By JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer
NEW BRUNSWICK — A pair of local brothers are trying to break into the fashion world with a new brand of athletic clothing, while also being an inspiration to the people who wear it.
Mitch Lacsamana, 22, a recent graduate of Rutgers University, along with his brother Michael, 20, a student at the Rutgers University School of Engineering, have founded the clothing brand Tumalon, which will be introducing its first line of contemporary active outerwear this year.
The summer products being introduced in May align with athletic leisurewear, and include two men’s tees and a women’s racer back. The blends of fabrics are lightweight and breathable, allowing the products to be used for outdoors activities while still being fashionable enough to be worn casually, Mitch Lacsamana said.
The fall/winter collection, which will be made available mid-September, will include active/outerwear pieces such as light parkas and athletic sweatpants for both men and women.
“The idea of Tumalon started with my brother Mike, who, after overcoming post anxiety and depression from two ACL surgeries at the ripe age of 20, had a vision to motivate everyone to push past the limits we place on ourselves during times of difficulty and being dealt tough hands,” Mitch Lacsamana said. “The odds are always against us, and my brother wanted to create a platform to inspire people with the idea that the odds can be beaten, with self-perseverance and unyielding desire. Ergo, Tumalon was born.”
In the brothers’ native tongue of Tagalog, “Tumalon” means “to leap,” as in taking a leap of faith, Mitch Lacsamana said.
“We encourage all of our fans and followers to take personal strides of greatness, to find beauty in the outdoors and intrepid human spirit, and, above all, trust in yourself to leap forward in life, both physically and metaphorically,” he said. “Tumalon holds a centric focus on the outdoors and being active simply because these were the limitations placed on my brother during his rough patch of mental and physical recovery. His love for trekking and being fit resides heavily in everything Tumalon, from our products to our blog to our mantra.”
Currently living in New Brunswick, the brothers, in their own right, have taken their own leap of faith — they are products of the New Jersey educational system, they are electrical computer engineers instead of fashion designers or entrepreneurs and they manage a local team of five as well as international business relationships with manufacturers, Mitch Lacsamana said.
Aside from just apparel, the company also launched a lifestyle blog on its website along with a frequently trafficked Instagram account. The site serves as a message board for updates on clothing releases as well as a daily blog covering subjects such as adventure spots, better nutritional habits, personal profiles of adventurers from around the world, keys to success and all things active/outerwear fashion, Mitch Lacsamana said.
For more information and updates on the clothing debuts, visit www.tumalon.com.
