Respect Your Universe Strengthens Team with Appointment of Manfred Vollmer as COO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Respect Your Universe, Inc. (TSX VENTURE: RYU) (OTCQB:RYUN) ("RYU"), a global performance training and fitness brand with origins in the movements and philosophy of martial artistry, created for the multisport athlete, is pleased to announce the appointment of Manfred Vollmer as Chief Operating Officer. Manfred joins RYU with 30+ years of international experience in retail, real estate, operations and strategic planning.

Manfred's past roles include lululemon, 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Wal-Mart, IKEA, Metro Group and institute B. As the Director of Store Development at lululemon, he led the strategic implementation of 40+ new stores in Canada and the U.S. Manfred was instrumental for the early development of IKEA's supply chain management from suppliers to warehouses to stores to customers and with retail expansions into new countries.

Manfred Vollmer, RYU's COO, stated, "I'm thrilled to join RYU and to help build up its infrastructure for future growth. It's my pleasure to work with Marcello and the team and see this company take off to the next level."

Marcello Leone, RYU's CEO, President and Chairman, stated, "We are extremely grateful to add Manfred to our management team. Given his past successful retail start-ups and expansions at IKEA, Wal-Mart and lululemon, we are confident in his ability to lead an omni-channel expansion and growth at RYU. Manfred's entrepreneurial background in accelerating start-up operations and corporate strategic business development highlight this key addition for RYU."

About RYU
Respect Your Universe, Inc. is a global performance training and fitness brand with origins in the movements and philosophy of martial artistry, created to the multisport athlete. We deliver uncompromising style, comfort, durability, and function for our customers. We exist to facilitate the best in human performance. For more information, visit www.ryu.com.

On Behalf of the Board

RESPECT YOUR UNIVERSE, INC.

Marcello Leone, CEO, President and Chairman of the Board

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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Statements regarding the future growth of RYU are "forward- looking statements", which are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of RYU to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, that RYU's business plan is dependent on additional financing, which it may be unable to obtain on terms acceptable to RYU, changes in general economic or market conditions that could impact consumer demand for RYU's products, and RYU's ability to execute on its business plan. Except as required by law, RYU undertakes no responsibility to update any of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release.

SOURCE Respect Your Universe, Inc.