Mons Royale marks 15 years with new Wānaka store opening

WĀNAKA, Today: Mons Royale, a leading New Zealand outdoor performance wear brand, is marking 15 years in business and celebrating the opening of its new retail store in Wānaka.

Founded in 2009 by husband and wife Hamish and Hannah Acland, Mons Royale has grown into a global leader in Merino Wool apparel, now stocked in over 1,000 stores worldwide.

“We’re incredibly proud to celebrate 15 years of Mons Royale,” said Co-Founder and CEO Hamish Acland. “It’s been a huge decade and a half of taking the best of New Zealand to the world.”

Hamish, a former competitive skier, identified a gap in the market for high-performance merino wool adventure clothing that also looked good off the mountain.

“When I was on tour I noticed that there was no modern apparel out there,” said Hamish. “Hannah and I came back to New Zealand with the dream of making technical clothing that transitions from the mountain to the high street.”

“We’re incredibly proud to celebrate 15 years of Mons Royale. It’s been a huge decade and a half of taking the best of New Zealand to the world.”

“It’s been a huge amount of work, and I can’t thank our awesome team enough for everything they’ve done for the brand,” he added. “It’s surreal to see how far we’ve come.”

Known for pioneering merino wool in action sports apparel, Mons Royale creates garments with superior warmth, breathability, and durability. The brand employs more than 40 staff across offices in Wānaka, Innsbruck, and British Columbia.

Their latest retail store in Wānaka represents a new chapter. “It’s very cool to create the physical manifestation of the brand,” said Hannah Acland. “The next step is retail stores overseas.”

Sustainability is also central to Mons Royale’s ethos, with the brand achieving B Corp certification in 2024. “As keen adventurers, we’re passionate about sustainability,” said Hannah. “We prioritise natural materials, ethical production, and reducing waste.”

Hamish highlighted the brand’s unique position for future growth. “To succeed globally, you need to stand out. We have a distinctive look, we put performance at the core, and use natural fibres and oil-based synthetics.”

“We feel very fortunate to do something we love. We’re just getting started, and we’re excited for the next 15 years of Mons Royale.”