How Crunchy Technical Gear Took Over Fashion
In the colder months, you can’t throw a cortado in certain New York neighborhoods without hitting a North Face puffer. Trends come and go, of course—remember extendo tees? But the North Face classic, along with gear from other, equally popular outdoor brands, whether practical (Arc’teryx) or hypebeast-beloved (Stone Island) has been the thing for the fashion-conscious and the average pedestrian – collectively – to wear for a few years now. The wave isn’t just a few seasons old, either. Supreme has collaborated with the North Face every season since 2007; the digital reselling giant Grailed has launched an ongoing, curated techwear shopping guide with the archival instagram Organiclab.zip, which highlights vintage Nike ACG gear alongside Merrell mocs. Just last month, Virgil Abloh took his end-of-show bow at the Louis Vuitton men’s SS20 presentation in an unexpected electric blue Arc’teryx Rush Jacket. Clearly, boundary-blurring between streetwear and technical gear has been (and continues to be) well underway. But what, exactly, is at the core of this trend’s staying power? Read more at GQ.
