Icebreaker expands Asia presence

New Zealand outdoor fashion brand Icebreaker is switching focus to Asia, gearing up to expand its strong Taiwan foothold.

Icebreaker, which produces clothes using merino wool, teamed up with Free Time Gears, an exclusive agent of global brands including Montura, Royal Robbins and Eagle Creek, in March 2011. FTG opened an Icebreaker flagship store in Taipei called Taipei TouchLab Store last September.

Icebreaker has also signed a distribution deal with Goldwin, a Japanese sports company. Goldwin’s portfolio includes Speedo, Eastpak, Helly Hansen, Canterburry and Champion.

Goldwin will work with Icebreaker to produce clothes in sizes that fit Asian figures.

“Outdoor and sports enthusiasts in Asia are just beginning to discover the sports base layering system concept. We are excited to introduce them to sports merino and lifestyle apparel and the natural fibre’s amazing performance properties,” said Frank Spiewack, GM of distributors & emerging markets at Icebreaker.

“With our European and North American markets established and thriving, now is the time to increase our focus on these important Asian markets. We’re thrilled to partner with these two outstanding distributors, each of which has significant experience and reach within their outdoor and lifestyle markets, both through their own retail lines and through their relationships with other major lifestyle brands.”

Icebreaker’s wholly-owned stores called TouchLabs can also be found in Vancouver, Canada, New York City and San Francisco. This month, it has opened its second store in New York, in Manhattan’s fashionable Meat Packers district.

Icebreaker is also distributed in the UK, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Italy, Netherlands and South Africa.

Established in 1994, Icebreaker claims to be the world’s first to develop merino wool layering system for outdoor apparel.

GB

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