This year so far has been a stellar period of growth for our brand. Sure, a lot of this can be attributed to late nights, and long phone calls between co-owners Tom and Jake. However we also believe that the most pivotal moments in building up a company, is recognising those sliding door moments, and taking those chances as they come.
Only a week after the launch of the 'Home' collection with Luca Salisbury, one of those moments arose - and without hesitation, we jumped on it. Off the back of the exposure we received from 'Home', Michael Ostler, co-founder of custom bodyboard manufacturer HandPicked engaged with our brand over socials, and the rest was history.
Michael took one look at our brand, and resonated with what we also believe is our point of difference. A few words from Michael- "In 2024, kick a rock over and you find a clothing brand. It’s the same stuff dressed differently, however LOTU had something that attracted us to their operation more than the high quality of their clothing...It was the process. Much like the start of our journey, these guys are knocking out some incredible quality products in luxury of their garage! ".
With Mark Rossouw at HandPicked being regarded as one of the best shapers in the world, for us to collaborate with someone with over 30 years experience in their chosen field was humbling, especially when you pair that with Michael's unique role in the bodyboarding world. Aside from Michael's talents as a rider, it is his desire to shake up the bodyboarding space, and build a brand that looks to back the financial viability of riders at any moment that they can, rather than seek financial gain, that is truly admirable.
On that note, we are proud to officially announce our partnership with HandPicked. This collaboration is a nod to the keen eye for quality which both our brands share, and seeing we also happen to share postcodes, it only made more sense to join forces and keep it local.
Support our venture by shopping the HNDPKD X LOTU Collection today.
