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Taking on merino with Yak wool outdoor clothing

Christchurch company Peak to Plateau is taking on merino with Yak wool outdoor clothing


Peak to Plateau is a new Christchurch company making baselayers and outdoor clothing with Yak wool sourced from the Tibetan Plateau. Today they launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter for their three newest products - the Kailash 1/4 Zip long sleeve, Nomad Crew long sleeve, and Namtso Tee. Reaching their goal of $50000 will enable them to complete a full scale manufacturing run and launch their products in New Zealand and internationally.

The campaign can be viewed here: www.kickstarter.com/projects/

Peak to Plateau was founded by Stefan Warnaar, a young Kiwi entrepreneur looking to create the World’s Best Baselayers. Stefan first stumbled upon the benefits of yak wool when he spent three months in Mongolia, Central Asia and the Himalayas, living with local herders and nomads, and spending his time surrounded by yaks, goats and sheep.

Yak fiber is up to 40% warmer, 65% more breathable and softer than merino. Only the soft down under-fiber is used, which is what is responsible for keeping yaks warm at altitudes up to 5000m and temperatures down to -40C. The yak fiber is blended with Tencel, an eco-friendly natural fiber made from the Eucalyptus tree. Tencel is extremely soft, strong and breathable and combines with yak to enhance the properties of the fabric. A 65% Yak 35% Tencel blend gives the perfect combination of warmth, comfort, durability and breathability.

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"We rely on the herders for the yak fiber, and without them Peak to Plateau wouldn't exist. Without any source of income, many herders are forced to leave for the cities and leave behind their way of life. Yak wool is something that allows them to stay, but also gives them the connection to the outside world that they want." - Stefan Warnaar, Founder

By sourcing the fiber from co-operatives on the Tibetan Plateau the herders are guaranteed a fair price and only the best quality fiber is used. Peak to Plateau's mission is not only to create the world's best baselayers, but to be part of a bigger change in the clothing industry. Environmental and social responsibility are as important as a great product.

"It makes sense to use natural fibers. We are promoting people to explore and experience the natural wilderness, and so making a product that helps to destroy the environment would be completely against what we value." - Stefan Warnaar, Founder

The Kickstarter campaign is the first step for the company which has big plans in 2017. The main channel to market is directly through their website peaktoplateau.com, but establishing their presence in retail stores in New Zealand for next winter will be a huge boost and put them directly up against merino.

Stefan Warnaar has been working on Peak to Plateau for the past 12 months, while studying Chemical Engineering at the University of Canterbury. He has been awarded scholarships to take part in the UC Centre for Entrepreneurship Summer Start-Up Programme and won a 5k prize in the Entre 85k Challenge which ran during the year.

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