Sir Ed brand starts fashion expedition
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Auckland has had a boom year for housing consents. Statistics New Zealand figures show that, in 2017, there were 10,867 houses consented for in Auckland, the highest level since 2004 and up 8.4 per cent from 2016. There was an average of more than 900 consented each month, including record numbers of retirement village units, townhouses and flats. Nationwide, 31,087 houses were consented in 2017, up 3.4 per cent on 2016. ASB economists said they expected Auckland activity to hold up at high levels. Nationwide, the number of new homes consented fell 9.6 per cent for the month of December, which ASB said could be due to uncertainty about KiwiBuild.
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US$5.26b analysts expected. A portion of sales from a new outdoor clothing range named after the late Sir Edmund Hillary will help fund the mountaineer’s charitable projects.
The range, which includes replicas of the gear worn by Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 when they became the first to reach the summit of Mt Everest, will be launched at New Zealand Fashion Week in August.
Edmund Hillary Brands was founded by Hillary’s son, Peter, and Auckland businessman Mike Hall-Taylor.
A percentage of the profits will go towards supporting schools in the Himalayas, and outdoor education programmes in countries where the range is made and sold, including New Zealand.
‘‘The new business … will help keep the legacy of Sir Edmund Hillary alive around the world for future generations,’’ Hall-Taylor said. ‘‘It will also support the people and places that he dedicated so much of his life to helping.’’
The first collection will feature 25 items ranging from a replica anorak modeled on the one Hillary wore during his ascent of Everest, to jackets, vests, and exact replicas of his hand-knitted sweaters.
Some of the items will be produced by the same company that supplied the 1953 expedition.
Smaller garments, such as hats and scarves, would be manufactured in Nepal where possible, and the merino wool for the knitwear and base layers would be sourced from New Zealand.
The larger, more complex and tailored products, such as down jackets as worn by Norgay, would be made in the United Kingdom, Hall-Taylor said.
The launch followed years of working with the Hillary family to firm up their shared vision to honour Hillary’s achievements and build on his charity work, Hall-Taylor said.
‘‘We’ve drawn on the heritage of the past, scouring imagery and researching fabrics used by Sir Ed and his climbing party, and then brought the clothing into the present day. The range captures the essence of Sir Ed and will resonate with those with their own spirit of adventure and a desire to be part of the Edmund Hillary story.’’
The company was largely being funded by UK investors, but would have a strong Kiwi flavour, HallTaylor said. Initially, the duo would look to establish niche markets in Australia, New Zealand, Northern Europe, North America and Japan.