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Fashion United
2 days ago
- Business
- Fashion United
LaMunt's chief executive officer, Ruth Oberrauch: ‘Retailers are looking for versatility'
The order season in the outdoor industry has begun. How are retailers orienting themselves? What products are they looking for? The Austrian-based womenswear label LaMunt focuses on a balance of function, lifestyle and sustainability. The outdoor label LaMunt was founded in 2020 to offer functional and stylish mountaineering and outdoor clothing by women, for women. Numerous retailers now carry LaMunt, which, like the Salewa and Dynafit brands, belongs to the Oberalp Group, and the first store has just opened in Munich. We spoke with Ruth Oberrauch, founder and brand manager of LaMunt, about the new collection, how the brand has developed and what retailers are looking for today. What themes are you focusing on in new collection? How have you developed collection further? Essentially, for the SS26 collection, we worked very hard to bring even more fresh colours and accents into the collection. We had noticed – and these are perhaps typical initial difficulties – that with LaMunt we had to be very careful about which colourways we introduced where, because the collection does not have as many products as larger and more established brands. When you saw the entire collection, it always worked very well, but because the retailers naturally do not buy the entire collection, it was sometimes difficult to achieve the right appeal and the right radiance in terms of colour and colour mix. Therefore, we put a strong focus on this brightness theme and the radiance of the colours. I think we have made great strides in that area. What colours are those? We had actually already introduced the colour lime in the SS25 collection. We have strengthened this somewhat because it is simply a colour that can be easily combined everywhere, but it simply adds freshness. We have also added aruba, which is aqua-turquoise, and peach, which is a light orange. This gives us a beautiful colour palette. We have also worked hard to define what our base is, what our neutral tones are – taupe, beige, grey, black – and how everything can be combined. Otherwise, we have consciously focused on two areas: firstly, the theme of soul trekking, as we call it, our core area with hiking, trekking. We have also added the area of adventure-travelling, which overlaps. With a somewhat more urban look, for example, trousers with cargo pockets and a really casual cape with wide, voluminous cuts. LaMunt SS25 collection. Credits: LaMunt Does that mean that you have sharpened focus in a more fashionable direction? No, I wouldn't say that at all. Although we have become somewhat bolder in terms of colour and silhouette on the one hand, we have also invested in the technical aspects of the products and expanded them further. The mountaineering theme merges with this outdoor lifestyle approach, so to speak. It is always about both and about being able to mix both very well. How has collection developed in general? In terms of scope or categories. We are still in the clothing sector and, with around 60 pieces, have reached a size that I believe gives us the right mix. I don't think it needs any more. My briefing to the product team is: we only add new products if old ones are dropped. So we are more likely to substitute than add more products. I think it makes more sense to invest in a certain number of products than to lose focus by becoming broader to the left and right of them. What are your retailers paying close attention to at moment? What aspects of your collection have you found answers to? I actually have the feeling that retailers are also looking for this versatility in the pieces. On the one hand, somewhat detached from this strong seasonal thinking. They tend to avoid the very clear winter product, the very clear summer product. Of course, you need light shorts in the summer and of course you need warm fleece in the winter. However, retailers are also increasingly moving into areas that work across seasons. What do you mean by versatility? By versatility, I mean products that work for different activities or in this hybrid lifestyle area. We all wear functional clothing in everyday life, and these products are receiving more attention overall. LaMunt SS26 collection. Credits: LaMunt What new functions or functional materials are you working with in new collection, for example? For example, we have new technical fleece with okta fibres in the collection. These are very light fleeces with a fibre that has an octagonal cross-section. This means that these textiles transport moisture very well and also retain heat very well – with relatively little volume and weight. In other words, they are very light, soft, highly functional fabrics that have a slight shiny shimmer on the inside and are matt on the outside – which is aesthetically very exciting. Our ReMOCA pad