Hitoritabi (一人旅)
Solo journey; traveling alone
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Hitorii is a play on the word hitori(tab)i - which encapsulates the spirit of bouldering in our lives. Pursuing our passion for bouldering has led to our individual journeys of self-discovery and growth.
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Reconnecting with nature and ourselves made us re-evaluate how we were spending our life. Over time, we built the conviction to take a leap of faith and pursue our dreams. Hitorii is our way of breaking from the vicious cycles of society, and pursuing what is meaningful to us as independent creators.
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Through Hitorii, we hope to express the beauty of climbing through our designs and inspire others to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery and growth.
Design Philosophy
Functionality
While we put a lot of thought into our aesthetic, our foremost priority with all our products is functionality. For example, we design our apparel to be comfortable - to feel flowy and provide unrestricted movement. We have spent months of R&D, made/performed our own abrasion tests, and traveled to China to find ideal lightweight fabrics that are actually durable for their climbing. Now, climbers finally have apparel that is fashionable and seamlessly blends into their everyday lives.
Integrity
Our goal is to create quality products that we are excited about and our community loves. Rather than maximizing profits at every opportunity, we want to stay true to our creative passions and showcase the value of thoughtful design. Like many, we are tired of brands' low effort and quality. Hitorii provides superior designs and quality at a reasonable cost, so that our brand can support a trend of cherishing and utilizing our belongings, rather than producing and consuming mindlessly.
Community
One of the main reasons we created Hitorii was because we were unable to find products that we loved as climbers. Despite some brands being around for decades, most have failed in continuing to innovate. We believe this is a symptom of a lack of a connection with the broader climbing community that has grown/changed tremendously over the last 10 years. As long-time, passionate climbers who have been on many trips outdoors, we want to address the unmet needs of our communities and also play an active role in improving the climbing industry.
The Founders
Lackey #1
Qi
Qi was trained as an architect at Princeton University, but her passion for bouldering led her to a new outlet for her creative pursuits. Which is just a fancy way of saying she wants to be fashionable while climbing.
With her experience as a designer, Qi hopes to disrupt the industry by providing climbers with products they love.
Lackey #2
Nick
Nick grinded his way into a career in finance after studying business at Berkeley, only to quit his first job and become a journeyman. Now, he is embracing his new life as a bouldering bum and learning about design and enjoying the creative process.
Nick hopes to use his business knowledge to build a better ecosystem for climbers and spread the joys of outdoor bouldering.
The Boss
Mao (aka "Mao Mao")
The foundation of the hitorii brand. Our designs are inspired by Mao Mao's elegance, beauty, and charisma.
He carefully oversees all operations to make sure that the lackeys work hard and stay on schedule to drop new products.
Please support Mao Mao's quest to overtake the climbing world with his cat memes and preach about cat superiority.