Mons Royale
From Lake Wanaka New Zealand, Mons Royale designs performance merino clothing for the mountains.
It all started with pro freeride skier Hamish Acland. Over years of travelling to competitions, shoots and surfing friends' couches to chase the snow, Hamish found himself wondering how he could maximise his adventure while packing with limited space. Most skiers and snowboarders know this problem well. Skis, boots, outerwear and backcountry kit get packed first. Then the washables; socks, underwear and baselayers. And finally, some street clothes to fill out the bag.
Hamish valued his few pieces that he could wear both on-mountain and off. And that's when he realised that there was a gap when it came to baselayers.
Merino baselayers were the performative preference. They were breathable, but warm and always anti-odour – even after days of continued wear. But, at the time, the majority of merino baselayers on the market were boring. Black and conservative.
Joined by Hannah Aubrey (now Acland), a Kiwi graphic designer who had cut her teeth in New York at Fahrenheit 212, Hamish launched Mons Royale in 2009. The inaugural high performance range was fresh, bold and edgy. It cut through the noise of the baselayer market.
Mons quickly grew beyond winter baselayers to include active apparel for the summer and eventually, a range of mountain bike garments. Today, Mons offers the most comprehensive layering system for your snow sports, high performance bike apparel for your time on two-wheels and merino for the life in between.