Clothing brand Royal Robbins has been at the forefront of sustainable travel gear for the last 56 years. Its founders—the late Royal Robbins and his wife, Elizabeth Robbins, both renowned climbers whose life work took them to some of the world’s highest points—conceived of the idea, fittingly, on Half Dome. Their goal? To start a clothing line for climbers and adventurers that combined their own adventurous spirit with the clean climbing movement they helped to platform. Both follow a do-no-harm motto—in the case of clean climbing, removable, non-damaging gear like nuts and chocks are used over pitons and bolts, so as not to damage rocks.
The Royal Robbins team has kept that same regard at the forefront of the brand in the decades since, prioritizing transparency in the production process, ethical sourcing, and waste reduction, making them a pioneer of preservation and sustainability, two values that are more important than ever in a world that can no longer ignore the negative impacts of fast fashion. To help counteract the 92 million tons of clothing waste in the world, the brand creates durable adventure clothing with natural benefits that please travelers and the earth.
With two new collections on the horizon ideal for avid outdoorsmen, I sat down with Joanne Steinbauer, Royal Robbins’ senior director of product, to talk through Royal Robbins’ ethos, her favorite products, and how travelers can get involved with the brand’s sustainability efforts.
This story is part of April’s sustainability package, highlighting travel brands that are prioritizing environmental and social responsibilities in a meaningful way.
What was your introduction to the brand?
I started my career in New York, and I’ve worked in all different areas of the industry. I have a background in high fashion, and I’ve done mass market, children’s wear, and athleisure. I was intrigued by Royal Robbins when looking at its amazing history and extensive industry knowledge. As an avid triathlete, Royal Robbins allowed me to combine my passions. I enjoy being outdoors, and it allows me to use my own experiences and adventures to help with designs and new products.
Regarding partnerships, what standards do you hold your partners and suppliers to?
We work with a lot of different vendors when it comes to material, trim vendors, and factories. We have a very strict code of conduct. Everyone we work with adheres to the restricted substance list [Editor’s note: This includes certain mercury, nickel release, and polybrominated biphenyls (a flame retardant).]. We’re part of the broader Fenix group, and they are an industry leader in that area. We’re constantly monitoring the corporate social responsibility reports for all our vendors.
The brand uses a lot of natural fibers such as hemp, Tencel modal, and cotton. What are the practices around cultivating these materials?
Over the years, we’ve created a close bond between our team and the mills we use. Liz and Royal were one of the first brands to use hemp as a clothing material. Traditionally, for outdoor gear, we’ve seen a utilitarian yarn used because we thought it was the most durable and the softest. Now, hemp has made its way into the conversation, and from a sustainable standpoint, less water is used [in its production], and you can offset the need for pesticides when harvesting. Our mills blend the hemp fibers to create the yarn we use in our clothing. You only need 30% hemp in a product to unlock the natural technologies that hemp provides, such as odor-blocking and temperature regulation, which are favorite features among our camping and hiking customers. It’s a strong fixture in our spring and summer collections
