Mons Royale: Kiwis on a Merino mission

Perhaps it’s easier to switch things up if you’re looking at them from the other side of the world? For New Zealanders Hamish and Hannah Acland, the view from ‘down under’ has certainly played a key role – and still does today. When the pair founded the Mons Royale brand twelve years ago, they were clear about one thing: ‘We didn’t want to do what other people were doing. We wanted to create something unique, something special – and something that is actually needed.’ And so Hamish, the sheep farmer’s son and ex-freeski pro, became a missionary. A very cool Merino missionary.

In the mid-2000s, Hamish was touring the world, competing in freeskiing events and living out of two bags. ‘I always had a lot of kit with me, a lot of performance clothing – and there was hardly any room for everyday clothes.’ As a New Zealander, he knew about the merits of Merino and that this natural fibre can perfectly combine the two worlds – on and off the mountain.

‘What I thought was lacking was clothing that you could wear all the time – wherever you are and for days on end. Merino is an incredibly comfortable material, it regulates the body climate and doesn’t smell. But the Merino garments that were available back then didn’t suit my lifestyle. In action sports, it’s all about energy, a zest for life and expressing yourself – and that’s not necessarily reflected in a back or navy shirt.’

The notion of starting his own business was etched in Hamish’s mind at an early age. In retrospect, he blames his parents for this – both for his entrepreneurial spirit and his love of wool. ‘My parents had a keen eye for business,’ he says. ‘They were sheep farmers who thought progressively and took things further. They also passed on their passion for outdoor sports to me.’

From New Zealand to the whole world

It’s a similar story with his wife Hannah, the design brain of Mons Royale. The 38-year-old grew up on ‘a remote Merino sheep farm’. She got her affinity to nature from both parents and her creativity from her mother – who is from Hollywood. She came to New Zealand for a film shoot, met Hannah’s father – ‘and the rest is history’. Hannah, on the other hand, moved to her mother’s home country at the age of 20 and worked in New York. In 2008, Hannah was en route from the US to Australia when she met Hamish, who was in the process of setting up Mons Royale – and, again, ‘the rest is history’. As the saying goes, history repeats itself.

Hamish and Hannah are a dream team: he has the vision and boundless ambition, she has the creativity and boundless energy. They officially launched Mons Royale in 2009. The name ‘King of the Mountains’ reflects their passion for the Alpine world. And, remembering the need to think the other way around with the New Zealanders, ‘mons’ reads ‘snow’ upside down.

Hannah and Hamish have been operating the brand from Wānaka, a town with a population of 8,900 on New Zealand’s South Island, for twelve years now. The mountains tower steeply on the west coast of the lake of the same name. Wānaka ranks as one of the southern hemisphere’s outdoor hotspots. In summer, you can go biking, hiking and paddling. And in winter, people ski or snowboard. It’s the perfect location for using Mons Royale products, designed for harsh weather and strenuous activities that make you sweat.

But Mons Royale has also developed into a global brand. The underdog from Down Under has fast acquired a dedicated following – from Wānaka to Whistler and all the way to Laax. The town in the Surselva region has played a pivotal role in the history of Mons. ‘We met our first dealer here. He believed in Merino and in a team that would dare to do things differently,’ says Hamish. The brand doesn’t look to excel at any price. Mons instead represents something that unites people: sport and the mountains bring people together all over the world – and people and nature should also be seen as one.

‘I think we are good at combining different worlds,’ reflects Hannah. ‘Yin and yang. The rural and the urban. The technical and the sustainable. The masculine and the feminine. The cool and the rooted.’ Mons Royale is synonymous with fashionable Merino clothing with a distinctive look, for all genders. Unlike the male-dominated action sports world, the gender ratio at Mons is well balanced and the brand is especially committed to sports-loving women. ‘The ratio of women is increasing, whether it’s in winter sports or biking,’ says Hannah. ‘And when it comes to clothing, women are more discerning and often even bolder.’ The Mons Royale creative team ‘allows itself to treat 20 percent of the collection each season as “hot sauce” – which is what we call products where we let our creativity run free without paying attention to rules or sales figures. The crazy thing is that these items often become bestsellers.’

More than just base layers

Mons originally started out as a base layer brand. Over the years, though, the New Zealanders have evolved into a wide-ranging snow and bike wear brand. ‘Our aim is all about never standing still,’ says Hamish. ‘And our vision is to bring as many people as possible with us on our journey.’ He doesn’t mean sales figures when he says this: ‘For us, growth can only happen organically.’ He’s referring to building a community across all borders. ‘We, as mountain sports enthusiasts, all have so much in common and our spirit is so positive. Our objective is to keep this attitude alive and to promote an awareness of a sustainable approach to nature.’