Matuse Featured in Transworld Business

Art Plus Function

By Joshua Hunter

Launched in August 2006, Matuse is the latest brand to pop up on the wetsuit market radar. Taking cues in design and construction from Japan, CEO John Campbell and Director Of Product Design Matt Larson soft-launched a limited product line—two neoprene jackets and one vest—in late summer and were able to sell in to key West Coast and Pacific Rim accounts. The brand has also garnered the support of an impressive roster of athletes early on.

“Our goal was to generate a localized marketplace acceptance without appearing on the competitive radar too much,” explains Campbell. “The first suits went on the rack at Mitch’s in La Jolla, California. Shortly thereafter, Hayes Overton and Dylan Farr brought us into ZJ Boardinghouse in Santa Monica. Though the summer was coming to an end, these tops did very well because our accounts were all places that do an excellent job of educating their customers.”

Matuse brought on Mikala Jones to act as an ambassador of the brand, and Campbell says since signing him, Jones has functioned not only as a teamrider, but also as a recruiter. Jones quickly added fellow North Shore standouts Jamie Sterling, Flynn Novak, and Jason Frederico to the team’s roster. Now Matuse’s product has a strong presence in the water and on retail racks in Hawaii. Oahu’s Drift Surf, Surf Garage, and WRV all carry the line.

For materials, Matuse met with Tommy Yamamoto, CEO of Yamamoto Corporation—a premium Japanese rubber producer. Campbell says the company’s materials are amongst the best in the world. “Matuse’s exclusive Geoprene rubber from Yamamoto is 93- to 98-percent water impermeable,” he says. “It’s lighter in the water since it doesn’t soak it up like a sponge, and its cell structure lasts longer for the same reason. Most importantly, since Geoprene rubber is derived from limestone rock and not petroleum, it is much kinder to Mother Nature.”

Campbell adds that Geoprene’s cell structure allows far better elasticity than even human skin. “Its {Geoprene} maximum elongation is 480 to 530 percent,” says Campbell. “Human skin is only 60 to 70 percent.”

From a humble launch of three SKUs, Matuse’s offering now consists of vests, jackets, spring suits, and full suits. Suggested retail pricing ranges from 80 to 470 dollars.

The products feature clean, minimal design, something Campbell says comes from the company’s “less is more” philosophy. Where most suits in the market feature large logo hits on the chest, Matuse suits incorporate two understated logo placements inspired by Japanese robes.

Campbell says he expects to see significant growth over the next few years, but that he isn’t in any rush to grow too quickly. “We’ve got a lot more demand than supply,” he says. “So we’re just looking forward to giving people what they want.”

View the original article HERE.