wadding, which we developed ourselves from production waste from our Pomoca ski touring skins, is also super exciting. What does that look like? A few years ago, we took over a small company that produces velour, which we use to make our ski touring skins. When I was there for the first time and saw mountains of waste materials, I thought that something had to be made from the material, especially as we process high-quality materials there. We then carried out various tests and, together with Imbotex, finally found a way to process the waste from the looms, which consists of polyester with a small proportion of cotton, into wadding. We now use this wadding as a lightweight insulation material for LaMunt. In winter, however, this naturally plays an even greater role. Are you able to use this material for all of your insulation? We actually have two concepts: one is recycled cashmere and the other is the ReMOCA pad, depending on the product. However, we are increasingly focusing on ReMOCA because I simply believe it makes sense to recycle our own technology, but above all our own waste materials, back into the cycle. SS26 collection is now being sold in stores, so you are already working on next collections. What will be new there? In product development this time, we focused very heavily on lifecycle assessment analyses in order to be able to make better decisions about material selection on this basis and reduce our impact as much as possible. This was a very exciting process because we naturally play through all these considerations in every product development, but now, for the first time, we carried out calculations in the conceptualisation phase and not just when the product was almost fully developed. This was an interesting exercise because you don't always assess all aspects correctly. For example, we found with our nylons that the decisive proportion of the product footprint is actually attributable to the fabric production. Not the yarn production or the making-up, but the weaving phase of the fabrics is responsible for this. Integrating these processes much earlier and the resulting learning that you take with you for all further products was the highlight for me in the development of the next collection. LaMunt SS26 collection. Credits: LaMunt How important is sustainability to your customers and how important is it to retailers now? If we start with the end customer, with LaMunt we are primarily addressing a woman who is a little more established in life, and not necessarily an 18-year-old girl. In other words, a woman for whom quality and longevity are very important. Of course, there are differences, but I experience our customer as a mindful customer who is very keen on sustainable aspects. As far as retailers are concerned, I would say that all retailers definitely have the issue on their radar. However, there are differences in how intensively they can deal with it. Larger retailers naturally have it easier because they have built up the appropriate structures and capacities. It is a big task to collect information from all brands, integrate it into your own systems and pass it on to end customers. The individual brands simply have a huge amount of information. Therefore, I don't get the feeling that the issue is seen as unimportant, but rather that it poses a challenge. I believe that it is a major task for the entire industry, both the brands and the retailers, to develop solutions here that make it easier for the brands to communicate these aspects on the one hand and for the retailers to process them on the other. What feedback are you currently receiving from retailers? How are retailers doing? I think these have been exciting years for everyone with ups and downs. With all the logical consequences, such as full warehouses, which had accumulated after the boom period during the pandemic and naturally resulted in too much product on the market. But I am already noticing that there is a positive mood again, that sport, outdoor and mountaineering are still on trend. I don't see that this is declining rapidly in any way. I always say that this outdoor boom that many people like to talk about is not something that was created by Covid-19. This trend already existed before and it continues to exist. It was only accelerated by the pandemic. Therefore, outdoor activities are continuing, but somewhat less quickly than we may have been used to a few years ago. And that is also good in the long term. Therefore, I am already noticing a positive mood in the market again. LaMunt SS25 collection. Credits: LaMunt Supply chains were a major issue during pandemic, and now they are back in focus in view of threatened trade tariffs. Are you dealing with this? Absolutely. From LaMunt's point of view, this issue is certainly less relevant because we are limiting ourselves purely to Europe. But of course, from the Oberalp Group's point of view, it is an absolutely hot topic. What makes me particularly uneasy about it is the