Icebreaker Announces Inaugural Washington, DC-Area Store

Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the merino wool adventure apparel category, today announced it will open a new TouchLab store in Bethesda, Maryland, USA.

The new 1,200-square-foot store will open in March 2013 in Bethesda Row, a premium mixed-use shopping and dining destination just eight miles from downtown Washington, DC. Icebreaker will be located at 4821 Bethesda Avenue, near lululemon, The North Face and Lucy Activewear.

“After the excitement of the presidential inauguration is over, DC metro area residents will still have something to look forward to with our March 2013 opening,” says Jeremy Moon, founder and CEO of Icebreaker.

“Icebreaker is perfect for active DC-area residents who value high performance apparel. It has something for everyone – from runners, hikers and skiers looking for a natural alternative to synthetics, to Bethesda Row shoppers with an eye for new and beautiful apparel,” Moon added.

The Bethesda TouchLab store will feature Icebreaker’s complete line of pure merino wool apparel, including its Outdoor, Run/Fitness, Kids, Underwear and Travel/Lifestyle collections and Socks and Accessories, all made from handpicked merino wool born in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

The store will allow shoppers to touch Icebreaker merino, known for being so soft that people often don’t even realize it is wool. The store’s Tactile Gallery will have garments that explain the functional benefits of Icebreaker merino – it’s soft, non-itch, odour-resistant and highly breathable. Merino also regulates temperature, which means it warms in the cold and cools in the heat.

Icebreaker has eight other North American TouchLabs: Portland, Oregon (home of its US headquarters); New York City (SoHo and the Meatpacking District), California (San Francisco and, opening September 2012, San Jose), Montréal and Vancouver, British Columbia (Kitsilano and, opening August 30, 2012, North Shore).

The Bethesda TouchLab will be open Monday through Saturday, 10 am to 7 pm, and Sunday, 12 to 6 pm.

About Icebreaker
Launched in 1994, Icebreaker was the first company in the world to develop a merino wool layering system for the outdoors. It was also the first outdoor apparel company in the world to source merino directly from growers, a system it began in 1997. Icebreaker merino clothing for the outdoors, technical sports and lifestyle includes underwear, mid layer garments, outerwear, socks and accessories for men, women and children. Icebreaker is based in Wellington, New Zealand, and is sold in more than 3000 stores in 43 countries. See icebreaker.com for more information about Icebreaker, and jeremymoon.me for more information on Icebreaker founder and CEO Jeremy Moon.