“At the end of the day, it was the whole gamut: fit, style, aesthetic, the ethics behind the clothing,” Eckert said of his frustrations with male yogic apparel. “When I looked around, I didn’t see any clothing that truly spoke to me.”
“I wanted gear that mirrored the practice itself, garments rooted in thoughtfulness and flexibility,” he continued. “I was uninspired by the style choices and realized it was time to go out and make what I wanted, which is how KOZM was born.”
While developing a fit and structure ideal for men’s bodies has been a major focus of the new brand, Eckert explains that’s just one part of what he and Sabori are trying to do. The other piece is about challenging the perception of what it means to be a man practicing yoga.
“It’s one of those things,” Eckert remarked. “It’s just so hard for guys to wrap their heads around yoga. They think they need to go to the gym or do crossfit to improve their fitness when, really, there’s a world of possibility out there.”
“You go into the shala and I guarantee you will be completely humbled by how difficult it is,” he added. “Ultimately, we want to help make yoga not this thing that’s scary or embarrassing, but something that’s celebrated.”
Both Eckert and Sabori are also dedicated to building a sustainable brand, so are keeping a tight focus on local production and ensuring that materials are coming from responsible sources.
“If I’m going to wear yogic gear, I want it to be thoughtfully and responsibly made,” Eckert says. “From the garment all the way to who’s making the product, we want to offer our customers complete transparency.”
In this spirit, KOZM products are currently only for sale through the brand’s website. These products include a selection of T-shirts ($42-44), caps ($32), yogic towels ($120) and bags ($42). Shorts will be coming this spring.
