The South Tyrolean
\nOberalp Group is a heavyweight in the outdoor market with its brands
\nSalewa, Dynafit, Wild Country, Evolv and Pomoca. With the newly founded
\nmountain sports brand LaMunt, initiator Ruth Oberrauch wants to focus
\nsolely on women. This is a first because this kind of target group focus is
\nrare in mountain sports.\n<\/p>\n
\nLast month, the Oberalp Group presented the new mountain sports brand on
\nthe occasion of its “Oberalp Convention” – the name of the group’s
\ninternational sales meeting, which of course had to take place digitally in
\nthese times.\n<\/p>\n
\nLaMunt is Ladin and means ‘mountain,’ and in the old Italian language,
\nmountain is not masculine but feminine. And this also outlines the focus of
\nthe brand: It dares to place a new, female view on the mountain and
\nmountain sports. Although women are no longer a minority in mountain
\nsports, their ideas and needs are given far too little attention by many
\nbrands, thinks Ruth Oberrauch, the brand initiator and daughter of company
\nfounder Heiner Oberrauch. We asked her what will be different about the
\nbrand when it goes on sale for the first time in the 2021\/22 winter
\nseason.<\/p>\n
\nLaMunt is a mountain sports brand by women for women, which means we think
\nspecifically about women’s needs and incorporate solutions into our
\nproducts in the best possible way. Our product team consists of women who
\nbring in their personal experience, but we also involve potential female
\nusers from the very first minute and proactively ask about their wishes and
\nneeds.<\/p>\n
\nTo give a concrete example: We have lengthened the lower back part of our
\ntrousers so that this area is more protected. Because women – as we found
\nout in a workshop with 25 female mountain sports enthusiasts and nature
\nlovers – want more protection here, so that there is no gap in this area.
\nWe have lined the inside of this higher back part with a Merino Tencel
\nfabric and thus ensured additional wearing comfort, not only because the
\nmaterial dries faster.<\/p>\n
\nA special topic is certainly also that of fit. If you develop a purely
\nwomen’s product from the outset, the approach to design is already quite
\ndifferent and you can respond more specifically to the shapes of the female
\nbody.<\/p>\n
Another concern for us is to create a feminine look with LaMunt without
\nresorting to the usual stereotypical ‘female’ colours.<\/p>\n
\nMore and more women are on the move in the mountains; almost 50 percent of
\nall active outdoor enthusiasts in the USA and Europe are women. This is
\nalso confirmed by the consistent sales of textile products for women within
\nthe Oberalp Group, which underlines that many women already actively live
\nthe mountain experience. The Oberalp Group is already represented in the
\nmarket with five mountain sports brands and specialises in the mountain
\nexperience. We want to address consumers as specifically as possible. With
\nLaMunt, we are targeting the self-confident woman who is looking for a
\nlittle more fitness and feminine fits without having to sacrifice
\nfunctionality. We appeal to women who want to experience the mountains as a
\nplace for their personal time off and for inspiration.<\/p>\n
\nWomen see themselves as powerful and strong, just like men. The new women
\non the mountains are authentic, genuine, natural, sensitive. But also
\ntasteful, lively and strong. They explore unusual places in the mountains
\nand carry their new feminine values into the world of mountain sports,
\nwhich has historically been dominated by men.<\/p>\n
\nThe semiotic study on women and mountain sports, commissioned by the
\nOberalp Group together with Karma’s Behavioural Insights, one of the most
\ninternationally recognised behavioural research institutes, revealed even
\nmore. Women no longer see themselves as appendages when they are out in the
\nmountains and no longer want to be pinned down to this old concept. They do
\nnot want to be reduced to the typical characteristics of women. They feel
\ntheir bodies are just as capable, but they also stand by their needs. They
\nwant to express their female body through their clothing on the mountain,
\nbut they don’t want to sacrifice functionality. This is at the top of their
\nlist when it comes to mountain sports clothing and equipment, followed by
\nthe desire for comfort and fit.<\/p>\n
\nWe also observed that women are increasingly travelling independently and
\nalso in women-only groups. At LaMunt, we have included women in the
\nconceptualisation and development of new product ideas from the very
\nbeginning. Already in January, before the start of the product development
\nphase, we organised a two-day workshop with real, authentic women who are
\nactive in the mountains. Now, as part of the launch, the LaMunt Crew will
\nalso be introduced – women with a passion for the mountains and design are
\ninvited to critically and actively shape product development, network with
\neach other and share their love of mountain sports.<\/p>\n
\nWe are convinced that online will play an increasingly important role and
\nwill therefore expand this channel from the beginning. On the other hand, a
\nbrand like LaMunt needs a physical place where it can be experienced and
\nfelt. Accordingly, it is important for us to find partners in retail who
\nbelieve in our vision. So we are also looking for partners among stationary
\nstores who want to walk a common path with us. In doing so, we rely on a
\nrather exclusive distribution policy.<\/p>\n
This article was originally published on FashionUnited.de. Edited
\nand translated by Simone Preuss.<\/p>\n
Images: Ruth Oberrauch \/ LaMunt<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The South Tyrolean Oberalp Group is a heavyweight in the outdoor market with its brands Salewa, Dynafit, Wild Country, Evolv and Pomoca. With the newly founded mountain sports brand LaMunt, initiator Ruth Oberrauch wants to focus solely on women. This is a first because this kind of target group focus is rare in mountain sports. … <\/p>\n