arbitrariness and unpredictability that currently prevails. Not only in relation to the ups and downs of tariffs, but because this feeling of unpredictability is causing a loss of trust in a previously functioning system. This is causing me great concern – also in the medium term – because it is unclear what this means for international relations and the development of business models. In a globalised world, we need solid partnerships, because the more long-term and solid our partnerships are, the better we can jointly implement qualitatively correct measures. I was travelling in Asia when this tariff issue was announced and I witnessed how our partners were considering whether they would have to relocate their production, which of course makes no sense from either an economic or a sustainability point of view. There is a bit of a feeling of what can I still rely on? And I think that if this attitude arises, in us humans or in our society, then that is an extreme damage to the way we cooperate. These things worry me much more than the fact that we currently have a problem with our pricing. What is Oberalp Group doing now to prepare for these scenarios? We have consciously set up our supply chain in a very diverse way in recent years. In other words, we have made sure that we do not only produce shoes in one country, for example, but we have increasingly diversified the product categories. This is naturally helping now. We can also rely on very long-term partnerships. Especially during the Covid period, we consciously made the decision that, despite all the difficulties we all had with payments, we always prioritised the punctual payments to our suppliers. Which of course also strengthened the relationship and mutual trust. In this way, we can rely on a very solid supply chain with long partnerships, some of which have lasted for 20 years. This naturally helps in difficult situations. LaMunt opens first store in Munich Credits: LaMunt LaMunt has just opened its first ever store in Munich. Are there any further plans? This first store in Munich is a test pilot. It was not planned long in advance, but an opportunity simply arose that we seized – knowing that a good part of our community is based in Munich and that Munich, as a large city with a large catchment area and a certain affinity for mountaineering, outdoor activities and lifestyle, is very well suited. But I also think we have a lot to learn and it is incredibly fun because we have also opted for a somewhat special format. Not just a classic store, but above all a community place where we can try out a lot of things. Firstly, it is a lot of fun, but I also think it takes time to try these things out before you roll them out. During my time at the Oberalp Group, I learned that it makes little sense to plan to open a store in exactly this city. You need the right location and the right people on site, only then can it really work. What would be another desirable location? Well, Bolzano would of course be nice as our home town, but on the other hand we are already well represented in South Tyrol. I think Zurich would be an exciting topic. But as I said, there are no plans for further stores yet. This article was translated to English using an AI tool. FashionUnited uses AI language tools to speed up translating (news) articles and proofread the translations to improve the end result. This saves our human journalists time they can spend doing research and writing original articles. Articles translated with the help of AI are checked and edited by a human desk editor prior to going online. If you have questions or comments about this process email us at info@
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Youspi Consulting GmbH Launches Strategic Business Workshop Focused on Human-Centered Experience Design
Castle of Lost Magic introduces immersive executive program to redefine corporate strategies through emotional storytelling and user-centered innovation SALZBURG, AUSTRIA / / May 24, 2025 / Youspi Consulting GmbH, an established name in experience strategy and user-centered innovation, announces the official launch of its latest executive workshop format: Castle of Lost Magic. The three-day program is designed to help business leaders, creative directors, and marketing professionals rethink corporate strategies through the lens of human-centered experience design. Youspi Consulting GmbH launches "Castle of Lost Magic," a strategic workshop empowering leaders through emotional storytelling and human-centered design. Taking place in a historic castle setting, the workshop reflects Youspi Consulting GmbH's commitment to integrating strategic planning with emotional impact and storytelling. The initiative marks a significant step in the company's broader mission to transform how organizations engage with their customers in a digitally saturated world. Strategic Shift: From Functionality to Emotional Engagement The workshop emphasizes the growing need for