Listen to interviews with the CEO, Nicolas Krauss:

1. Tell us about how you started dasFlow?

I founded dasFlow Athleisure Apparel five years ago after discovering a hidden passion of owning my own company and being my own boss... read more

The idea behind dasFlow was inspired by my travels, specifically my trip to Brazil. While I was visiting, I often found myself having to leave my valuables on the beach or unattended. The entire time I should have felt care-free and been able to enjoy myself but, I was worried about my personal belongings sitting out in the open. This experience led me to realize the necessity of creating apparel with hidden pockets. I pictured this would be the perfect way to conceal my valuables, carry as little as possible with you, and enjoy the moment.

This inspired me to start creating clothing that was comfortable, stylish, sustainable, and provides both storage and safety. When at home in Florida I used my favorite activities like, hiking, swimming, biking, boating and beaching it etc. to formulate the perfect design, a minimalist design to keep your valuables safe and secure.

I wanted to create a product that works as an outfit for activities, hanging out with friends, or afternoon chilling with a perfect sunset. I wanted to make a clothing line for hot and humid, sunny Florida weather, so the people wearing my apparel would feel great performing a variety of activities. Most importantly I wanted to be able to carry extra items and secure them in the zipper pockets on my shirt. It was important to me to have the items in my shirt, as with mens shorts as you sit down or move around items can easily fall out of your pockets and get lost.

Men’s shorts nor board shorts have secure zipper pockets and you are bound to lose a few items. If I want to go swimming, just in the pool, the ocean or lake I couldn’t have anything in my short pockets so therefore I needed a stow away place to have my valuables hidden and no one wants to steal a stinky tanktop.

2. What inspired the name dasFlow?

My philosophy in life is to go with the flow...read more

For me, that means living in the moment and being spontaneous. The term flow comes from the state of mind I get into when I am highly immersed in a sport or activity that I am participating in which uses all my energy, focus and attention; whether it’s running, soccer, wake surfing, racing, doing triathlons, riding motorcycles something that gets my blood pumping, working out or extreme sports are always fun.

I was also looking for a website and social media handle which was necessary to embark on my new mission and passion, thus sparking dasFlow and feeldasFlow, which I was able to obtain for the site name and handles.

Additionally, I am both Colombian and German, so I wanted to incorporate my culture into the brand somehow. Both of these cultures that I am tied to use the word “das” in their native language. “Das” means “the” in German and is gender neutral, meaning that dasFlow is made for everyone.

Das also translates to “to give” in Spanish, tu me das flow, as in to “give flow.” With that said, the brand name has a double meaning: “the flow,” as in go with “the flow,” (my philosophy) and “to give flow.”

3. What’s your background? Have you always been interested in retail/fashion?

Throughout my life, I have developed numerous style transformations...read more

A big influence on my desire to create an athleisure line is my upbringing. My dad is very athletic, and I grew up watching him participate in strenuous triathlons, such as the “Iron Man”, and marathons. Through his guidance, I grew a love for running, tennis and sports in general. I have raced many triathlons and even competed in an IronMan race myself. That being said, athletic wear is something that I have always been very comfortable in and is a necessity in my wardrobe and essential when living a sporty and beach lifestyle in sunny Florida.

The travel and backpacking lifestyle requires a lot of condensable storage and security for my items as I travel, so hidden pockets were something that I had always wished for. After realizing that this was not a product accessible in the market, I decided to get creative and start my own tank top collections and eventually my own athleisure apparel company.

My mother also had a huge influence on the creation of dasFlow as she has been a world-class Designer her entire career. I would describe her as very creative, dedicated and passionate about her work. I can safely say she is where I get my love of fashion and creativity. This is what led me to want to make a functional and fashionable line of athleisure wear.

4. You also do some business branding as part of your company. How did you get into the business side of it?

I spent 9 years being a business consultant in the corporate world, that's where I saw how impactful marketing is, and the need and want for custom apparel...read more

I want to help businesses create the perfect apparel for them, and take them through the whole process - helping them select the right shirt style, colors, materials, designs, and almost anything else you could imagine. Nevertheless, the one thing about my fashion sense that has remained constant, is my love for active wear. This comes from my active lifestyle because in my free time I am always outdoors either playing sports, doing water activities, out on our lakes, or local springs, and enjoying the beach or traveling. This has created and made me embark on creating a high quality tank top with top performing fabric that is extremely comfortable, 4-way extra stretchy, quick drying with extremely durable fabric with 6 hidden pockets to carry all my adventurous items I might need.

