The women-led outdoor apparel brand Halfdays has closed a $10 million series A funding round.
The investment in the five-year-old company was led by the Kellwood Company, with input from DSG Ventures and also from the influencer and model Taylor Hill.
Started by Olympian Kiley McKinnon, Ariana Ferwerda and Karelle Golda, Halfdays is based in Colorado and plays up performance-driven fashion options with an eye on the mountain life. After competing in freestyle skiing wearing men’s ski pants at the 2018 Winter Games, McKinnon sought more suitable and stylish skiwear.
With Ferwerda, they aimed to nix what the company describes as the outdoor industry’s “shrink-it-and-pink-it” approach, which is a concept that also plagued the athletic industry decades ago. After debuting skiwear, Halfdays has broadened its offerings to include trail and active apparel in a range of colors including “amethyst” and “glazed cherry.” The brand’s site highlights the apparel’s fabrics such as brrr° technology, which is said to offer cooling minerals, active wicking and rapid drying.
E-shoppers can check out the types of activities that Halfdays’ designs are geared toward, along with specifics about a garment’s fit, temperature range for wearing, benefits such as eco-friendly and fast-drying. With building a community being essential to any start-up’s growth, Halfdays organizes hikes, pop-up shops and other events like the Winter Launch Party that is planned for Oct. 15 in its Denver flagship. The brand’s winter collection will debut the following day.
Halfdays is among the relatively newer entrants to the skiwear, outdoor and active field that includes veteran labels like Burton, Bogner, Patagonia, L.L. Bean, Oakley and others.
Ariana Ferwerda and Kiley McKinnon
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No longer just direct-to-consumer, Halfdays is now sold in 150-plus stores including Nordstrom, REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Sporting Life. Earlier this year Ilia Beauty teamed with Halfdays to release a limited-edition ski suit commemorating its recent Barrier Build Skin Protectant Cream, $64.
Revealing the investment round, Ferwerda, who serves as chief executive officer, said, “We’re excited to keep expanding our product offerings and growing the community of women who want to get outside and feel good doing it.”
The investment will be used to increase its winter and ski collections, as well as trail, active, and everyday performance apparel. The company plans to boost its wholesale business with existing partners and new ones like Revolve and Shopbop. Investing in brick-and-mortar stores is also on the horizon, according to the company.