Colorado Sustainable Apparel Brand Kastlfel Expands COVID Fundraising Efforts

Lakewood, Colorado-based Kastlfel, a supplier of sustainably manufactured and printed apparel for destination resort and specialty retail, retools its product offerings and printing capabilities.

On March 27, the company launched its Rise Up and Lock Down fundraising campaign supporting the Colorado COVID Relief Fund (CCRF). The updated program now includes a fabric face mask at no charge with every garment sold. Fifty percent of all online garment sales will continue to be donated to CCRF.

“This week, we received the $10,000 advance from the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for a loan that could be in six figures. We were also approved for a PPP loan,” says COO Will Glennie. “We were proactive in applying for these lifeline loans in concern for our staff, and in the coming months, we will see how these funds can help. A week ago, we designed a face mask pattern and print template, and today we have requests for thousands of masks where they are needed,” Glennie adds.

Kastlfel says it commits to adapting its business model toward the combined goals of providing non-medical masks to resort/destination operators, expanding its fundraising initiatives, and getting Coloradans back to work at Kastlfel. Human health and safety are the company’s No. 1 concern, but it says the “changing environmental and financial landscape of a post-COVID-19 world is also a concern.”

“I think about the challenges we will face in the coming months and years. I don’t know what the new normal will be, but as leaders, we need to start thinking about it now,” says Jerry Wheeler, CEO. “Our resort business might not return until 2021, and we might be printing masks for the foreseeable future to stay in business and support our staff. However, with the expanded use of disposable gloves and masks, waste will increase, and we will need to innovate again to address these problems. Trying to solve for COVID today and beyond, that’s what keeps me up at night,” Wheeler states.

The revised fundraising effort now includes a free fabric face mask with each T-shirt purchase.

For businesses, Kastlfel is offering custom branded masks and a variety of reusable mask styles. It’s printing custom masks at its water-based print facility Denver Print House.

For every 100,000 masks sold to businesses, Kastlfel will donate 1,000 masks to those in need.

For more information on the Rise Up program, visit www.kastlfel.com, follow Kastlfel on Instagram (@Kastlfel), and view the hashtags #RiseUpColorado #KnowYourProductsStory.