Sir Edmund Hillary’s grandsons George (left) and Alexander (right) Hillary modeling in the campaign for Edmund Hillary clothing. Image supplied.
The new socially responsible clothing label inspired by Sir Edmund Hillary launches globally in August and the campaign images feature Hillary’s grandsons, George and Alexander Hillary. The launch event will be held at New Zealand Fashion Week 2018 with both brothers modeling on the runway. The Edmund Hillary clothing range itself is high end, outdoor menswear that is inspired by Hillary’s own clothing and is a joint venture between the UK and New Zealand. The company has been set up so that Sir Ed’s favourite charities will be among those who benefit from a percentage of the profits, including schools in the Himalayas and outdoor education programmes in the UK and New Zealand.
Mike Hall-Taylor, Edmund Hillary Brands CEO is excited to be working alongside the Hillary family and has been enjoying working closely with George and Alexander. “We’re delighted that George and Alexander are involved and they are very enthusiastic about the opportunity to keep the story of their grandfather and his amazing feats alive, while supporting some of the causes and initiatives that he was so passionate about,” adds Hall-Taylor.
For the two brothers it was an easy decision to be involved in the clothing label and they’ve greatly enjoyed the experience. “We’ve been very involved behind the scenes with family charitable initiatives, something our grandfather was very passionate about,” says George Hillary (26). “But we have only recently started getting into mountaineering more seriously so linking in with the new label – and the history around Ed’s climbing successes – felt like a natural progression. Ed is obviously an incredibly important family figure who achieved so much. And this is a really good kind of pressure for us, encouraging us to strive harder and do more.”
Mountaineering certainly runs in their blood with George and Alexander Hillary currently training for their next two mountain climbs with their father Peter Hillary. The three of them will tackle Mont Blanc (France) and Mt Elbrus (Russia) with the aim of climbing seven peaks before the end of the year. They’ve already climbed Kilimanjaro and Carstensz Pyramid earlier this year.
You can follow the Hillary brother’s Seven Summits journey on Facebook and Instagram.
Images supplied.