ASR Digital LineUp - (Page 13) surfer’s arsenal. In ’06, with a brand strategy based on a Harvard business school model and an exacting brand image, the pair struck up a business relationship with renowned rubber manufacturer Yamamoto Corporation of Japan. “We told them, ‘We want to be your ambassadors of ichiban [the Japanese esthetic of always being No. 1],” Campbell said. The result was a right of first refusal on Yamamoto’s best materials and the use of what Matuse is calling “geoprene.” It’s a neoprene-like rubber made from ground limestone, not petroleum. But the material also holds qualities that got Matuse excited. Larson said it keeps its warmth and flex characteristics longer. But, most surfers would ask, why weren’t these materials obvious and available to the big wetsuit companies? “Most of the major wetsuit brands are coming out of the same factories in China,” Campbell said. “And,” Larson added, “it’s the [factories] that facilitate most of the material changes.” Focusing on design quality first led Matuse to new categories of rubber and new business relationships. It also “made our branding that much easier,” Campbell said. “You can’t say a whole lot about quality with a T-shirt.” Matuse soft launched a limited number of designs in ’06 but has quickly diversified into tops, springsuits and fullsuits—all of which has attracted a premium customer. “What more can we build our brand into?” Campbell asked.“We’re working to develop the first, fully recyclable wetsuit . . . and I don’t think that should be a secret. I think every brand should do it.” La Jolla’s big-wave talent Derek Dunfee. Photo: Paul Glaser One part inspiration . . .
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