The Professionals Whose Job It Is To Wear Your Clothes Before You Do

Emilie Pellerin spent last November in a small market town called Shigu, situated in the remote foothills of the Himalayas in China. While less than 50 miles northwest of one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, the Old Town of Lijiang, Shigu is quite secluded. But it’s also a rock climber’s Shangri-la, with its mossy limestone cliffs positioned just so above a 180-degree curve in the Yangtze River. And that is what brought Pellerin here. Pellerin is a professional climber who has broken all sorts of records, both in her hometown of Montréal, Québec, and worldwide. Three years ago, she was recruited by high-end clothing and sporting goods company Arc’teryx to serve as one of its athletes. So she arrived in Shigu in an official capacity: to put some of the retailer’s not-yet-released climbing harnesses to the test. Read more at Fashionista.