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TOUCH_LAB to offer New Yorkers pure merino apparel

02 Oct '10

2 min read

Icebreaker, the New Zealand company that pioneered the outdoor merino wool apparel category, announced it will open its first store in Manhattan in early December 2010. The 2,500-square-foot SoHo store will be Icebreaker's flagship, and located at 102 Wooster Street, between Spring and Prince Streets, across the street from Patagonia's SoHo store.

Natural, sustainably produced Icebreaker merino regulates body temperature in all climates, is highly breathable to prevent the clamminess associated with synthetics, and protects the wearer from the sun's harmful rays. It's also “no stink” – also resisting odour and wearable for days – sometimes weeks – without washing.

The new TOUCH_LAB retail store will showcase the complete Icebreaker line from its Outdoor, Running, Cycling, Travel, Kids, Underwear and City collections, all made from handpicked merino wool born in the Southern Alps of New Zealand.

“More and more New Yorkers will soon discover Icebreaker's miracle fibre from New Zealand,” said Jeremy Moon, Icebreaker's founder and CEO. “Our TOUCH_LAB will allow us to showcase our freshest designs with savvy SoHo residents who are known connoisseurs of top-quality apparel.” Moon added that New York City was chosen for Icebreaker's flagship store because of the rapid adoption of Icebreaker by New Yorkers through the company's online business and retailers Paragon and Eastern Mountain Sports.

The neighborhood is home to a high concentration of healthy, fit shoppers that match Icebreaker's target demographic. These shoppers are known for being early adopters and setting trends. Icebreaker was also attracted to the neighborhood since there are a number of other outdoor retailers with stores in the area including Patagonia and The North Face, and Eastern Mountain Sports and REI (opening its New York flagship store in fall, 2011), both of which also sell Icebreaker. Architects for the Icebreaker SoHo Touch_Lab store are Adrian Nancekivell from Adrian Nancekivell Design, Auckland, New Zealand with Joseph Tarella from SawickiTarella Architecture & Design NYC.

The SoHo store will be the company's sixth TOUCH_LAB. Icebreaker has two TOUCH_LAB stores in North America, one in Montreal, Canada, and the other in Portland, Oregon, also the location of Icebreaker's U.S. headquarters.

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