MEDIA RELEASE OPUS FRESH APRIL 2013

Kickstarter Launch:

On 3 April 2013 Opus Fresh Apparel Co. launched a 60 day campaign on crowd funding site Kickstarter to raise capital for its initial production run. In an overwhelming response, the project surpassed its $16,000 USD goal in under a day. At the time of this media release, the total sits at $46,031 USD. The project closes on 2 June 2013.

Company Overview:

Opus Fresh is redefining outdoor adventurewear for the better, seamlessly merging outdoors functionality with inner city style. We believe you don’t need to wear bulky gear to keep warm and dry and you don’t need to look naff to get a quality, high-performance technical garment. We wanted to hide the technical elements in a premium line of garments that performed like expedition adventurewear but didn't look like it.
We believe in sustainability. Opus Fresh is an environmentally minded company with products designed, sourced and tested in the harshest New Zealand environments, with a mind for international travel and adventure.
In a positive change from the 'made in China default' and taking a smaller margin than the big players, Opus Fresh Apparel Co. uses high country New Zealand merino, fully waterproof, breathable, seam sealed outerwear & 100% genuine leather to make garments that are 100% Made in New Zealand - from the materials, to the printing, to the labels and packaging.

Designed with those in mind who work 5 days a week but who like to go adventuring on their days off, Opus fresh Apparel Co. is less about the 'cool kid' ski/surf/bike bum and more about the 'work hard, play hard' demographic. It is a local company with a global target - North America, Northern Europe and Japan; places that identify with outdoors adventure culture but that still have a strong metropolitan identity.

Opus Fresh Apparel Co. is sustainable and environmentally friendly in its production process. The company also donates 10% of its profit to charities which make a difference: Sustainable Coastlines, SPCA and UNEP tree planting projects.

Backstory & Founders:

Co founder James Simpson, a former New Zealand representative competing in white water kayaking and snow skiing, had been tinkering around with the adventure clothing idea since he was 15. After narrowly avoiding drowning while kayaking over Huka Falls in 2002, then breaking his back skiing in 2003 and nearly freezing in the aftermath, he came to the reluctant conclusion that being a professional athlete probably wasn't his calling, but that technical clothing was awesome. He started working for a major adventurewear company but over time became frustrated with their refusal to cater to a market that wanted functional clothing that was well cut and could cross over as street wear/corporate clothing.

Things got serious in Feburary 2012 when his partner, co-founder Laura Currie* completed a graphic design course and started making noises about creating a graphics-focused clothing range. Pooling their resources and bringing their respective backgrounds in the outdoors and design seemed like an obvious move and their respective skills ended up dove-tailing nicely.

*James met Laura just before the back breaking incident. He gave her a snowboard lesson, some really bad technical advice and she broke her arm as a result; they have been dating ever since.