"It’s been nearly a decade since designers reinvented activewear for everyday use, their popularity continues to soar. This was particularly evident at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where many brands launched their spring collections that included leggings and tailored, fitted pullovers Enhanced with new colors, upgraded performance materials and utilitarian details, these garments featured modern, contemporary designs not often associated with outdoor gear."
It’s been nearly a decade since designers reinvented activewear for everyday use, their popularity continues to soar. This was particularly evident at the recent Outdoor Retailer Summer Market, where many brands launched their spring collections that included leggings and tailored, fitted pullovers Enhanced with new colors, upgraded performance materials and utilitarian details, these garments featured modern, contemporary designs not often associated with outdoor gear. Though their stylisation did not represent a true deviation from the categories, it definitely signaled increased openness of consumers to connect with the natural.
Brands launch more casual and wearable styles
With consumers new found desire to go explore their natural surroundings, many brands are introducing more
casual, wearable styles that easily transition from street to mountain. Mountain Hardwear, which started as a brand for climbers, introduced modern shapes and silhouettes with color palettes that are more aligned with contemporary fashion apparel. The brand also plans to launch a new range of shirts featuring graphics designed by a handful of chosen artists, all printed on organic cotton. The whimsical, eye-catching prints set the line apart from the brand’s more function-focused gear.
A new perspective to design
Jason Israel, Creative Director-Performance, The North Face says, the outdoor apparel market is currently going through a metamorphosis with consumers expecting more than a performance-driven design. This transition allows Israel and his design team to infuse a new perspective into its design to cater to people’s needs and use applications.
One of the main attractions of the brand’s Spring ’20 collection is the women’s Arque jacket, built with the brand’s signature Futurelight material. Made from nanospun, 100 per cent recycled nylon and polyester, the jacket’s lightweight waterproof shell keeps wearers safe from the elements. Its slightly asymmetrical hem has been built with covert functionality, to suit the needs of its consumers. The brand also plans to launch revamped version of its signature Denali fleece—specifically, the 1995 iteration. It will adopt trends or styles that are deeply rooted in the brand’s DNA and give them a modern and fresh look.
More styles in performance fabrics
Jenna Caccavo, Senior Trend Forecaster of Cotton Inc does not think outdoor brands will completely abandon performance fabrics. They will instead add certain selected styles to their line that are lighter on functional features. She advises mass market and fast fashion to capitalise on this growing trend which merges fashion with function.
Ashlee Peterson, of Mountain Headwear also agrees that outdoor gear is now ready to incorporate contemporary styling elements into its repertoire. Earlier an outdoor product looked, sounded and also felt like an outdoor product. But now, brands have started to blur these lines. The North Face is subverting the historical context and vision for outdoor products by combining the new apparel technologies and innovations in softer and more approachable ways. Its efforts are winning the approval of is consumers who are rushing to buy these garments.
