 a) how the hell did Asolo manage to buy Lowe?? I would've thought Lowe was worth much more than Asolo
b)Erm, so is eVENT better than GT? Or not? Or have Lowe simply sold-out to Gore, instead of perservering with the less-trendy but superior product?
c)Shame, I always like Lowe being a bit different to everyone else
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 if it is then once its owned by gore expect it to be spread around the market!
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hopefully in better colours
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 Nope, Gore haven't bought Lowe or eVENT, they've simply done a deal with Lowe whereby Lowe are going to use Gore-Tex and Windstopper for their clothing from autumn next year. Or Lowe has done a deal with Gore. Or whatever.
The eVENT fabric is made by a different company and was simply being used by Lowe Alpine in the way that, say, Berghaus, uses Gore fabrics. Rab has an eVENT jacket out for this season - I'm told it has doubled water-resistant zips, one on top of the other... Hmmmm...
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Dan, in my experience eVENT is very breathable. I don't know how it will perform with extended use because I haven't been able to put enough miles on it, but it's definitely in the ballpark.
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 "how the hell did Asolo manage to buy Lowe?? I would've thought Lowe was worth much more than Asolo"
If they are, then a takeover isn't that unusual - it's just termed a 'reverse takeover'. Means that an apparently smaller company reverses into and (sorry, scrap that bit) subjugates larger company.
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 I think this stinks...
For years we have a credible alternative to Gore-Tex. Lowe had always managed to pick/use fabrics that are innovative and worked as well as - if not better than - Gore-Tex. Now they will become just like everyone else.
The end result is that the market place will have less choice and will become a poorer place because of this.
Time to find another fabric of preference.
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 Asolo are HUGE I'm not surprised they have taken over Lowe, its just that they don't have a big brand in the UK
and after all it's not the first upheaval and ownership change Lowe have had?
It makes you wonder what will happen to the Lowe offices in Kendal, would be a great shame to see more British based jobs go, fingers crossed for them
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When I said 'sold-out', I did mean in a business sense, I meant in a more symbolic sense, in that whereas Lowe always used to cut it's own path with TPC and now event, they're simply goint to use Gore in the future, and further reduce consumer choice.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm not 'anti-Gore' - I think Windstopper and Paclite are great - but I am pro-choice)
I still worry that event is better than XCR, but Gore has used it's coporate muscle to prevent (by whatever means - leaning on Asolo, perhaps) Lowe from using it.
Thank goodnesss Rab is still using it. Their Shivling jackets were excellent, and it's a shame they are not distributed more widely.
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Lowe aren't in business to make consumers happy...they are in business to make their owners (shareholders) rich.
If consumers like and buy alternative fabrics, then it is a viable strategy to follow. If not, then they are doing the right thing by moving to what is undoubtedly the market leader in Gore.
Whether it is trendy or superior is kind of irrelevant. The market makes the decisions!
In the long run, it is probably in the interests of consumers to see successful suppliers like Gore established, as they can better afford to do innovative R&D to come up with new & improved fabric, like paclite etc.
They are unlikely to be able to behave in an unduly predatory manner as a fabric supplier anyway, as there are strict rules in the US to stop this sort of thing: anti-dumping, below market pricing etc (it is a bizarre fact that the anti-monopolistic, lawyer-driven marketplace rules in the US are arguably stronger than in the UK)
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That a bit patronising to consumers. Not always, but often, people can see through hype and tell when one product is better than another. If anything, Lowe will loose money, as they can no longer tout that they have a 'Gore-Tex beater'. If their jackets are made from GT, like everyone else's, why bother getting a LA?
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because its a trust-worthy brand youve been using for years and have never had problems with?
in that case, why buy TNF, or berghaus, or MHW or anything for matter?
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Fit, style, features, price
Just Lowe may have lost a big feature - event.
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