5. What's the vibe and aesthetic you are going for with your company?

dasFlow primarily focuses on creating clothing that is functional, high quality and comfortable… read more

This is because we are made for the adventurer, the outdoors lover, the travel enthusiast, the active person on the go and the beach bum -- people who love the outdoors and being active. We value the carefree, adventurous aspects of life and the brand definitely emulates that. Minimalist, free and carry light.

6. What would you say dasFlow's core value is?

dasFlow’s core values are Adventure, Freedom and Good Vibes… read more

To go through life living fully, freely and enjoying the little things everyday is dasFlow’s ideal goal. We apply an immense amount of passion when it comes to that point of view which is translated into the brand’s life.

We emphasize living a healthy, fun and active lifestyle with our friends and loved ones because that leads us to making memories (which is the most beautiful part of life) for as long as our bodies allow us to.

7. How do you bring your philosophies of life into the brand?

The philosophies that I have for my own life are “living in the now” and going with the flow...read more

My brand has become an extension of who I am and what I stand for. With that said, my goal with this company is to create amazing and unique high quality custom garments while connecting with people who share my philosophy on life as well as my love for the outdoors.

8. What problem do your products solve?

I want the words comfort and convenience to be synonymous with my brand, because they represent dasFlow’s definition very well...read more

It’s a comfy, convenient, athleisure apparel brand that produces high quality products, tailored to my customer needs, whether it’s people that live active, fast-paced lifestyles or are in need of some extra lightweight, sun protected performance apparel we can create and customize any garment style to your exact needs.

We want people to look and FEEL good, while also having the luxury of having hidden pockets to store your essentials in.

We also value the peace of mind that our hidden pockets bring, especially to those who are traveling or on-the-go. They are perfect for the minimalist and the travel enthusiast, who want to carry as little as possible.

It eliminates the need to carry a bag or purse, and allows the consumer to be confident that their valuables are safe no matter the area.

dasFlow’s products also help solve environmental issues as the production process is on the opposite spectrum of fast fashion which makes it a lot more environmentally friendly.

9. Is your product eco-friendly? What’s its impact on the environment?

Yes, of course we have eco friendly fabrics and garments. We strive to be as sustainable as possible. One of the biggest hindrances in environmental protection is fast fashion, due to its use of non-recyclable products, unregulated production practices and the pollution it produces...read more

dasFlow negates this, as we create high quality, durable clothing with the use of an environmentally friendly dyeing technique called dye sublimation, which eliminates water usage and produces virtually zero waste. This is because the sublimation process turns solids directly into gas without using any water and getting chemicals into our waterways and ecosystem.

The dasFlow team is working on finding new ways to become even more environmentally conscious, specifically through PES ECCO fabric being used on a new collection, which is made out of recycled plastic. It only takes four recycled plastic bottles to manufacture a tank top. This fabric is also CO2 neutral as its emissions are reduced by 70% and compared to fast fashion products, it requires A LOT less petroleum to produce.

10. Why do you think it’s important to prioritize sustainability in your line of business?

I think as an entrepreneur in such a wasteful fashion industry every company can do their part to make a difference in the environment...read more

Taking care of our planet now, every day is so important to me and dasFlow. Patagonia is a role model for my brand and we aspire to take lead like them by creating durable long lasting products made with recycled and eco friendly fabrics.

11. Nick, you prioritize carbon neutrality. What does carbon neutral mean? How do you accomplish it?

Carbon neutral means our output has a net neutral impact on the environment...read more

We take steps to reduce our carbon imprint by working with the one tree planted plan by donating 5% of its net proceeds of every purchase made goes directly to One Tree Planted and that donation gives light to planting trees. Every quarter on average we help plant 100 trees. We have donated a 1,000 trees thus far which I am very pleased with but want to continue contributing and making more efforts to be as sustainable and environmentally friendly as possible.

12. Is dasFlow working with a charity?

dasFlow is currently working with “One Tree Planted”, which is a non-profit organization where for every dollar donated, one tree is planted!...read more

5% of all of dasFlow’s proceeds go towards planting these trees. As someone who loves the outdoors and appreciates nature, I personally really love this organization.

