Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, January 22, 2020—Mons Royale, New Zealand-based merino apparel company, announced today the exclusive outfitting of top Freeride World Tour athletes Craig Murray and Jess Hotter and a partnership with Ghosts, a new outerwear brand based around sustainability. The partnership will deliver a full layering system from base layer to outerwear and champion ethical businesses built on the values of sustainability, transparency and responsibility.
“What you wear next to skin is critical to comfort and performance in the mountains,” said Mons Royale Co-Founder Hamish Acland. “But, when athletes compete, what they wear next to skin is hidden, and the awesome benefits of merino are hidden, too. We wanted to change that, so we set out to collaborate with an outerwear brand that shares our values. Ghosts commitment to sustainability mirrors our own.”
The collaboration has its roots in Freeride. Ghosts Founder Tony McWilliam has lived and skied in Verbier for over twenty years where he founded and grew the now infamous Faction Skis before launching Ghosts. Acland, a former freeride competitor, would often sleep on McWilliams’ couch while visiting the freeride mecca of Verbier, and it’s where he first had the idea of launching Mons Royale.
“I have always enjoyed seeing what Mons Royale will bring each season,” said McWilliam. “From a creative point they were the originals in taking base layer away from boring, shifting a whole new fan base to wool.”
The Mons Royale and Ghosts design teams got together to create custom outerwear exclusively for brand athletes Criag Murray and Jess Hotter. Using innovative materials, progressive techniques and design thinking, the capsule collection includes a striking black and white outerlayer jacket and pants from Ghosts paired with stylish and performance black and white Mons baselayers.
“I am really stoked to join the Mons Royale family,” said Hotter. “Hamish has been a mentor to me, and I am looking forward to being part of the Mons story through my skiing.”
Hotter and Murray have already done well in Hakuba, Japan this week and you can catch them throughout the Freeride World Tour.
“I enjoy working with Mons Royale not just because they are a great kiwi brand but also because the gear is perfect for traveling on the road—you can pack less and do more,” said Murray.
Check out Mons Royale performance merino, including bestselling pieces like the Yotei Powder Hood, Yotei BF High Neck, and Double-Up Neckwarmer at monsroyale.com.
