Trailheads

For the first time in a decade, mountain apparel maker Cloudveil Mountainworks debuted before the outdoor market at Switchback Spring. The reintroduction has been a long time coming, as brothers David and Bill Sweedler of Podium Brands Group build upon the legacy of the Jackson Hole startup that grew and fizzled quickly in the early aughts.

After years of ownership changes, venture-capital involvement, and licensing agreements that placed the brand in other hands, the Sweedlers have resumed direct control of Cloudveil’s ownership and operations. Part of their comeback strategy is to grow organically, keeping its core products at the center, David Sweedler tells Trailheads.

“I don’t want to bite off more than we can chew here,” he says. “Each season we’ll add a new item or a new category, but we’re gonna keep it slow.”

Once considered one of the most influential independent mountain apparel brands in the Rockies, Cloudveil helped pioneer a blend of technical ski garments and laid-back ski-town style that the Sweedlers believe still resonates with outdoor consumers today.

The collection remains anchored by the Koven Jacket and Koven Pant, two softshell pieces that date back to Cloudveil’s 1997 launch under founders and ski shop veterans Brian Cousins and Stephen “Sulli” Sullivan, who went on to start Stio after selling Cloudveil.

“We build everything around that,” David Sweedler says.

Technical—and natural—materials

Just as Sulli grew Cloudveil’s reputation by sourcing innovative fabrics from outside the outdoor industry—for example, traditional maritime materials used in sailing—David Sweedler says he has spent the last five years immersed in the world of technical textiles. Through Podium Brand Group’s portfolio—which includes Italian trouser label Zanella, European shoemaker Piloti, and Norwegian galoshes brand Swims—he gained exposure to performance fabrics and the global supply chains behind them.

He also reconnected with Steve McCullough, one of Sweedler’s former sales reps and now show director of the Functional Fabric Fair, who helped the company identify new fabric, insulation, and lining suppliers. During a two-week trip to Europe in May, David Sweedler met with factories, supply chain partners, and some of the world’s finest wool mills.

“Saw a lot of sheep,” David Sweedler says.

Material innovations coming in 2027 include using wool as an insulating fill for its moisture wicking and thermoregulating properties. Plus, grown annually by sheep, it’s renewable.

“Everybody’s going so technical, so poly based,” he says. “I think there needs to be a balance between both [natural and synthetic fibers], especially if you’re a technical brand.”

Roots in specialty retail

Apparel has been part of the Sweedlers’ lives for as long as they can remember. In the late 1970s and early ‘80s, their father served as president of GANT, the Connecticut clothing brand famous for popularizing preppy style. He got his start as a traveling sales representative—an experience that shaped the brothers’ understanding of the industry and, eventually, their own careers. In their partnership, Bill focuses on deal-making and operations while David leads design, production, and merchandising.

As of right now, Cloudveil is only sold at better men’s specialty stores, but they would like to return to the brand’s outdoor specialty roots. “Those are the drivers for this entire industry,” David Sweedler says. “That’s the focus.”

For him, the in-store experience remains central to how people discover and buy gear: “I believe people love that experience of going into a store and finding something and seeing something they haven’t seen before and saying ‘I’ve gotta have it.’ Online is great, it’s convenient, but for the way I shop, I’ve got to go into stores”

Catching up with him after debuting at Switchback Spring, Sweedler said Cloudveil gained traction with specialty retailers while learning firsthand what today’s buyers are looking for right now. The team came away with new retail leads, potential brand partnerships, and a clearer understanding of emerging priorities that will influence future product development.

To check out other brands that exhibited at Switchback Spring 2026, take a look at the full list here and see who is exhibiting at Switchback at The Running Event (TRE), this December 1-3, 2026 in San Antonio, TX.