Passenger

Passenger is a British outdoor clothing brand founded in 2012 in the New Forest by Richard and Alexa Sutcliffe. It sells fleeces, jackets, casualwear and backpacks, mainly direct to consumers, with a strong focus on recycled and organic materials.

What is Passenger?

Passenger is an outdoor lifestyle clothing brand founded in 2012 in the New Forest in southern England by Richard and Alexa Sutcliffe. It began as a UK only direct to consumer business.

History

In 2019 Justin Stone joined as executive chairman and Jon Lane as chief executive. In 2023 the founders sold minority stakes for 15 million pounds to Growth Partner, backed by Richard Harpin, and former Gymshark chief executive Steve Hewitt later became chairman.

Products and positioning

• Fleeces, waterproof and insulated jackets
• T-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts
• Trousers, skirts and shorts
• Backpacks

More than 74% of the range uses recycled or organic materials, and the NetPlus line uses recycled fishing nets. The brand plants a tree for every order, aligns product footprints with Science Based Targets initiative goals and runs a resale and repair programme with Reskinned.

Distribution

International expansion began in 2023 with the US and Germany. The US push was paused in 2025, when Passenger opened a German distribution centre with logistics partner GXO. Its products are also sold by outdoor retailers such as Cotswold Outdoor.

Why it matters

Passenger is one of the UK's fastest growing DTC outdoor brands and a reference case for combining sustainability commitments with investor backed scaling.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Passenger?

Passenger was founded in 2012 by Richard and Alexa Sutcliffe in the New Forest, England.

What does Passenger sell?

Passenger sells outdoor lifestyle clothing such as fleeces, jackets, hoodies and trousers, plus backpacks, largely made from recycled or organic materials.

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