Yvon Chouinard
Founder of Patagonia
Yvon Chouinard is the American climber and entrepreneur who founded the outdoor apparel company Patagonia. He made environmental responsibility part of the company's business model and, in September 2022, transferred ownership of Patagonia to a trust and a nonprofit so that its profits fund action on the climate and nature crisis.
| Role | Founder of Patagonia |
|---|---|
| Organisation | Patagonia |
| Ownership transfer | September 2022 |
| Current owners | Patagonia Purpose Trust and Holdfast Collective |
| Born | 1938 |
| Known for | Environmental activism in business |
Who is Yvon Chouinard?
Yvon Chouinard, born in 1938, is the founder of Patagonia, the outdoor clothing and gear company. A climber by background, he started out making climbing equipment and later built one of the best known apparel brands associated with environmental activism. He is also the author of Let My People Go Surfing, first published in 2005, which sets out his approach to business.
Career
Chouinard began by forging hardened steel climbing pitons, which led him to set up Chouinard Equipment. To support the equipment business, he began selling clothing in the early 1970s, starting with rugby shirts, and the apparel side developed into Patagonia, whose company history traces its early product work to 1973.
Over the following decades Patagonia built its reputation on durable products and environmental commitments. Milestones recorded by the company include:
- 1996: the introduction of organic cotton into its product lines.
- 2002: the launch of 1% for the Planet, with Patagonia committing 1% of sales to environmental causes.
- 2011: the "Don't Buy This Jacket" campaign, which asked customers to consider the impact of consumption.
- Worn Wear: a programme to repair, resell and extend the life of Patagonia products.
Influence on the fashion business
On 14 September 2022 Chouinard announced that the family had transferred ownership of the company. The Patagonia Purpose Trust now holds the voting stock, about 2% of the total, to protect the company's values, while the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit, holds the nonvoting stock, about 98%, and receives profits not reinvested in the business to fund environmental work. In his letter Chouinard wrote that "Earth is now our only shareholder." Patagonia remains a for-profit company and a certified B Corporation.
This structure is one of the most cited examples of alternative ownership in the consumer goods sector, and it has prompted wider discussion about how brands can lock in a mission beyond the lifetime of their founders.
Why it matters
Chouinard showed that an apparel brand can treat product durability, repair and environmental activism as core strategy rather than as marketing. Many of the practices Patagonia adopted early, from organic materials to resale and repair programmes, are now on the agenda of mainstream fashion companies facing pressure on sustainability and circularity. His decision to give away the company has made Patagonia a reference point in debates on purpose-led ownership and on the role of business in addressing the climate crisis.
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Patagonia?
Since September 2022 Patagonia's voting stock is held by the Patagonia Purpose Trust and its nonvoting stock by the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit. Profits not reinvested in the business go to fighting the environmental crisis.
What is Yvon Chouinard known for?
Chouinard is known for founding Patagonia and making environmental responsibility central to its business. He co-founded 1% for the Planet in 2002 and gave away ownership of the company in 2022.