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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

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  Photo by Shop-eat-surf

• 

  Photo courtesy of Holden

• 

  Photo courtesy of Holden

• 

  Photo by Shop-eat-surf

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  Photo courtesy of Holden

Some important retailers have embraced the first sportswear line from Holden, best known for making premium snow outerwear.

 

Boutiques that have placed orders include American Rag, Revolve Clothing, Lizard Lounge, IAN, Azalea Boutique and Frances May.

 

Action sports stores that have signed on include Moda 3, Tactics, EVO, Surfside, Martini and Maven.

 

Holden founders Scott Zergebel and Mikey LeBlanc

Holden’s new sportswear line also got invited to be part of a special area at the Project trade show curated by men’s fashion icon Nick Wooster, the former men’s fashion director for Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

 

In addition to pieces from the new Holden line, it also included items from Holden’s collaboration with Stussy.

 

Holden believes there is an underserved niche between action sports brands and the fashion market.

 

Holden partner and professional snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc, who founded Holden with designer Scott Zergebel, said he’s grown older than the target teen demographic for action sports lines and now shops in men’s boutiques.

 

“But I get sticker shock or I’m not finding what I like there,” he said. “We want to make beautiful pieces that we’d want to wear without the sticker shock.”

 

The prices for the sportswear line, which include pieces for men and women, are premium for action sports but price point for the fashion world. Prices range from $120 to $250 for jackets, $120 to $250 for sweaters and layering pieces, and $100 to $150 for bottoms.

 

The target customer is 23 to 40 years old.

 

Mikey said Holden hopes to straddle the boutique and action sports worlds as some other brands, such as Obey, have done.

 

In the line, which Mikey described as a “younger, cooler Patagonia,” Holden has combined technical and eco-friendlier elements with the brand’s design aesthetic.

 

For example, denim and chinos are water resistant and jackets are waterproof.

 

Holden has invested in people and research to produce the sportswear line, and believes it can help round out Holden’s seasonal business and the reliance on weather that comes with being a snow brand.

 

The sportswear launch comes as Holden has added some key hires to take it to the next level.

 

They added hired Colin Madden a year ago to run sales, and recently hired Ben Pruess as CEO. Ben most recently was Global VP of Adidas Original.

 

“The last 10 years have great, but the next 10 years will be amazing,” Mikey said. “We are ready to turn our art project into a real business.”

 

See photos of Holden Sportswear in the slide show, above.