Salewa Launches Apparel in North America for Fall 2017

Boulder, Colo. (Dec. 8, 2016)- Salewa, the leading international mountain sports brand born and bred in the Italian Dolomites, is proud to announce the limited launch of apparel in North America for Fall 2017. The Salewa apparel selected for success in North America represents the brand’s heritage, innovation, functional fit and sustainability.

Contributing over 80 years of innovation and commitment to mountain enthusiasts who pursue their passions through outdoor adventures, the family-owned brand draws on four generations of apparel expertise from crafting technical, mountain-ready textiles in Europe’s rugged yet sophisticated South Tyrol region, where mountain sports are inextricably bound to the region’s societal fabric.

With international recognition, a unique brand proposition and exceptional product, Salewa has strategically aligned itself to enter the North American market deliberately and effectively with its apparel offerings by partnering with a limited number of key specialty retailers who are continually looking for ways to differentiate themselves from offerings available in wider retail distribution.

The introduction of apparel in North America marks a deep immersion in the U.S. and Canada core outdoor marketplace, complementing the brand’s footwear, which has been offered in North America for the last six years. For the 2017 apparel launch, Salewa is partnering with key dealers in regions where the brand has seen strong growth of its footwear line.

“As our retailers have experienced continued success with the footwear over the last six years, those aware of the larger portfolio have asked us when a broader offering will be available in North America,” says Salewa North America General Manager, Brian Mecham. “Our goals, brand story and ownership align extremely well with our specialty retail partners in North America and we’re excited to finally introduce a product line that properly embodies the Salewa brand.”

Introducing roughly 60 apparel pieces from two collections, the Ortles series features Gore-Tex®, down, fleece and hybrid designs for alpine and ski mountaineering, while the Pedroc series specializes in lightweight, performance fit layers for running and hiking. Together, the selection is well-rounded and suitable for Q3 retail sales with a focus on delivering performance and comfort needs to support the variable mountain weather conditions as well as the macro-trends in North American fall and winter activities such as ultra-running, fast-paced day hiking, trekking, backpacking and early season uphill skiing.

Salewa is owned by European mountaineer, innovator and entrepreneur, Heiner Oberrauch of the Oberalp Group. Heiner is a descendant Anton Oberrauch, who began innovating technical textiles in Northern Italy in 1846. Oberauch’s approach to business is holistic, evaluating the impact of the community and fostering a management-led company with a long-term, sustainable growth strategy.

In addition to using the highest quality, technical fabrics and hybrid designs for comfort and performance excellence, Salewa is heavily committed to achieving progressive CSR standards. All of Salewa down products are RDS certified, 70% of the entire apparel collection is PFC-free and 50% of all textiles used are bluesign qualified. As an active member of the Fair Wear Foundation, Salewa, was recently granted a “Jury’s Best Practice Award” for upholding social, secure and fair working conditions in their production locations. For a complete CSR report, please visit Oberalp’s published “Contribute” CSR report found here: http://www.salewa.us/en/csr-contribute/.

Key pieces from the Fall 2017 collection can be viewed at Salewa’s Outdoor Retailer Winter Market tradeshow booth (36073), and will be available to consumers in North America in August 2017 through a select group of specialty retailers.

About Salewa:

Behind SALEWA stands over 80 years of experience in the vertical and on high-alpine expeditions. As a leading international mountain sports brand, Salewa inspires people all around the world to live and experience the mountains with the appropriate apparel, footwear, equipment and technical gear for their alpine activities. Founded in 1935 in Munich, Germany, the family-owned, management-led company today has its global headquarters in the heart of the Dolomites, in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy, developing innovative, functional and premium products with a trusted network of alpine institutions, active mountain athletes, specialized partners and professional mountain guide organizations.

Contact:

MJ Carroll

mj@whitecloudcommunication.com

970.946.3891