"Today we're going to put our focus on a textile called Digidown… and before we go on, yes this project was concurrently inspired by the movie The Gentlemen!

Digidown is a blend between several technologies that have appeared over the last 5 years; a combination of 3D printing for strategic lamination, and upcycled down that is processed as an intermediary layer between textiles. Instead of the conventional way laminates are created, which involves full sheets of glue to stick two or more textiles together, Digidown utilizes a range of printers designed to precisely apply glue for lamination, allowing for better stretch while maintaining durability.

We were sent a couple variations of these textiles from our friend Ruth Kelly, founder of fabric development consultancy, Weft x Warp, who's been a great friend to us with regards to sourcing and just generally someone we can geek out with about cool textiles. According to Ruth, the purpose of creating this new type of textile was to impart the benefits of softshell without compromising on the active characteristics of stretch, comfort and thermal regulation. So really...What better way to utilize this textile than a tracksuit?!"

Follow the link to project log for the build.

"Today we're going to talk about the Visvim 20L Ballistic Backpack. The 20l Ballistic its a deeply emotional product for me. When the original Hypatex Visvim 20L dropped in (2001?) I was obsessed... it kept me up at night! Even though i knew nothing about bags, i loved this thing. The idea of spending 350$ (the retail price at the time) on a bag was crazy to me at the time. Oh boi... if only i knew where this was going... 350 is a cheap pack in my collection (which i call the Hoarde) here at HQ today. In order to save the pennies on buying the $350 pack from a brand I never heard of... I learned how to sew! On my mothers sewing machine, which was a dusty neglected sewing table in the basement of our house. It took me months to realize it was worth 350$ to buy this bag... by I had spent far more on my attempt and had results far from what I envisioned. This process gave me a serious understanding of cost, quality, and expectations.

Nearly 20years later in 2018 I got this Red 20L Ballistic as a reward for founding INTERN... it means a lot to me on a lot of levels. But no product should be sacred and its time to learn why its so great... and also where its not so great. After 20years I'm going to pull the thread on the mystery of why, among the hundreds of bags in the Hoarde, I still grab this one most often despite all its issues. Todays day 26. And this ones for me, but I hope and believe you all will enjoy it as well".

Follow the link to video and project log for the build.

"Today is about iteration and process. Every time we come back to it, we find a way of improving upon its predecessor. We are talking about the DutyPack, a bag that was released in ultra-limited quantity last year and takes around 72hrs to construct from start to finish.

We have iterated on this bag several times since then, and are continuing down that path. We are also 'oh so close' to being able to package this up as a DIY project for the makers at home! More on this to come.

This version of the DutyPack features what might be our new favourite textile: Spectra MicroGrid reinforced X-PAC from Dimension Polyant. It creates such a beautiful texture. We also used a 300D recycled polyester ripstop with a metallized face as the liner. Gone are the days of trying to find that pen at the bottom of your bag!

Every one of our team members now carries a different version of DutyPack, and I'm sure there will be even more versions before this one is all said and done".

Follow the link to project log for the build.

"With only a couple days remaining in the INTERN 30-day DIY Design Challenge, we tackle day 28 with a weird medley of concepts... blended into something I'm calling a "mobile office command case." A modern alternative to the classic briefcase.

This Dimension Polyant VX-07 shelled carry case has a hard framed interior that holds all your kit upright. When you pull up to the office you can deploy the command case and rest it on the floor as a blend between carry accessory and furniture.

This was a tricky build, sewing around hard panels that dont fully fit within our sewing machines proved to be more challenging than anticipated. All in all this was a full 24hour build, occupying me right through the night... as is tradition the delirium of sleeplessness made for some fun constructions".

Follow the link to project log for the build.

"The challenge is very near to it's end, just one more day remains. So in order to be able to tick the box "from head to toe" we decided to spend day 29 on creating a technical hat.

One of our largest grievances in the techwear market today is as serious lack of unique headgear. So many hats are iterations of the exact same pattern. In order to address this we took a swing at creating a more unique silhouette and pattern than one typically sees in a hat.

The final result is a neat little skull cap with a slightly shorter-than-typical brim, and a dropped hemline that hugs the back of the skull. Fully seam taped, made from a combination of 3L waterproof breathable Toray Entrant membrane fabric on the front, and a stretchy, cozy, fleece lined Everest softshell fabric on the back".

Follow the link to project log for the build.

"Wow. Sitting here writing this final post is a little emotional… 30 days of exploration from dawn to dusk and back again and we're finally at the finish line. It's been quite the journey, yet also feels like we are just getting started… going to need a few good nights of sleep...The next few weeks and months will be about trying to further develop some of these products with community input, which brings us to today's build. For a little while now, we've been working with a startup European brand called Delta & Time. They share the same passion we do in trying to approach the atypical; it's one of the main reasons we have decided to team up. In this vein, they've allowed us to share what we're creating with them to the community, from the fit system that we're developing alongside the process of design iteration. That's why for our final post, we're going to be sharing what it takes to build an outerwear piece at the highest level for one of our clients.

The concept is getting to a good place. Next, we'll be sharing with you the ins and outs of technical development at the factory level with our partner @ditechapparel.

Until then though, it's been a slice. Adios".

Follow the link to project log for the build.