companies to go beyond functional product development. Participants will explore how emotional connection, user empathy, and immersive experience design can shape sustainable business strategies. Through expert-led sessions, attendees will be guided to create impactful narratives and align them with business objectives. Executive Quote on Initiative "Businesses today must create real resonance with their audiences," says Johannes Robier, Founder and CEO of Youspi Consulting GmbH. "With Castle of Lost Magic, we offer a structured yet immersive experience to explore how emotional storytelling and human needs can shape the future of business strategy." Expertise Without Name-Dropping Drawing on over 120 years of combined experience from the workshop's facilitators, the program provides an intensive, real-world toolkit for executives. Rather than relying on case studies from major entertainment brands, the focus lies on actionable insights, strategy development, and cross-disciplinary collaboration. Corporate Milestone for Youspi Consulting GmbH The launch of this workshop marks a strategic development for Youspi Consulting GmbH, further solidifying its position as a pioneer in integrating business strategy with user experience. The initiative also reflects the company's growth in the DACH region and its evolving service portfolio in the areas of leadership transformation and innovation consulting. About Youspi Consulting GmbH Youspi Consulting GmbH is an Austrian-based strategy consultancy focused on experience design, user research, and human-centered innovation. The company partners with organizations across industries to craft meaningful and measurable experiences that drive business success. Contact Details youspi Consulting GmbH Johannes Robier+43 664 Company Websitehttps:// SOURCE: Youspi Consulting GmbH View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
USA Today
17-04-2025
- Business
- USA Today
The wild story of how a PGA Tour caddie made a killing selling distance measuring devices
The wild story of how a PGA Tour caddie made a killing selling distance measuring devices Cayce Kerr has seen it all as a PGA Tour caddie for 35 years at more than 1,000 tournaments and over 125 majors. During that time, he has worked for 14 major winners, including nine Hall of Famers and seven former World No. 1s. And he brings a unique perspective to the current debate on whether Distance Measuring Devices should be allowed on the PGA Tour. That's because he made an absolute killing wheeling and dealing the devices when they first revolutionized golf nearly 30 years ago. 'I know what it doesn't do,' he said in a recent phone interview. 'It doesn't slow down play.' But let's first back up to the remarkable story of how Kerr became the first person to market a laser or rangefinder on Tour, selling the devices to the likes of Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. Kerr details this incredible story and many other tales from his caddie life on the Tour with 'Fred, Fuzzy, Vijay, Tiger and more,' in a soon-to-be-published book (June 3) titled 'Walking With Greatness.' Kerr was caddying for Fuzzy Zoeller at the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills when his boss requested a yardage and Kerr simply told him that he was far enough away at the par 5 to just bang 3-wood from the rough. That wasn't good enough for Fuzzy who wanted a more exact yardage. A spectator near the rope line overheard the conversation and later told Kerr that his Austrian-based company, Swarovski, had a technology that would determine the yardage with a click of a button. Before long, Kerr was invited to company headquarters and struck a handshake agreement for a one-year worldwide exclusive deal for the new golf product. Sandy Lyle was his first customer. Even Charles Schwab, the founder of the discount brokerage company bearing his name, had to have one. Kerr paid $1,000 a pop and marked them up to $3,300. 'Before the year was out,' Kerr writes, 'I had sold my entire quota of 350 rangefinders, and my $2,300 profit per item meant I reaped a total profit of more than $800,000 in the 12 months I had the sales rights.' Distance-measuring devices have become ubiquitous in the years to come, revolutionizing golf from a yardage standpoint by helping players figure out the distance to the pin faster and compute what club to hit. 'It saves steps,' Kerr said. 'Just multiply that over 18 holes.' Kerr isn't surprised that it has taken the Tour this long to allow players to use them during competition, noting that golf typically moves at a glacial pace when it comes to accepting technology. 'It's part of the equipment like an umbrella and a Goretex rainsuit,' he said. Kerr's book, which includes a foreword by fellow caddie Billy Foster, is a rare insider's memoir that pulls no punches in portraying life on the Tour. And as he details in "Walking with Greatness," rangefinders wasn't the only business this serial entrepreneur would dabble in.
