About us
About us
Heya 👋 I'm Ali Namdari (on the left), founder of Labo Mono. Nice to meet you!
What we do and why we do it
We're on a mission to encourage new explorations, both outdoors and in our lives, while leaving a positive impact 🌍
To us, adventure rhymes with bold moods and spirits. And we believe that outdoor clothing should be more fun and colourful, for everyone.
That’s why we make Audacious Jackets built for Life's Adventures and the Greater Good.
This season our Give-Back model is supporting The Wildlife Trusts. ❤️
How it started
In summer 2018, I was cycling home when I got caught in a rainstorm. I only had one of those thin windbreakers on me and was drenched by the time I arrived.
Super frustrated and still dripping wet, I started to look online for a proper waterproof jacket.
That's when I realised that most technical jackets looked the same, and - let's be honest - all looked very dull.
I needed something functional yet in my style, to wear everyday whether I'd be cycling to work, hanging out with friends, or even hiking.
And besides some great names, most outerwear brand were very opaque on their social & environmental impact.
So as a side project, I decided to imagine my ideal jacket.
The idea really stuck in my head. I was working as an app designer at the time, but all I coud think of was this new project.
And the more I was learning about clothing, the more I was getting excited.
A few months in, I decided to quit my job and embark on this new journey full-time.
After a year of sketches, YouTube tutorials, failed prototypes, user tests and feedback, I finally presented the project and the first product on Kickstarter, which was successfully funded 3 days later 🎉.
Labo Mono was born.
Our aim is to create pieces of clothing that aren’t just pleasant to look at, but also cleverly functional and durable.
All that while using sustainable materials, produced ethically.
Ali Namdari - Founder & Designer
Ethically produced
It is important for us to be transparent about our different process, and especially the manufacturing one.
I screened many factories before committing to our current partner.
Main criteria: quality, social responsibility, sustainability and price.
And to make sure we work with the right people, I packed my suitcase and went out to visit them personally.
You can read more about all this process and discover our factory right here.
A modern and well advanced technical garment factory that share our commitment to ethical manufacturing.
The very skilled and super friendly employees are all working in a clean, safe and regulated environment.
If you'd like to learn more, I share everything from our last visit on our Blog, in this article here.
The difficult months searching for the right factory have paid off!
