Activewear infused with gold particles is now a fully manifested thing–and not for any posh reasons you might think.
Rhone, the men’s activewear line that launched two years ago and quickly made it to the racks of luxury big-box like Nordstrom and Bloomingdales, released its new Spring 2017 GoldFusion apparel, which uses what the brand is calling “a revolutionary new technology” that yields a softer, safer, faster-drying, longer-lasting, and odor-neutralizing activewear piece.
“It sounds like magic, like it’s too good to be true,” say Nate Checketts, Rhone co-founder and CEO. “We were in a state of disbelief until seeing the results of this technology firsthand.”
In designing this new technology, Rhone didn’t turn to fashion experts or even apparel masterminds, but straight up biochemists. The goal was simple but essential for developing the best men’s activewear on the market: wick moisture faster to keep clothes fresher longer.
The side benefit of achieving this goal is a lighter-weight garments less bogged down by sweat (hell, every millisecond counts when you’re going for a PR). Rhone also says its GoldFusion apparel, like the Glacier Delta Tee ($68), dries up to three times faster than tested market leaders.
The launch of GoldFusion comes after Rhone’s first fabric technology innovation dubbed SilverTech. Like the new GoldFusion, SilverTech was a series of silver threads woven into the fabrics (which brought antiseptic qualities to the apparel). This type of silver threading was first developed for American military soldiers. So, yeah, it’s pretty badass. (Rhone actually got orders from army bases once it launched SilverTech). But for fitness-sake, the silver fibers were a beast in combatting odor and nasty sweat stains.
GoldFusion will have similar properties, building on the work Rhone has already done in anti-odor innovation (they pretty much incorporate odor-neutralizing particles into the fabric makeup…which isn’t as easy as it sounds). A rep for Rhone says, “After 100 washes (four times the average life of a garment), these anti-odor particles are still 99% effective.”
GoldFusion also provides UV protection, improved color fastness, plus it’s safe for you and the environment since they don’t oversaturate the fabric in chemical solutions.
And we think it’s highly sophisticated for an activewear company to consider all of the above; not just where to plaster its bombastic logo. (That’s another reason we love Rhone: it’s brand insignia is hardly noticeable on most pieces.)
Rhone has quite literally created the gold standard for activewear in its new GoldFusion. Just ask the military dudes wearing it to stay cool in the middle of deserts and swamps.
Editor’s Note: When handling GoldFusion garments (I have the shorts), they feel heavy. When worn, the extra “apparent” weight, cannot be felt at all. Additionally, the fabrics dry almost immediately. I tested the moisture-wicking qualities of the fabric by running a stream of water over the shorts…it beaded and ran off like a waterfall, making GoldFusion apparel great for runs in light-rain.
Photos courtesy Rhone
