Australian brand Paire launches in the US

Paire, the Melbourne-founded essentials brand, has launched in the US, selling its socks, underwear and activewear direct to American shoppers online. The label, set up in 2020 by co-founders Nathan Yun and Rex Zhang, will follow the launch with an fall/winter 2026 range extending into hoodies, sweaters and jackets built on the same fabrics.

Paire says it has more than 300,000 customers worldwide and has grown from three sock styles made in Zhang's garage to more than 60 products across socks, underwear, activewear and outerwear, sold internationally and through a flagship store at QV Melbourne. The company says it is on track to surpass 16 million dollars in revenue this year, up from one million dollars in its first, and now employs a team of 40. It reports a reorder rate of more than a third and an average rating of 4.7 out of five across more than 15,000 verified reviews.

The brand has developed seven proprietary material and garment technologies in six years, starting with Supreme CoolBlend, a merino wool and organic cotton blend used in its original socks and which Paire describes as the world's first wool and cotton micro-blend yarn. The line-up has since grown to include BreezeBlend, a merino wool and eucalyptus fibre blend; NudeTech, a modal-based fabric for underwear the brand calls a second skin; RegSilk, made from silkworm cocoon protein fibres; ReBrew, an organic cotton and recycled polyester blend containing carbonised coffee grounds; and BioFlex, an activewear fabric two years in development that swaps plastic-heavy synthetics for material made with 50 percent recycled corn waste.

"Most apparel brands choose fabrics to serve the design," said Zhang. "At Paire, we develop the most comfortable fabrics first, then design around them."

Yun frames the approach as a positioning as much as a process. "At Paire our brand ethos is 'High Tech, Low Key,'" he said. "We use the most advanced fabric technology to make clothes more comfortable, functional and sustainable at the same time, while keeping the design minimal, subtle and easy to wear."

From garage to Shark Tank

Yun and Zhang met at the University of Melbourne, Yun arriving from film and advertising and Zhang from a family with 40 years in textiles. The first fabric took three attempts to get right, and the earliest orders shipped from Zhang's garage.

"Because we were limited with funds, we wanted to just start with something really small," Yun said. "If you think about it, there are so many problems with socks. They smell... They slip off your heels. There's not enough support in the arch. People are putting microchips in human brains. Why can't we solve a simple sock problem?"

On sustainability, Zhang points to the fibres themselves. "We firmly believe that natural fabrics are best for your skin, and the planet," he said. "Wool is anti-microbial. Long-staple organic cotton is grown with zero harmful chemicals. Eucalyptus fibre is biodegradable and renewable."

Paire appeared on the sixth season of "Shark Tank Australia," broadcast in November 2024, where the founders sought 500,000 dollars for a 2.5 percent stake in the business.