Our Journey
Born in New Zealand
Our story started not so long, long ago in a country far, far away. We were fortunate enough to grow up in one of the most pristine habitats on the planet. There was no shortage of pure air in New Zealand. And we assumed it was like this everywhere.
After travelling the world and living in global megacities, we realized how wrong we were. Air pollution claims some 7 million lives a year*. It blew our minds. We looked at the existing options on the market and were horrified. Facemasks and respirators are effectively repurposed 1960s technology that is fundamentally flawed. We knew we had to do the right thing. And we did. We created a modern hi-tech solution that makes clean air available to everybody.
Everywhere.
* Source: World Health Organization
Styled in NYC & PDX
The spirit and ingenuity with which we set out on this journey were home-grown in New Zealand. Our sensibilities, on the other hand, were shaped by our experiences living in the hippest urban centers of the world. We styled Ao Air’s Facewear (formerly known as O2O2) in New York and Portland to reflect our new world view.
From the beginning, it was important to us to make our facewear for a variety of users. And we’ve overcome considerable challenges with our base design to make this possible. Whether you’re a street artist in Beijing, a cyclist in London or an industrial worker in São Paulo, Ao Air’s Facewear will offer a style that speaks to you.