W.L. Gore Creates Incubator Business

W.L. Gore & Associates, best known as a materials company that provides the breathable and waterproof Gore-Tex fabric to top brands in the industry for their outerwear and activewear, has created a fashion start-up to design, market and sell apparel directly to consumers. [...]while Gore sets specifications for what can be done with its fabrics and works with a limited number of manufacturers, it still relies on what she called the "host brand" for the design and production of the garments. [...]in an attempt to have more control over its offering, Gore is exploring a different business model, she said - one that will allow the brand to create product and sell it directly to the consumer for the first time in its 63-year history. Wilson is working with Jonathan Hart, founder of Sitka Gear, a technical apparel brand for hunters, on the creation and launch of Viev.