At a hardware store in Portland, Oregon, I spot it from across the garden center: the signature micro-grid fleece, sleeves a different color than the torso, drawcord hood. A few moments later, the man wearing the unmistakable hoodie pushes his shopping cart into the next aisle, apparently also scoping out landscaping rocks. As we pass each other, I catch his eye.
The company, based in the former silver mining town of Leadville, Colorado, population 2,633, has inspired a peculiar kind of recognition among its devotees. Little did I know when I bought my own hoodie—blue torso, orange sleeves—in 2017 while living in Boulder, that I was joining an unofficial club of people drawn to simple mountain clothing made by hand. Since 1994, co-founder Fritz Howard has led Melanzana’s every move.
As a lanky New England ski bum in his twenties, Howard and his childhood friend, Kevin “Kevco” Crochetiere, got their paws on some Polartec fleece remnants from an outlet in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and began sewing basic mountain garments for themselves and friends. Howard’s mom taught him to sew when he was a kid, and for the first two winters of the fledgling business, he lived in the woods outside town in a tipi he had sewn himself, keeping his expenses low. They initially called their small enterprise Eggplant because the silly, uncool vegetable evoked the antithesis of big outdoor brands.
But a trademark conflict soon forced a change, and they settled on Melanzana, Italian for eggplant. Howard chose Leadville because, even back then, he wanted to live in a place without the ostentation of a ski resort. Friends of his say he never expected, or really even wanted, the recognition Melanzana has today.
As someone who identifies as anti-corporate, Howard intended to make affordable and quality gear for friends and neighbors as a service to the community—not for personal gain or fame. As demand grew, though, the hobby accidentally evolved into a business, and three decades later, Howard’s hoodie has become a symbol of sorts, connecting its wearers while putting Leadville on the outdoor gear map. Outside reached out to Howard for this story, but, being a private person, he said he preferred to step back and let others who have played an important role in Melanzana’s success tell the story instead.
Told through the voices of former employees, Leadville residents, devoted customers from around the world, and a moderator of the Melanzana subreddit, this is the untold narrative of how Melanzana became legendary in the outdoor industry, Colorado, and beyond. Melanzana’s first storefront was tiny and tucked between other small businesses in the 700 block of Harrison Avenue, Leadville’s main thoroughfare, across from a cluster of brick buildings including the old church and city clerk’s office. Mark “Smokey” Burgess (first retail employee, now the owner of the Leadville consignment store Community Threads): I was in between jobs, and Fritz approached me.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
