It’s been a minute since we last spoke about our behind-the-scenes antics. These stories are intended to give you a peak behind the curtains to what goes into a Givelo film and a little more detail about the collection itself. This time around it’s all about C.D.A, which launched at the end of 2023, and what a collection to talk about.

A Litte Context

C.D.A (Conceptualise, Disrupt, Apply), previously known as ACID, was given a new life in 2023, keeping some of the underlying
basic principles. We didn’t just want to give a name to this collection, it had to be based on something a much larger, running from start to finish, intertwined in everything we do. It works like a pulse check to make sure we are applying the acronym across each area; it may be as simple as a colour selection, sourcing materials or filming, but each step in its creation should be held to the C.D.A standard. This working culture helped push the development of C.D.A, and ultimately Givelo, to a new level.
So, what was the first notable change made in 2023? None other than material selection. From the start of the year, we went in search of a few core materials to shake up the conventional wisdom behind soft nylon fabrics and lightweight shell textiles. We asked simple questions like “How can we make the lightest, yet versatile shell items on the market?” or “Where can we find new, pre-dyed nylon fabrics that have unique textures?”. Quite quickly we found what we were looking for in Japan, no surprise there. We stumbled upon a factory with Cordura® certification that provided us with a fantastic 60gsm shell fabric that uses a draw-textured yarn technique to give it a unique matte finish. This ultra-light fabric weighs even less than our featherlight base layers and provides the rider with an extremely pocketable jacket or gilet to take with them on any ride. This new material fits almost perfectly into the C.D.A philosophy, bringing something new to the jacket/gilet range which is unlike the competition, packed with textile technology. Of course, this new product had to feature heavily in the filming and set the stage for location needs and style.

The trip began leaving the local national destination airport in the heart of Medellín, the day before filming. To fly to Manizales we took a 22-seater, propeller plane barely being allowed to board without so much technical gear. Just landing at Manizales you start to get an idea why it’s so famous for its hard climbs, even the airport is at 2,094m altitude, tucked between a few cliff-side mountains. We headed straight for the hotel which is at the foot of the initial climb, preparing ourselves for the early start and preparing the gear for filming – you can indeed have nightmares about dead batteries and corrupted memory packs. The final run-through of scenes was talked about (something that usually goes out the window while weather and ideas start changing) and most importantly a quick run-through of the concept and feeling behind the film. This all gets linked back to the initial C.D.A concept giving us a north start, as on the day of the shoot decisions have to be made on the spot.