Nau 2.0 Looks Strong: Catching Up With Ian Yolles

Green is definitely the new black. Everyone wants to be green, but some are merely dabbling while others are leading the charge. One of those torch-bearers is Portland, Oregon-based Nau. But, it hasn't been all rosy for Nau, in fact, things turned downright dismal earlier this year. I had a chance to catch up with Ian Yolles, co-founder of Nau, while at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market. We had a great discussion on the future of Nau and I also got to see some of the new product. Lights Off... Lights On Again Back in April of this year, Nau effectively transitioned from a thriving business into a shuttered business in a matter of three days. According to Ian, the news hit on a Thursday and by Sunday, everything was shut down and all employees were no longer on the books... yeowch! By the following Monday, however, calls were made to other like-minded manufacturers with the pitch to purchase the assets and intelectual property of Nau. To make a long story short, that purchase happened and the Nau is now owned by Horny Toad (the scoop from HornyToad.com). Looking Ahead to Nau 2.0 Ian is fired up about the lineup for Fall 2008 and even more stoked for the Spring 2009 line. I got a preview of both lines and I can definitely say that Nau is going to continue to make their mark... not only with their eco-friendly products, but their progressive designs that are both functional and stylistically striking.