The Overland, formerly known as Morvélo Overland, has just launched its latest collection on a new, dedicated online store: Overland-Store.com.
Not simply an Autumn/Winter seasonal offering, this latest set of designs completes a perennial range of versatile clothing ready to take you on any adventure. Given their ten-year history of subverting cycling culture as Morvélo Bicycle Apparel, the team’s output as The Overland will always show some cycling DNA: the technical stretch fabrics are well suited to long days on the road, trail, and gravel paths.
The modular layering system and plentiful well-designed storage solutions also make this clothing ideal for touring and commuting.
Why ditch the Morvélo moniker? “Well, it was a tough decision,” said Morvélo and The Overland co-founder Oli Pepper. “The Overland was originally created for gravel/adventure riding and bikepacking, where we felt traditional road and mountain bike clothing didn’t quite fit. But as I see it, this side of cycling is a broader church that embraces the wider outdoors and adventure sport world, more than that of traditional cycle sport. Many people who use a bicycle as a means for exploring – as opposed to being an out-and-out cyclist – are also likely to be involved in other outdoor pursuits. Trail running, climbing, surfing, snowboarding – you name it!”
Oli explains that multi-modal design is at the heart of The Overland’s ethos, ensuring that each garment is capable of leading multiple lives.
He said: “At the time of designing the collection, we acutely aware of some alarming figures about the clothing industry. The world makes 400 per cent more clothing now than it did 20 years ago, and that clothing is used 36 per cent less. With The Overland, we are responding to this by enabling customers to use these clothes not just for cycling but for all kinds of outdoor pursuits, with an aesthetic that wouldn’t raise eyebrows on a night out!”
Operating a small, independent and boot-strapped business model can be limiting in some respects, but it allows The Overland team to personally oversee every aspect. As such, the ethical approach to design and manufacture also extends to other Overland initiatives, such as becoming a member of 1% for the Planet, planting a tree for every order and uniquely giving ten per cent of your first order value to environmental charities if you sign up to their weekly newsletter.
The Overland is actively seeking retailers who share this vision and passion for an alternative approach to outdoors clothing.
