For Ibex co-founder and Vermont sheep farmer Peter Helmetag, wool has always been a family matter. His grandfather owned a wool mill in Pennsylvania and even named his boat The Golden Fleece in homage to the natural fiber that had become his lifeblood. Peter followed his own bliss by climbing mountains as a teenager, and he never thought twice about his choice to wear wool as he carried his passion for adventure up mountains in places like Himalaya, Scotland, Africa, Spain, and Canada. Wool was what was available for outdoor athletes in the 60’s, and it was what worked to keep climbers like Peter warm, dry, and comfortable at every elevation. Nearly forty years later, Helmetag is still wearing the stuff, but now he treats himself to much finer, softer, and higher-performing wool garments—the ones he started to help design when Ibex was born in 1997. And these days, in addition to climbing and sea kayaking, he’s taking his Ibex out to sail the seas, (following in the wake of his grandfather’s The Golden Fleece?) In other words, wool is at the core of Peter’s way of life, whether he’s on his farm, climbing rock, or testing his Ibex on the water.
When Peter met John Fernsell in 1997, the two men brought together their enthusiasm for outdoor pursuits as well as their vision for a company that could bring “new” wool garments to other climbers and backcountry skiers. “The inspiration for Ibex was born from an innate sense that wool was better than anything else for activities in the changeable outdoors,” Peter says. John was sick of searching for clothing that actually performed well on his backcountry skiing pursuits. As he puts it, “Everything looked the same and didn’t work. It was all either Gore-Tex® or polyester fleece.” Wool was obviously a superior choice, not because it was “retro” or “cool” but because it works better and is more sustainable than synthetics. In John’s words, “It just feels right.” Peter and John made a commitment to offer to outdoor enthusiasts what “old” wool and new synthetics could not—true comfort, ultimate performance features, and understated, appealing style.
The name “Ibex” was John’s idea, and Peter and his brother Keith, a graphic designer, started playing around with a potential logo one night while hanging out with a bottle of red wine, watercolor paper, and calligraphy brushes at Peter’s sheep farm. Keith’s final design is the one you find on Ibex garments today.
Ibex set up its headquarters in Woodstock, Vermont and still calls the small Vermont village home, even as it extends its roots across North America, Europe, and Asia. The initially small product line featured jackets and pullovers like the Zepher Zip-T and the Bregenz, garments that have since evolved into Ibex classics. Today, Ibex crafts clothing for every season, offering a complete range of outdoor apparel including baselayers, midlayers, jackets, and accessories.
In the early years, Ibex wool was sourced locally and knitted in Rhode Island. But the fabrics just didn’t meet Ibex’s high standards for comfort and durability. So when an opportunity to work with family-run sheep stations in the high-alpine pastures of New Zealand’s Southern Alps came along, Ibex jumped on it. These specialist farmers produce the highest quality fibers from the special pink-nosed, pink-footed sheep known as Merino. The fact that the farmers are committed to sustainable practices as they humanely guard their flocks and care for the land that has been passed down through generations inspires Ibex to be mindful of the environment in every stage of the production of their garments, from sheep to shelf.
At the cornerstone of Ibex is the Merino fiber, and a passion for the renewable, ultra-soft, high-performing fabrics knitted from this extraordinarily dynamic fiber continues to drive Ibex to offer our customers the best of what nature and human ingenuity has to offer.
