Nautica®, a leading global lifestyle brand, known for its dedication to the water, has collaborated with Australian sailing label, Zhik®, on a new capsule collection of apparel.  The partnership combines Zhik’s tested and proven sailing expertise with the Nautica brand’s passion for performance and authentic design.  Ranging from t-shirts and polos, to fleece jackets, hoodies and technical shorts, the 14piece capsule collection has special performance features including water-resistant, quick dry, anti-bacterial, and SPF protection.   The collection will be available this September at Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Belk, specialty stores and Nautica.com, retailing from $25 – $198.  Internationally, the items will be sold in Chile, Australia, United Arab Emirates, China, Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan.

Collection highlights include the Aroshell® Fleece jacket, the long and short sleeve ZhikDry™ shirts, and the Technical short.  The fleece jacket contains a 2-layer shell of full wet weather protection combined with thick, thermal fleece lining, a high cut collar to protect from the wind, and is designed to be warm, dry and comfortable both on and off the water.  The long sleeve and short sleeve ZhikDry shirts both have special UV 50+ protection and provide moisture wicking and quick drying functionality.  They also contain anti-bacterial properties and have Velcro resistance, which is ideal for sailing.  Additionally, the Technical short, which is 90% nylon, is water repellent with 4-way stretch and has a durable 500D abrasion resistant rear butt panel.  With deep cargo pockets featuring Velcro closures, there is extra security for personal items while sailing or hanging out on the deck.

To support this collection, Nautica will highlight the partnership in-stores domestically, as well as through e-commerce and social media, and also run as title sponsor for the Zhik Nautica Moth Worlds racing event during the week of August 18^th– 26^th, in Campione del Garda, Italy.  The Moth is the fastest single sail, 1 person crew dinghy class, featuring a unique foiling set up that sees the boat lift into the air and fly.  Additionally, the full capsule collection will be featured prominently on Nautica.com along with video clips from the Zhik Nautica Moth Worlds event.

About Nautica

Founded in 1983, Nautica® is a leading global lifestyle brand ranging from men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories to a complete home collection.  Nautica® products are refined casual classics inspired and energized by the water that are always crisp, clean and distinct.  Today Nautica® is available in more than 75 countries with 177 Nautica® branded stores worldwide.  In 2003, the Company was acquired by VF Corporation, a global leader in branded lifestyle apparel with more than 30 brands, including Wrangler, The North Face,  Lee, Vans, Nautica,  7 For All Mankind, Eagle Creek, Eastpak, Ella Moss, JanSport, lucy, John Varvatos, Kipling, Majestic, Napapijri, Red Kap, Reef, Riders, Splendid, Smartwool® and Timberland®. For additional information, please go to www.nautica.com and www.vfc.com.

About Zhik

Zhik was founded before the Athens Olympics with a charter to deliver technically proficient apparel to win gold. Since then, Zhik has not only achieved this, but combined innovation with a fresh outlook in styling. Zhik now sells a range of high performance marine products into an international network covering more than 40 countries. Top sailors choose Zhik gear to win world championships, and demand it for their international campaigns. Zhik also delivers technically proficient wet weather gear including ranges suitable for offshore yachting. The success of this innovative product range stems from extensive internal research and development followed by prototypes tested by a Zhik Team of over 100 athletes. Zhik continues this effort with new projects in material science aimed at expanding its range to a larger set of outdoor and marine applications. For more information, please go to http://www.zhik.com.

You may want to also read about the Fall 2012 Pieces from Nautica and the Nautica Men’s Colored Pants article here on the Fashion Blogger website.