Icebreaker - Pure Merino

Our New York City TouchLab store opens tomorrow (Wednesday, 1 December), and today while we were working out a few kinks and getting ready for the VIP party and grand opening, who do we see walk in?  Some scruffy bearded guy, and someone who looks like a former Icebreaker model.

Jo Lewis, our retail designer, recognized the Conchord behind the beard and welcomed Jemaine Clement and director/actor/comedian/writer Taika Waititi (who tried on all sorts of Icebreaker outerwear).  Jemaine said he and his FOTC bandmate Bret McKenzie wore a lot of Icebreaker baselayer during their shoots to stay warm.

We’re very excited to see Taika’s new movie, “Boy“, open globally.  Both gents were ever charming and posed for photos with the Icebreaker crew, check them out below!

We hope to see them back tomorrow for the festivities.

Why is Icebreaker the natural choice to Give Green? Because we offer a natural choice in a world of petroleum-based synthetics.

Each year, sheep in New Zealand’s Southern Alps grow thick merino wool, and each spring the coat is shorn. From this fibre, Icebreaker creates beautiful lightweight clothing that protects the body against extremes of temperature, breathes exceptionally well, resists odor and is designed to perform in the outdoors.

When you buy Icebreaker for friends and family, you’re giving a gift that is not just soft and luxurious but natural, sustainably produced and annually renewable.

Plus, your unique Baacode will let you trace the merino fibre from your Icebreaker garment back to its source. You can see the living conditions of the high country sheep that produced the wool, meet the farmers who are custodians of this astonishing landscape, and follow every step of the supply chain.

Be kind to nature and your loved ones this year: join Icebreaker and other environmentally responsible retailers to turn Cyber Monday into Green Gift Monday. Learn more here: http://blog.nature.org/green-gift-monday/

10/10/10 marked the date for many Marathons across the world, including the Portland Marathon in Portland, OR- home of the US Icebreaker office. It was also my first Marathon and one of the rainiest days of the last few months in Portland! I’ve been training for 4 months (through the heat of the Summer), so the weather was definitely not something I was prepared for. But as a native Oregonian, I sucked it up and braved the weather along 15,000 other runners!

The last thing you want to worry about during a Marathon is what you’re wearing, so luckily for me I was outfitted almost head to toe in Icebreaker – the most effortless and breathable clothing in the world! I started out the race wearing Icebreaker GT150 Dash Tank, an IcebreakerGT200 LS Chase Zip, waterproof shell, leggings and Icebreaker Run Ultralite Lowcut Socks. About 2 miles in, I had to shed my waterproof shell because it was so un-breathable and trapped all the heat underneath. That left me with the Dash Tank and Chase Zip as my main layers and they kept me the perfect temperature for all 26.2 miles! It was truly amazing. Despite being soaked to the bone by the end of the race, by body temperature stayed comfortable – not too cold, not too hot.

It helped so much to have a group of amazing supporters along the way, including friends, family and Icebreaker co-workers cheering me on. Halina Fuller, Icebreaker Graphic Developer, ran the race too and we ran most of the way together. It was great to have her there throughout the race as well as a support and training partner for the last few months.

I can’t wait for my next big race, Hood to Coast in August 2011. Plus, Icebreaker’s Run collection will be available then in the US, with so many cool, new run styles to choose from.

Click here to view a video montage of Portland Marathon. You’ll see a clip of my family holding up a sign “Go Emily” about halfway through and me running by.

- Emily Schumacher, Icebreaker eCom Consumer Fulfillment Coordinator