New York Times
16-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Ontario Premier Orders Review of Major Toronto Waterfront Lease
The premier of Ontario on Wednesday said that he had asked his government to look into a deal that the province signed with a European wellness company to develop and operate a spa and water park off Toronto's coveted waterfront. Premier Doug Ford's request that the lease be re-examined came after a New York Times investigation found that the company, Therme, had overstated its experience during the bidding process. After the yearslong process, the province signed a nearly century-long lease last year with the Austrian-based company to develop an artificial island just off the coast of downtown Toronto in Lake Ontario. 'When I heard this, this allegation, I went directly to the minister and to the deputy and said, 'Here, look into this',' Mr. Ford told the news media in Toronto on Wednesday. 'I just want to double- and triple-check the contract,' Mr. Ford said. 'We'll look into it, make sure everything passes a smell test.' The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment. During the bidding process, the company owned and operated only one wellness facility, in Romania, outside Bucharest. But the Times investigation found that it had claimed to be running four to six facilities in Europe in its submissions to the Ontario government. The misstatement of Therme's actual experience was first raised in an in-depth audit of the deal by Ontario's auditor general that was released late last year. The Times investigation found that the company had, over the course of several years, presented itself as one and the same as a bigger, older, well-known German firm by the same name that does operate several water parks. The two companies both told The Times that they had a 'knowledge-sharing agreement.' A representative for Therme said that its wording could have been more precise, and that references to its success in Germany were meant to communicate that the plan's concept had been successful. Therme's statements about its experience weighed significantly in Ontario's decision to grant it the Toronto lease, The Times investigation found. Therme bought one of the German spas late last year. 'I understand they're all one company, so one bought the other company,' Mr. Ford said on Wednesday. 'So I guess they're a larger, stronger company, but they're going to look into this allegation.' Therme did not buy the German Therme, they are not one company, and the acquisition of the single German spa happened well after it submitted its bid to the Ontario government and won the lease. The project on Toronto's high-value waterfront has been an ongoing saga for the Ford government, which has faced resistance from local residents who wanted to preserve the space as a public park. In October, the province cut down more than 800 trees on the land to prepare it for handing over to Therme. Therme is contractually obligated to begin construction by next spring; it has not yet secured outside financing for the project. The development has been long criticized by Ontario opposition parties. Marit Stiles, the opposition leader in the Ontario legislature, called for the agreement to be canceled. 'I think it's better to get this over with now and cancel the deal, and we've been saying that since Day 1,' Ms. Stiles said on Wednesday. She added: 'Look, Ontario never asked for this. That land was being put to good public use.' Mr. Ford said canceling the contract was not on the table. 'This is going to be something spectacular at the end of the day,' he said. 'It'll be the No. 1 one tourist attraction, I say in the country, next to Niagara Falls.'
Russia Today
07-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
Pro-Palestine British journalist detained in Austria
Independent British journalist Richard Medhurst, known for his pro-Palestinian stance, has said he was briefly detained by Austrian authorities on suspicion of belonging to a terrorist organization. He was similarly apprehended by UK police in August. The Austrian-based Medhurst posted a video on his X account on Friday, claiming he had been 'lured into a trap' when the local authorities summoned him for an interview last week. On arrival, officials informed him that they were considering revoking his residency because of his reporting on Gaza and Lebanon. The British national was then 'ambushed by a group of plainclothes agents,' who said 'they were the Austrian equivalent of MI5 or the FBI,' Medhurst claimed. He was subsequently detained and served a search warrant, with officials saying he was suspected of being a member of Hamas, as well as 'disseminating propaganda [and] encouraging terrorism,' according to the video. The authorities allegedly searched his apartment and studio, impounding all his electronic devices. I was detained this week by the Austrian police and intelligence raided my house, office, and took all my are accusing me of being a member of Hamas and threatened me with 10 years in is not a crime. — Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 6, 2025 'They're my journalistic tools. I have been left with literally nothing,' Medhurst stated. He was eventually finger-printed and photographed, and had a sample of his DNA collected before he was released 'after six-seven hours,' the reporter recalled in his video. Medhurst went on to allege that his run-in with Austrian authorities could be linked to his detention at London's Heathrow Airport on August 15. On that occasion, he was held at a police station for over 24 hours on charges of 'expressing an opinion or a belief that is supportive of a proscribed organization' under Section 12 of the UK's Terrorism Act 2000. 'Strangely enough, last week, the police in England again extended this investigation and then suddenly this happens in Vienna. I don't think that is mere coincidence,' Medhurst said in his latest video. READ MORE: Switzerland arrests Palestinian-American journalist He categorically denied 'all of these accusations by the British and Austrian governments,' insisting: 'I'm not a terrorist, I'm a journalist and they bloody well know it.' His described the British and Austrian authorities' actions as 'disproportionate state violence' and an attack on free speech. 'I could face up to 14 years in prison in the UK, plus another two to five years if I don't give them the passwords to my phones, and maybe another ten years in prison in Austria,' Medhurst concluded. In September, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and UK's National Union of Journalists (NUJ) condemned Medhurst's detention in the UK as an attempt to 'stifle press freedom.'
