Algorythm Designs saves brand new clothing from filling landfills, giving them life in Eagle County

For people in the mountains looking for a unique look that also helps the environment, there’s a new Eagle County business that specializes in relocating and redesigning brand new, unwanted clothing that would otherwise end up in a landfill.

Algorythm Designs is a zero manufacturing clothing label in EagleVail that focuses on providing a solution for the over-production of clothing that currently contributes to the piles of wasteful products around the planet. By taking “dead stock” — clothing that was mass produced while overestimating the demand — Algorythm Designs takes jackets, hoodies, hats and other clothing and gives them a new, and improved, life.

“Most people don’t know how much brand new product goes to waste,” owner Crys Shannon said. “There’s another side to the industry now because of fast fashion where they’re just creating way too much product than we can even consume.”

Working in the “dead stock” clothing industry in Los Angeles, Shannon got the knowledge she needed for her Eagle County business.

“We had millions of units of product,” she remembers. “I would be walking down the aisles of this huge warehouse just being like this is literally insanity. I started to feel really guilty that I was working in that industry and also trying to pursue having my own label.”

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Leaving the L.A.-based company and coming to the valley two years ago, it’s been a challenge to get Algorythm Designs up and running, but Shannon had moved here with the intention of eventually launching the business. She started out by joining other galleries and studios in the valley, which were quickly shut down when COVID-19 started. So Shannon had all of her equipment in her garage, working away under stay-at-home orders making masks for those in need, including hospital workers.

“I was doing nothing because of COVID, and then all of a sudden I was making masks for 12 hours a day. I couldn’t keep up,” she said.

With the Algorythm Designs on the masks, the company was off and running.

“I just felt like the universe had pushed me to do this timing wise,” Shannon said. “I moved here not knowing anybody, so I feel like these two years was a matter of me meeting people and even just getting myself out there and the business.”

Joining Shannon in the EagleVail shop off U.S. Highway 6 is Mariah Schab; creative genius Theo Rhodius; and local photographer Dominique Taylor.

With her knowledge of the industry in L.A., Shannon goes back to California regularly and strolls the “outskirts” of town to find new clothing destined for landfills and brings them back to the valley. She uses her own taste to select from the thousands of jackets and other clothing available.

Customers can purchase a jacket alone, purchase one to customize or bring in their own jacket to be customized from a variety of designs or one of your choosing. As well as hoodies, T-shirts and more.

“People can come in and I can literally make them something on the spot, or they can buy something that’s already made or they can put a custom order in,” Shannon said.

Popular designs so far include a dragon, butterflies and a mushroom, but the favorite so far has been “Astro,” which draws inspiration from a day snowboarding with Rhodius.

“I call him Astro, everybody’s obsessed with this little dude,” Shannon said of the design. “He’s very quickly become like my mascot.”

She’s also done a Grateful Dead custom design.

Currently, Shannon is working on getting the word out about her small, eco-friendly business. In addition to single orders, she does custom orders for businesses, bands, wedding parties and any other group. She is also planning design workshops for people to design their own hoodie or jacket as well as workshops for kids.

“I can get super creative with it and style out the back of the jacket,” Shannon said. “You know, most snowboard jackets are just blank on the back.”

For more information about Algorythm Designs, visit algorythmdesigns.com or follow the company on social media.