Girls, Climbing and Clothing

by Jenny Hebert

Recently, Planet Rock was visited by Jenn Quattrocchi, owner of Vertical Girl Clothing. This friendly and out-going woman left quite an impression, and more than one Vertical Girl sticker is now pasted to various surfaces throughout the Ann Arbor gym. Based out in Seattle, the company is working their way into the Midwest. We had a chance to chat, and Jenn revealed a bit more about the company and herself. Check out some of their stuff at verticalgirlclothing.com, and expect a lot more for 2011!

When was the idea for Vertical Girl first conceived?

Truth be told, VG was not my idea. Rich Johnston, owner of Vertical World (America’s First Climbing Gym) approached me with the idea. Late in the Summer of 2008, I met Rich on a climbing trip. When he found out I had a design background, he immediately brought up the idea for Vertical Girl, which he had conceived (and trademarked) some years earlier. Rich had attempted to launch the company before, but hadn’t quite met the right person to design the product and run the project… and thus, our partnership was born.

How did it all start out?  Were you slaving over a sewing machine on your living room floor?

Ha! My sewing skills are not adequate for climbing clothes!

As a designer, I am a problem solver, so when we were looking for a place to start, we decided to hold a focus group. We had several women go out and buy clothing that they would use to train and climb in (we had some guidelines, including a budget). Based on what they brought back, we made a laundry list of likes, dislikes, issues, requests, etc… and we noted some strong trends.

From this, we built a spec list for the garments, and I drew up the initial designs. After that we just put the pieces together – samples, sourcing, etc.

Were the designs something you’d had in mind for a while?  Had you made something similar for yourself in the past?

Definitely not. We learned a lot from our focus group, and really took it to heart. There were some basic concepts that I had always found to work well, so I was sure to incorporate those, but it was mainly problem solving.

The patterns are functional and no-nonsense.  There are no absurdly flashy colors or eye-catching flowery prints, and no cuts made solely for the sake of sex appeal.  I, and I would imagine many others, really appreciate this focus on the movement and activity of climbing itself rather than on self-image.  It’s easy to sit around on a boulder and look sexy, but climbing, it is hard, and it’s in this challenge that we should revel.  Having looked at the photographs you have on the VG website, I’ve seen that although the clothing is simple, it is made stunningly beautiful by the body wearing it.  Well done!

Thanks. My founding design principal has always been that simple is best. When you strip away all of the flashy extras (which is often used to hide design flaws) the design has to be strong in order to work. It’s a real test. I also have found that the simplest items are often the most versatile.

Speaking of pictures, tell of the inaugural VG photo shoot.

That was a killer day. Yep. One day. One day, four climbers, two photographers, one videographer, myself and a crew to haul gear. And… to top it all of, we did it in [notoriously rainy] Western Washington. It was literally as if the clouds parted to give us our shots. You know when something comes together so well you are doing it right!

Your website has photos of more than just women crushing.  I also spied some impressive shots of aerial acrobatics.  Do explain!

Well, my background is not only as a climber, but also a trapeze artist. There is a natural cross over between the two lifestyles, and most aerialists also climb.

Does VG sponsor any athletes?  Are there some major events where we can expect to see your logo popping up?

We do! We have a full roster of women from 15 to almost 50. Being a Vertical Girl is about more than crushing—it’s a mindset, personality type. We sponsor strong women—women who are changing the face of climbing and are community leaders. Our Vertical Girls have been everywhere from “America’s Got Talent” to Opera Magazine. I like to sponsor women who impress me, which is hard, because I think that everyone can do one thing really well [climbing for example] but it takes a truly strong person to be good at many things.

The thing about Vertical Girls is they are everywhere, so, in 2011, I’d expect to see them on a LOT of podiums, crushing at a LOT of top crags and generally being the faces of a dynamic and evolving climbing community.

Do you have big plans for the company in 2011 and beyond?

The big plan is to stay true to our mission. We continue to listen to climbers, and solve their problems – in the simplest, most sustainable way possible. So, when you think about company growth like that… anything is possible. Our growth will be organic, and it will always be driven by the climbing community.

How did your own love for the vertical life begin?

I grew up in Northwest Montana, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. I’ve always loved being outside, I’ve always been strong, and I’ve always loved working really hard… when you put all of those things together you get rock climbing. For me, it’s always been there.

What’s your favorite place to climb?

I live in Seattle, so, I love anywhere that’s dry!

Where would you LIKE to climb?

Three years ago I had a trip planned to Geyikbayiri, Turkey that got canceled. I plan to go as soon as I have time.

Any advice for young women seeking their niche within the climbing community?

Work 16 hours a day, surround yourself with good people, and do it because you love it.