Meet Nick Sciubba

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Sciubba.

Hi Nick, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve worked in the apparel industry my whole career, primarily for large companies. I was disheartened how everything was so focused on achieving the lowest possible cost, while companies were engaging in wasteful supply chain practices and the products they were creating came at the expense of the well-being of the workers making them. I always had a clear vision for what I wanted Wise River to be, with an exclusive focus on eco-friendly, versatile materials that perform outdoors, but also clean up well for everyday life. I wanted to create gear that is just as at home on the trail as it is at the office or out to dinner. It required a lot of due diligence to make sure we were sourcing the right materials and placing them in the right facilities. We only work with certified manufacturers that uphold the highest degree of human rights compliance, and only source sustainable fabrics. 100% of the cotton we use is organic, and 82% of the synthetics (nylon and polyester) we use are recycled. We’re also one of the few companies out there making headwear out of hemp, and our flagship button-down shirts are made from TENCEL, which is spun from the pulp of eucalyptus trees, which are highly renewable.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s certainly been a wild ride. We anticipated launching a year before we actually did. When the pandemic hit, our primary manufacturer at the time had actually closed its doors and my point of contact went silent for months. I thought I had lost my entire investment, and it wasn’t uncommon for me to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and not be able to fall back asleep… Thankfully I was able to get back in touch and was also able to have my materials moved to a new facility in the region. With this, we had to start the sampling and product approval process all over again, losing significant time and enduring the additional costs of moving materials and creating new prototypes. In the end, we work with a wonderful supplier that we are extremely happy with, and have built a strong relationship for years to come. In addition, we’ve learned a lot along the way. We’ve made plenty of mistakes, and we’ve figured out the importance of physical retail for a startup clothing company. We didn’t plan on doing much wholesaling to begin with but found that the gear was moving really well once people were able to get a feel for the materials and the quality. This led to us expanding our wholesale program considerably more than we expected to.

We’ve been impressed with Wise River, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Wise River makes outdoor gear that’s kind to the outdoors. We create clothing using premium eco-friendly performance fabrics, designed to keep up with your active lifestyle. Our flagship button-down shirt is made from eucalyptus trees, and our hats are made of hemp. We only work with organic cotton and have additional collections that are made from recycled water bottles and commercial fishing nets. We look to source the world’s most innovative materials and start by considering their environmental impact. In the end, we aim to marry the notions of versatility and sustainability into everything we create, so you can get more out of your gear while lessening your impact on the environment.

We also want to assure that we are constantly living our brand values, one of which is “preserve what you love.” Our public lands give so much to us, that we believe it’s our responsibility to give back and work to preserve them. We’re proud to partner with American Rivers, and we donate a portion of each sale to help support the incredible work that they do. In addition, we just launched a campaign for Earth Day that was incredibly successful, where we donated 100% of the proceeds to support healthy ecosystems and migratory fish habitats.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I think success comes in iterations and learning from your mistakes. I feel like you can develop a great product, but there is always an opportunity to make it better. Embrace your failures, and learn from them. Accept feedback and apply it. Look at things with a critical eye and understand where there’s opportunity.

In addition, I also think success comes in the form of building community. If you’re able to develop a network that wants to be a part of your mission, you’re doing something right. You’re inspiring purpose, and you’re bringing people together. If you’ve got people that want to be a part of what you’re doing and willingly share it with others, that’s a pretty awesome feeling.

Contact Info:

• Email: nick@wiseriverco.com
• Website: www.wiseriverco.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/wise_river
• Facebook: facebook.com/wiseriverapparel

Image Credits
Ross Beitzel, Eric Braker