Japanese Glove Makers Oyuki Max FW18 Pre-Sales And Secure PR Representation
Ask any skier or snowboarder where their bucket list big snow trip is, and Japan will surely live on the top of their list. It is in this mythical land, with its never-ending refills of super dry Hokkaido pow, where OYUKI’s winter accessories are designed and tested. After a successful FW17 test with their gloves and mittens in the US market, OYUKI is now building on the success of their first year.
Let’s rewind.
Aussie ski and snowboard shop owner, Matt Hampton, first fell in love with Japan the same way many Americans have – through hearing stories of Hokkaido’s magical winter wonderland. In 2005, he and his team packed the entire store in a container and shipped it to Niseko to (literally) set up shop. As his store, Rhythm, continued to succeed and expand, the desire to create cold-weather essentials especially suited to the deep powder environment of Niseko grew and OYUKI was born.
“I remember my first day skiing in Niseko, neck deep blower pow on the 28th of Nov 2005, almost no one on the mountain,” says Hamton. “Back then, face gear was really basic and didn’t really stand up to everything that Niseko was throwing at us, so we decided to make our own products that would keep us on the mountain longer. Our main advantage is that we can design and test the gear in our backyard, then listen to our customers feedback every day in our stores. The result is the best cold weather gear on the market.”
OYUKI listens to winter.
Literally translated, OYUKI means big snow in Japanese. It is Japan’s unique culture that inspires their designers to create products that are honest, functional and strikingly minimalist, while a combination of first-hand mountain experience, athlete collaborations, and premium ingredients allows them to help skiers and snowboarders smash pow in absolute comfort.
“I really love that the Oyuki brand is built on quality craftsmanship coupled with a fun outlook that’s not just about developing and selling product, but taking care of their people,” says OYUKI athlete, Pep Fujas. “I’m also really proud of the products we’ve developed together – the Pep mitt strikes the ideal balance between maneuverability and warmth that I’ve wanted throughout my life as a skier.”
The US is listening to OYUKI.
Whether it’s the undeniable cool factor of Japow or the high quality of OYUKI’s products, the US market seems to be drinking the sake. Leading action sports retailer evo brought in a healthy selection of gloves and cold weather essentials for the FW17 season, quickly selling through their initial order. Having sold through its second in-season order, evo wrote a FW18 pre-season order that maxed the U.S market cap OYUKI established.
“Oyuki is a super creative and fun company,” says Lauren Anderson, accessories buyer at evo. “We are really excited to partner with them for a second year. Oyuki products are an embodiment of some of my favorite parts of Japanese culture; minimalist, stylish and built to last. Their products are designed and tested in Northern Japan, one of the most magical places to ski, so you know you are buying one of the best products available to the market.”
As the current NA ski season comes to a close, OYUKI now looks forward to next season, securing brand communications specialist Maro LaBlance to manage media relations.
