Born from passion: Quetzal Sportswear

Quetzal Sportswear was born from a passion for sport and the desire to create technical apparel that combines design, quality, and a human touch. “It is about the kind of care and service we’d expect ourselves as users”, says Quim Cassany at Quetzal. Time to get to know to Girona-based brand better.

Text: Judit Muñoz. Photos: Quetzal | Club Creatiu

Judit Muñoz: What’s the story behind the name ‘Quetzal’?

Quim Cassany: The name ‘Quetzal’ comes from the Andean bird; a symbol of freedom, elegance, movement, and nature. All values that perfectly reflect our vision of sport and sports fashion.

JM: Why did you decide to establish yourselves in Girona, and how does that influence your day-to-day work?

QC: Girona is where we grew up as athletes and as people. That Girona has now become a ‘cycling Mecca’ is fantastic, but we were already based here; Girona is our home. This intimate connection with our territory gives us authenticity, and allows us to work closely with the local cycling community, with whom we share routes, values, and passion. Everything we do passes through Girona: from design to production, all the way to testing each new product on the bike.

JM: What are the key materials and technologies you use to make your cycling apparel?

QC: We work with top-quality Catalan and Italian fabrics. Our garments are made using flatlock stitching, laser cutting, and the latest-generation chamois pads adapted to each use. Everything is designed so that the garment is high performing whilst having minimal weight or drag.

Our real difference, however, goes beyond materials and technology. We’re the first to test everything we make. We try out the new fabrics, fits, and finishes before they ever reach a client. Our daily life on the bike, and that of our close community, gives us constant real-world feedback and ideas.

JM: What are the steps a client (for example, a cycling team) follows from first contact to receiving their custom kits?

QC: Everything starts with a call, visit, or video chat to understand the client’s ideas and needs. Our sales team helps them choose the pieces that best suit their goals. Then our design team creates one or more visual proposals based on the client’s input (we can also provide fabric color or print samples if needed). Once the design is approved and sizes and quantities confirmed, production begins. When finished, we check everything carefully and deliver the kits, either picked up at our Girona showroom or shipped elsewhere. The whole process is fully personalized and guided. Production takes around four to five weeks from the moment the design and order details are confirmed until final delivery.

JM: One of your goals is to ‘minimize environmental impact’. What sustainable practices have you incorporated into the production process?

QC: We produce on demand to avoid overproduction, we’re gradually introducing recycled fabrics, and we mainly work with local suppliers. We continually optimize our processes to reduce textile waste and minimize material waste of any kind. We’ve also simplified our packaging, using bags made from 100% recycled material, which themselves are recyclable. And we always produce locally, reducing transport and maintaining full control over the manufacturing process.

JM: How does this local production influence sustainability, quality, and lead times compared to the globalized alternative?

It gives us full control, speed, and traceability. Producing locally means we can check each garment, ensure fair working and commercial conditions, and reduce emissions.
It also allows us to innovate continuously and react quickly to demand changes. We don’t aim to be the biggest producer of cycling apparel, but rather the most dependable. We’re also working on increasing the use of recycled materials and creating more versatile patterns for different disciplines.