Totally Innovative Winter Style: A Q&A With DUER’s Elizabeth Davey

This winter, DUER is redefining cold-weather wear with cutting-edge fabrics and thoughtful designs. In this exclusive Q&A, Elizabeth Davey, Director of Product, shares how innovations like Tech Fleece Denim, Performance Flannel, and All Weather Denim combine style, comfort, and durability to meet the demands of both urban and outdoor explorers. Discover the inspiration behind the collection and what makes DUER a leader in functional fashion—and enter to win! (Also, on December 2, 2024, Duer is offering up to 50% off Winter Denim for one day only, during their Cyber Monday Exclusive, plus up to 50% off select styles!) —Vita Daily

Can you walk us through the innovative process behind the new Tech Fleece Denim? How does weaving fleece directly into the fabric enhance comfort and performance?

Our Tech Fleece is really unique in the market for a number of reasons. Unlike traditional fleece-lined jeans, where a layer of fleece is glued to a layer of denim, we interweave the fleece fibers with denim fibers. The advantage is that air is still able to pass through the fabric, which makes it highly breathable while still offering warmth. This also enables the fabric to offer temperature regulation, which simply means you can maintain a comfortable body temperature when you’re moving between hot and cold environments. Our approach also gives a cozy feel without sacrificing that classic denim look and without the bulk.

The Performance Flannel incorporates graphene, a cutting-edge material. How does this technology improve the functionality of a classic flannel shirt for winter wear?

Graphene, a Nobel Prize-winning nanofibre, keeps you warm without overheating and cools you down when temperatures rise without impacting the fabric’s weight, breathability, or soft feel. Traditional flannels are often scratchy and stiff with patterns that telegraph a casual, cabin look. Our considered approach to constructing this flannel really came from a desire to create a sophisticated look in a fabric that is soft and flexible. The Performance Flannel offers a refined take on the classic flannel. That said, this flannel can still be a cozy layer thanks to the Graphene finish for warmth.

With the return of All Weather Denim, how has DUER continued to refine and evolve the design to meet the demands of both urban and outdoor environments?

We spent years perfecting the soft-shell technology the membrane offers in our All-Weather Denim. I mention this because the membrane hasn’t been altered and instead where we introduced newness is in fits. As preferences ebb and flow, we ensure that fits across our winter denim collection are updated. Given the All-Weather Denim is like nothing else on the market – the hero aspect being the windproof membrane that manages core body temperature – we didn’t see a need to change the key benefit of this product. When we speak to innovation at DUER it often relates to years of research before any product comes on the market, which also means we don’t pivot unless we come across an issue with performance or functionality in the design.

Durability and comfort are key features of DUER products. How do you ensure that performance fibres, triple-stitched seams, and other technical elements come together seamlessly for all-day wear?

We talk a lot about this in the inception stage of any fabric, fit or style. We are relentless when it comes to ensuring features are purposeful and design is versatile – from adding just the right amount of stretch, to deeper pockets that easily fit any sized phone, to triple-stitched seams for the active customer who needs to perform in our product. Part of our process is to identify what the problem is we’re looking to solve with each style. This orientation gives us a strict decision pathway when it comes to landing the ecosystem for features. We are known for designing products that move freely (stretch fabrics), have longevity of wear (performance fibres), and look beautiful (contemporary design features). It’s definitely not easy to hit all of these at once but if we’re missing one, at least we know we’re back to the drawing board.

What seasonal trends or consumer needs influenced the design choices for this winter’s collection, and how do these innovations reflect DUER’s overall brand philosophy?

What we’ve noticed is that even in winter months our customers want to do less with more. They want to rely on a smaller closet of items to take them further. This consumer preference is one of the main reasons we spent years designing the Winter Denim Collection. We were met with the challenge of a customer that didn’t want to deal with bulky layers, and we have a customer that wants to look sharp regardless of outside temperatures. This is a simple example of our design philosophy that’s rooted in solving problems rather than just introducing another pant to the market without anything special. We talked about the Performance Flannel, but our Moleskin layers are also born out of a need for a layer that is crafted from natural fibres for moisture management and bacterial inhibiting properties. This again is solving for the person that doesn’t want to own a closet full of layers and instead wants a few high quality pieces that transition easily between climates and occasions.

Win! His & Hers Duer Winter Outfits!

Two lucky Canadian winners will each receive an up-to-$300 his or hers Duer outfit (works out to about two items per prize)! To enter, head over to Instagram, follow @duerperformance and @vitadailymedia and make sure to fulfil all the entry rules in the caption of the corresponding contest post. Contest opens December 1, 2024 and closes December 7, 2024. Complete contest rules and regulations here. Please note: if you are the winner, you will receive a DM (direct message) in Instagram directly from @vitadailymedia. Please be wary of fake accounts, which often use similar handles with an extra or missing letter, number or symbol. We will never ask for a payment or for your credit card number, and we will never ask you to click through a link. If you are unsure whether you have been contacted, via Instagram, by us or a fake account, email us before responding.