FASHION TAKES HIKE!
8
A GAME TO PLAY this winter: fashion person or mountaineer? Off to the shops or off for a hike? Kendall Jenner or Kendal mint cake? Based on street-style pictures from last week, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to tell the two camps apart.
Practical, outdoorsy clothes are big news right now. Not clothes that vaguely look like it ( hello, heeled hiking boots), but actually made-forthe-elements garb that you might really find in Millets. Brands such as 66 North, Napapijri and The North Face are having a moment on the beaten track. Think Duke of Edinburgh expedition, but make it fashion.
It’s outerwear where these brands are really proving their power, which makes sense. While we might not have been gobbled up in the polar vortex, winter has arrived. And there’s nothing like being chilled to the bone to make you prioritise functional fashion.
‘ There is no doubt that we tend to see outdoor-inspired styles transcend more and more into a fashion context,’ says Sebastian Anderson, international sales manager of 66 North, whose pouffy puffers are doing big business with the style set. ‘A fashion-oriented clientele simply wants the elements and weather conditions not to be an obstacle.’ Basically, tottering, shivering and suffering are beginning to feel out of step while all things practical are in.
Philip Bull, founder of 49 Winters, launched the brand of customisable, layered coats after noticing the parka’s popularity, but finding many of them weren’t ‘hitting that link between staying warm and looking good at the same time. We were adamant that our product would be totally outdoor-proof but part of your outfit – not a cover-up you can’t wait to take off.’
Sebastian thinks fashion’s adoption of outdoorsy clothing is down to the social climate, too. ‘It’s related to a shift in culture, where a stronger emphasis on our planet, nature and sustainability has given people a desire to explore and value our nature more than previously,’ he says. (66 North’s jackets have a lifetime guarantee.)
Clare Varga, trend forecaster WGSN’S
active director, says the move is also influenced by a new-found love of outdoor sports. ‘Hiking is set to replace yoga as the “It” workout,’ she says, adding that ‘peak bagging’ is the new fitness brag. ‘Our “always on” lifestyles have seen us seeking out activities that allow us to disconnect with the everyday and reconnect with nature. The outdoor industry has also become more luxe in recent years, especially thanks to the booming wellness industry. Glamping, forest bathing and yoga retreats have opened the outdoors up to a new wave of consumers and helped the industry lose its “jumpers knitted from muesli” image.’
Certainly outdoorsy brands are flexing their fashion credentials. 66 North’s collaboration with Ganni launches soon; Martine Rose has an ongoing partnership with Napapjiri. And last year, Moncler, the purveyor of trophy outerwear, launched its Genius concept, where the brand creates capsules with designers including Simone Rocha and Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli. It reported an 18% revenue growth for the third quarter of 2018.
So say you want in, how do you integrate expedition-appropriate pieces into your everyday wardrobe? The mix is key. You might not want to do puffer, hiking boots and fleece all at once. Instead, smatter in pieces here and there. So, those hiking boots are an easy way to toughen up a spring-ready slip, while a fleece adds an unexpected spin to tailoring. And as for the coat? That depends on the weather, but for now the fashion forecast is: wear with everything.