About
From college thesis project, to Kickstarter, to business, Levity is a product line of lifestyle products featuring a little to no waste business model, aimed to redesign the current cradle to grave cycle in manufacturing within the skydiving and air sports industries.
Every product is made almost entirely of upcycled parachutes, hot air balloon material, or other found gear — meaning every piece is handcrafted and unique.
Taking the original material properties of parachutes, along with the rich and vibrant community and history of skydiving, Levity products aim to bring sustainability from one industry into multiple new communities.
The Problem
The current manufacturing and consumer trends in skydiving and other air sports, leads to an abundant waste or ripstop nylon, a non bio-degradable material.
Sport and Military parachutes are created to last thousands of jumps or up to 20 years however at the end of their life cycle, the hundreds of thousands of square feet of fabric end up in landfills.
How can non airworthy parachutes, gear, and other found material be deconstructed and turned into new products to complete a new, sustainable cycle with an even wider audience and user group?
Want to learn more about ripstop nylon and our research behind Levity?
A solution
Levity doesn't aim to recreate any pre-existing product — just make it even better and lay truth to the claim that many other companies make about being constructed of parachute material.
What makes Levity products stand apart from competitors is the sustainable, little to no waste business model.
Levity isn't a brand new idea, but rather the strategy, ethics, community, and culture behind it.
Donations & Material collected to date:
200+
PARACHUTES
16+
BOLTS OF FABRIC
1
HOT AIR BALLOON
12,000+
FT. OF LINES
OVER
20,000 SQ. YARDS
OF SYNTHETIC FABRIC KEPT OUT OF LANDFILLS
Our PRocess
SOURCE, SORT, & CATALOG
Collected parachutes come from all over the country being donated by individual skydivers, dropzones, clubs, and even some manufacturers. We’ve also received donations of paragliding wings, wind socks, and more.
Once donations are received the material is sorted and cataloged noting the canopy’s material, make, size, type, and manufacturer as well as who donated it and where it came from.
DECONSTRUCT & CUT
Most parachutes received are ram-air canopies and are deconstructed by removing the tail of the canopy and then separating the top skin of the canopy from the bottom skin, thus yielding the largest amount of usable fabric. During deconstruction, cleaning and inspections occur to see if the material is too worn or if there are any stains.
Once material from the parachutes has been deconstructed, folded, and keeping with the catalog system they are stored until ready to be hand cut into templates.
HANDCRAFTED & GIVE BACK
Every product is handcrafted in Arizona and 100% unique and comes with a handwritten tag stating what sourced materials are used.
When material is donated, the donor can choose to have a small thank you gift, traditionally a zipper or drawstring pouch made from the parachute as a memento, or apply a discount towards a custom order for a different product.
Meet the Team
LEAH LEVY
Leah Levy is an industrial and graphic designer in the skydiving industry having interned and worked with leading manufacturers and drop zones in research and development, graphic design, and branding and marketing.
With over 1,900+ jumps, Leah’s love for great design combined with her love for skydiving as a fun jumper, tandem instructor, videographer, FAA senior parachute rigger, & more has lead her to create Levity to bring sustainability to the industry & sport.
Founder/Lead Industrial Designer
DAVID CHERRY
Content Creator/ Production Assistant
David Cherry is a professional skydiver, graphic designer, and drone pilot working in the industry as a free fall and ground videographer/ photographer, load organizer, FAA senior rigger, and designer for leading drop zones, manufacturers and teams.
With over 5,000+ jumps, David has edited and shot in air and ground videography and photography for many production gigs, stunts, and news sources.
NAVI
Chief Quality Inspector
BISBEE
Junior Quality Inspector
LEVITY lev·i·ty /ˈlev.ə.ti/
“Levity was once a scientific term. Levity originally was thought to be a physical force exactly like gravity but pulling in the opposite direction, like the helium in a balloon. As recently as the 19th century, scientists were still arguing about its existence. Today levity refers only to lightness in manner”
Merriam Webster Dictionary