FEATURE


How sustainability-led apparel brands are challenging the wholesale cycle


By Emma Karslake A


growing cohort of cycling apparel brands is challenging the entrenched dynamics of a seasonal wholesale cycle built on volume, discounting and inventory risk. In its place, a different model


is emerging: small-batch production, direct-to-consumer control, and a focus on longevity over turnover. For retailers and distributors, the question is no longer whether this shift is happening, but whether and how they can participate in it. Brands such as GRVL, Kostüme and LUCA illustrate different facets of this transition. While their positioning and product focus vary, they converge on a shared premise: brands can thrive with a business model based around sustainability and small-batch releases.


www.bikebiz.com


Beyond fabrics: sustainability as a system While the cycling industry is still at the peak of its plastic age, alternatives to traditional petrol-based materials are starting to appear on the market. GRVL, a gravel cycling apparel brand, places innovative fabrics at the centre of its sustainability model, as it currently sells jerseys made mostly of Tencel and merino wool, with just 6% plastic (elastane). This summer, it will also launch new jerseys made entirely of recycled ocean plastic treated with an additive during the fibre extrusion, which makes the end product biodegradable. Further down the line, GRVL is planning to produce 100% Tencel jerseys with the necessary stretch built into the fibre weave instead of using elastane.


July 2026 | 11


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