On September 13th, 2024, Zirkulu opened its first permanent store on Market Street, Kinsale. We're incredibly excited for what’s ahead, but a milestone like this is also a chance to reflect on our journey so far. It starts with a stroll on the beach...
Zirkulu’s Lockdown Origins
In December 2020, we, Jack and Fionn, took a walk along the coast near Kinsale. We were childhood friends who had spent the past year in Canada and France, road-tripping, camping, hiking, skiing, and reigniting our shared love for the great outdoors. We were back on home soil, but we wanted to keep feeding our passion for adventure. When you’re big on outdoor activities in a country like ours, the gear you use can make or break the experience. A good rain jacket is as essential as the right camping equipment. Taking the wild Irish weather as our inspiration, we decided to redesign the classic rain jacket based on the principles of the circular economy. We had read somewhere that the first people to land in Ireland after the Ice Age had originated in the Basque Country, a region of Spain and France. We took Zirkulu, the Basque word for “circle,” as our name and set off on our boldest adventure yet.
The Research Phase and Our First Production Run
We had our work cut out for us. Neither of us had a background in clothing design, so what followed was plenty of Googling, sharing articles, and piecing together what we found. The more we looked into the fashion industry, the more we realized how damaging traditional manufacturing processes were to the environment. We came to believe the future of outdoor apparel — and clothing in general — should be rooted in bio-based and renewable materials. Fabrics like Gore-Tex and polyester have been made the same way for so long. We asked ourselves: what comes next? And could we be the ones to help create that future?
It took us a year and a half, as well as a brief move to Lisbon, to find the perfect fabric, components, and production process to create our jacket. We learned that the University of Utah had an outdoor product design course, and through that, we connected with Abbey Chidlow, who became the lead designer for all our products. We launched a 60-day Kickstarter campaign in December 2022, and with the funds raised, we began production of the 'Endurance' shell jacket, 'Olann' merino wool fleece, and 'Origin' organic cotton T-shirt. Christmas came early the following year: our first batch of gear arrived in May 2023.
Zirkulu on Tour
We had some stock; now we needed customers. Budget was scarce for online ads, so meeting people face-to-face at events like ISPO, the Cork Summer Show, and the Ballymaloe Christmas Market seemed the best way to gain early exposure. Presenting the brand was a learning curve, and we were pretty green at the start! We understood our mission — sustainably-made clothing grounded in the principles of the circular economy — but articulating that took time. While it’s tempting to look to other brands for guidance, we don’t want to blend in with the crowd. We’ve worked to carve out our own narrative, trust our instincts, and represent ourselves in a way that feels authentic. We’re still refining that as we go.
Striking Base Camp
It was time to take the next step. In summer 2023, and again in summer 2024, we launched pop-ups in Kinsale, repurposing a small framing room on Main Street to create a modest retail space. It wasn’t much, but it was a start. We finally had a place for people to come in, meet us, and try out our garments in person. We had fantastic support from the local community, and since Kinsale is a popular travel destination, we also met plenty of tourists. We got to share our story with people from all over the world, and they often took a piece of that with them in the form of a jacket, a fleece or a T-shirt when they left.
There was just one problem. Summer was drawing to a close, and our landlords needed their space back. By this time, having a physical presence in the town seemed essential; returning to being just an online brand would’ve felt like a step backwards. Once people knew they could drop in and see us, maintaining that personal connection became vital. A spot came free on Market Street and we jumped on it. We got the keys on a Friday in September and opened our doors a week later. It was a pretty quick turnaround, but we were determined to keep the ball rolling! We haven’t been here long, but our new HQ already feels like home.
Good Things Come Around
So what’s next? We just want to keep building our community, both in person and online. On the product side, we have a new jacket coming soon, plus we’re adding running shorts, T-shirts, and socks to our range. Bringing production closer to home through our forthcoming Donegal wool line is another thing we’re really excited about.
We’re proud of what we’ve achieved so far, but we’re only getting started. When it comes to redefining outdoor apparel, there’s still so much uncharted territory to explore. We hope you’ll join us on the journey.
Together we venture