We chose “One Tree Planted” because I wanted to give back locally, so we decided that the trees that we plant will be in Florida. So far, we have donated 700 trees and look forward to planting many more.

13. What is the dasFlow RUSH Collection?

The dasFlow RUSH Collection is a high energy, kickass apparel line that gets you out there with a 100% waterproof pocket...read more

This collection is unique because of the element-proof dry bag that can be inserted into the apparel or be used independently from the apparel. The dry bag is not only 100% water-proof, but also: odor-proof, dust-proof and snow-proof. Additionally, the bag can be submerged up to 100 ft in depth and is IPX8 certified. If you are wearing the RUSH collection, you can keep all of your valuables safe, dry and secure and stay worry-free while living your life to the fullest. The RUSH line apparel is eco-friendly fabric, has 30-50% UV protection, and is moisture wicking, and has four-way stretch which is so comfy. Can it get any better than that? I doubt it.

14. Tell us about your kickstarter campaign - when are you hoping to kick off? What will participants get etc.

We plan on launching our Kickstarter on Summer Solstice, June 20, 2021...read more

Kickstarter is an online funding platform for creative projects where innovators can share new visions with the communities that come together to fund them. With your support, we can fuel this collection to succeed.

To celebrate this we are offering an exclusive deal of 40% off of our new dasFlow RUSH apparel line if it is ordered through Kickstarter. Polos, rash guards, t-shirts and tank tops, which are valued at $80-$110, will be sold for a discounted price of $45-$60.

However, buying a shirt or polo isn’t necessary to participate -- we will also be offering pop-sockets or stickers for our smaller donations. Please feel free to write us any questions you may have. We look forward to becoming more sustainable and eco-friendly while providing the best products in the marketplace.

15. Is there a guarantee or warranty on the waterproof pocket?

Yes, there is...read more

The magnetic, self-sealing dry bag, known as the “Gooper Pocket” has a 5-year warranty on it. We will also be offering a three-month warranty on the apparel itself. We build products that are extremely durable and long lasting.

16. What was dasFlow up to in previous years?

dasFlow started its journey by creating a catalog, and before this website existed, it sold the products through Etsy as well as Amazon. Months later, when September of 2018 rolled around, we were invited to participate in a Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida...read more

It consisted of dasFlow setting up a big booth with all sorts of resources that represented the brand very accurately. This big exhibition gave dasFlow its big break and the beginning of local recognition.

The following month, I met Jeff Ellis Management (short for JEM), a lifeguard company that manages certain pools and resorts. This led to a collaboration that introduced dasFlow offering custom apparel. This opportunity became a top priority for dasFlow and gave inspiration to make other similar collaborations with interested companies featuring the custom/corporate apparel portion.

I am very passionate about supporting other companies and with this opportunity, I am able to do what I love the most. dasFlow’s Custom Apparel believes that these kinds of collaborations will leave the companies satisfied because our priority is to have the customer feel comfortable and confident while wearing their branded apparel.

17. How has your company evolved?

2020 hasn’t been the best year for everyone worldwide. Nevertheless, when it comes to dasFlow’s progress, opportunities have helped the company’s growth... read more

It started on March 10th, when dasFlow participated in Rollins College “Rethinking Fashion Show”. This annual show is modeled by students as well as faculty and it features local brands who’s designs are sustainably friendly.

We are grateful because this fashion show opened doors for the company, one of them being creating an alliance with Rollins’ social impact hub which focuses on social entrepreneurship. The other advantage this endeavour gave us was recognition in the college campus and an opportunity for creating an eco-friendly Rollins College inspired collection made from PET recycle plastic bottle polyester fabric. Watch The 6th Annual Rollins Rethinking Fashion Show 2021 featuring dasFlow Athleisure Apparel.

Since then, dasFlow has been working to switch most designs/collections to be manufactured with the eco-friendly fabric. Furthermore, in the near future dasFlow will use that eco-friendly fabric in every collection offered meaning it will be fully sustainable. dasFlow strives to be fully sustainable because of the pollution that fast fashion has caused, people are becoming worried about its long term effects, so they will want to take better care of the environment by shopping sustainably. This leaves us with a head start as our collections will correlate with people's needs and wants. In turn this keeps dasFlow as an eco-friendly company which is extremely important to us and those that vibe with dasFlow Custom Athleisure Apparel. Feel dasFlow!