO)
Published on: 02/11/2019
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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