Editor’s note: This story was supported by funding from New Economy Initiative, a philanthropic collaboration and special project of the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan working to build a regional network of support for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The first orders of rock climbing pants from Pangoo Apparel, a woman-owned outdoor clothing company based in Detroit, are reaching doorsteps this month.
Sara Chen founded the company in 2023. Within a month, the 26-year-old crowdfunded more than $175,000 from over 1,500 donors from Detroit, Denver, Seattle, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities nationwide.
Chen has sold roughly 1,200 pre-orders of the pants, which come in sizes XS-2XL
Chen said the company operates with the mission of “designing clothes that celebrate women of color in outdoor spaces.”
To make new friends during the COVID-19 pandemic, Chen said she started climbing at Detroit’s indoor climbing gym, Dyno Detroit, and was instantly hooked.
“That made me realize this is actually something that I could do. Growing up, I had never really conceptualized outdoor sports, like rock climbing, as a space for me as an Asian American woman, as the child of immigrants – these are not spaces that my parents felt safe or capable of accessing,” said Chen.
But one big issue Chen said she repeatedly ran into “was the fact that I could never find a pair of climbing pants that looked good and fit well on my body.”
At first, Chen thought it was just a problem of her own. But after talking with fellow climbers, she found that a lot of women were frustrated with the fit of climbing pants.
“I realized that this is actually a really common issue that a lot of women in the space were having,” she told BridgeDetroit. “Outdoor pants, and climbing pants specifically, were essentially just smaller versions of men’s pants…not designed for curves and not having sufficient technical features that were there for the men’s pants.”
Chen’s orange and green pants are tailored for women’s bodies, designed with a high waist and deep zippered pockets.
Besides her crowdfunding success, Chen was selected for the Michigan Founders Fund, a network of high growth entrepreneurs and venture capitalists committed to community impact. Last year, she won the $50,000 top prize in the fund’s outdoor innovation pitch competition. This year, Chen secured the BasBlue Zero-to-One fellowship and will be granted another $10,000.
Rishi Moudgil, executive director of Michigan Founders Fund, said Chen is a trailblazer in the state’s nearly $14 billion outdoor recreation industry.
“We have a great outdoor recreation industry and businesses here in Michigan – one of the leaders – and Pangoo Apparel has come on in that marketplace in a strong way,” he said.
“She’s already selling her product, has revenue and traction pretty early in her company. You don’t see that as often unless it’s really a great product and service,” Moudgil added. “She has validation from peers, investors, from customers who are buying her products – it’s all an incredible start for her company.”
Chen said the company, run by herself and two part-time partners, will remain e-commerce for now, as it gets established, but could expand in different markets in future years.
“We definitely have plans to launch other apparel categories and accessories. We’re mostly focused on the climbing niche for at least the next one to two years, but other things are on the horizon: tops, jackets, potentially bags and backpacks for climbing and other climbing related goodies,” she said.
The pants are currently manufactured abroad. Chen said she tried to make them locally, but the cost was too high. The $145 price-point puts her in the mid-to-high price range for women’s climbing pants, she said.
“Prices are always higher for original designs at smaller quantities,” said Chen.
Aside from her business venture, Chen partners with Detroit Outdoors to promote and expand access to outdoor recreation opportunities. Chen has volunteered with the organization, which hosts rock climbing trips for Detroit youth with Dyno Detroit.
Garrett Dempsey, the Sierra Club’s lead staff for Detroit Outdoors, said Chen was an invaluable part of the youth rock climbing club, and he said he is excited about the Pangoo Apparel venture.
“If just a fraction of her spirit, generosity, enthusiasm – if just a fraction of that shows up in what she creates that clothing is going to be amazing,” he said. “I love the fact that she is making clothing with the intention for women to find clothes that make them feel good in these outdoor spaces doing the activities they love.”
Editor’s Note: Jena Brooker was a member of the 2024 BasBlue fellowship.