For the first time, Australia and New Zealand’s number one outdoor brand Kathmandu has launched its autumn/winter 2022 collection in the UK, Ireland and Europe both online and via select retailers.
As part of launching, the brand will focus on e-commerce and wholesale, explains the B Corp outdoor brand, with long-term ambitions include the opening of 10 flagship stores throughout Canada, the US and Europe.
While launching the brand internationally, Kathmandu’s general manager of product, Robert Fry, said, “Kathmandu has been a cult-like favorite of Aussies and Kiwis for decades. We’re famous in ANZ for our innovation in outdoor apparel and gear, particularly in technical design and sustainability.”
The international outdoor market is competitive, but we know there is a place for Kathmandu given our domination in two countries that live for the outdoors, he added.
On the other hand, the initiative follows the brand’s announcement during Paris Fashion Week in partnership with French experiential retailer Leclaireur, showcased its AW22 collection featuring innovative products such as its award-winning biodegradable NXT-Level BioDown jacket.
The jacket has been made from Nylon 66, one of the most durable materials available in textile manufacturing and filled with traceable and Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified down.
Kathmandu also stresses that each element of the jacket will biodegrade in a biologically active landfill without oxygen at a different speed.
Testing under ASTM D5511 indicates that in a biologically active landfill without oxygen for the outer and lining material, there is 86.6 percent biodegradation in 1,050+ days, for the zip and thread: there is 94.4 percent biodegradation in 1,677+ days, and for the synthetic fill 93.8 percent biodegradation in 646+ days.
Testing under ASTM D5511 indicates that in a biologically active landfill without oxygen for the outer and lining material, there is 86.6 percent biodegradation, for the zip and thread 94.4 percent, and 93.8 parcent for synthetic fill.
Founded 30 years ago in New Zealand, Kathmandu, an accredited B Corp company, places product innovation and sustainability at the heart of its brand, with its first being the EcoFleece, a fleece fabric produced from recycled plastic PET bottles in 1993.
It also has ambitious ESG targets, along with the use of environmentally preferred, low climate impact materials, including prioritizing materials that are regenerative, recycled or recyclable, bio-based, biodegradable, or responsibly farmed or grown.
Besides, to ensure that it uses polyester that is recycled or recyclable by 2030 and 100 percent Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) by 2025.
