A clothing range inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary is calling for Kiwi investors.
The brand, Edmund Hillary Clothing, launched at New Zealand Fashion Week last August and was influenced by the clothes worn by Sir Ed on his expedition to Mt Everest.
Sir Ed's grandson, Alex Hillary, explained on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning, "It's a brand that really kind of embodies Ed's spirit and what he stood for."
"It's clothing – premium heritage clothing – inspired by his kind of spirit for adventure and his climb of Mt Everest in 1953, but also his life afterwards, so we've created these really high-quality garments that really stand up for what he stood for."
A percentage of their profits will go towards charity, he said.
"As a Hillary, I'm just delighted with where we are today with the clothing brand."
Edmund Hillary Clothing is looking for backing by investors so they can "continue on and expand internationally.
"People come into our store – we have a flagship store here in Queenstown – and the reaction is just really positive. People love the quality of the clothing, but they also really connect with the story, you know?
"Each of our pieces often have a story tied in with them. Our summit jacket is modelled on the jacket that he wore to the summit of Everest in 1953, and it's actually made of the same material that the jackets were back in those days, so people really connect with that story, and so we're really hoping that we can continue on and expand internationally.
It's hoped backing of the brand will allow it to move into the US, UK and European market, as well as the launch of a women's range.
"We've had women come into the store for the past four or five months and they've loved the clothing, the quality, the materials, the look, so we really want to launch our women’s range, which we've been developing over the past month, so that’s something we’re really excited about."
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