The 28-year journey of ZAJO
Bringing outdoor to the people, since 1996
As a small brand from Slovakia, we have been fueled by big dreams. For 28 years already. Some might argue it‘s unbelievable to operate as we have in the past. Apologies for overlooking something, but we‘ve been busy charting our path. Perhaps it‘s our namesake, ZAJO, which translates to the hare. Being small, fast, and agile just feels so natural to us. It defines our personality, shapes our competence, characterizes who we are, and defines how we act as a movement. We like it that way because it‘s our way – the 28-year way of ZAJO. Since 1996.
Humble beginnings
In 1996, the offer of clothing for tourists in Slovakia was very limited. It took a lot of work to find a high-quality product. When a 19-year-old student and an avid hiker, Juraj Králik nicknamed Zajo, was looking for 3/4 hiking trousers known as “capri-trousers”, he encountered a problem. So, during a walk in the woods, an idea was born. Juraj borrowed money from his parents, had 900 pieces of “capri-trousers” sewn, loaded them into his car, and set off on a trip across Slovakia to offer his first product to dealers. He returned home with a single unsold piece, which he set aside for his adventures.
Juraj named the brand after his nickname - ZAJO. For the first few years, he ran it from his childhood bedroom with a clear vision - to enable as many people as possible to enjoy the great outdoors, to inspire them to spend time out there, to help them to connect with nature and take some time for themselves.
For the first 5 years, the brand had only two employees and the designs of the individual products were drawn by Juraj by hand on paper. Juraj didn't worry about the brand logo, it was more important to create a good product. At the turn of the millennium, ZAJO was gaining popularity among tourists, there were more and more products, and it took work to produce all the products domestically in an adequate capacity. Therefore, the brand moved part of its production to Romania.
Changing the philosophy
In some people's eyes, ZAJO was just “the brand from Eastern Europe”. Therefore, a radical change was made, and the brand took a new professional direction making the products of much higher quality - comparable to the top dogs in the outdoor segment, adding color variations, using cuts and fabrics of the highest class, and designing gadgets, which moved the products and the brand itself to a new level.
But if you want to keep up with the best, you need to work with technology, materials, and manufacturing processes like the most respected outdoor brands in the world. That's why ZAJO moved our manufacturing to factories where the world's biggest players manufacture their products today. This decision has raised the quality of the products and supported the brand's mission - to produce high-quality yet affordable clothing.
We don't stop there, we are the movement
This whole journey has been far from just about the aforementioned big steps, but mainly about the small steps that happened every day, behind the curtain. So today, tomorrow, and every day after that, ZAJO continues to work on its mission - to offer the highest possible quality at the most affordable prices possible and commit every step of the way to that mission. Because safety in the mountains is a basic human need that cannot be denied to anyone just because they can't afford it.
In recent years, we aim to establish the selfless, harmless & timeless outdoor to the people movement. Our mission describes how we serve through our products and services. We will flourish if we create a powerful movement. A community of thought. A shared understanding, curiosity about nature, and respect for the world. So join us on this journey to answer the call of freedom.
Outdoor to the people. Since 1996
ZAJO
