55 years have gone by since Douglas Thompkins and Susie Bell set up The North Face with a brand mission to bring high-quality outdoor garments to people who were keen explorers but didn’t have the wherewithal to access professional gear.
More than half a century of backpacks, tents, thermal T-shirts, technical-style pants… and jackets. Because if there is one thing the San Francisco-based company is known for, then that just has to be its jackets, anoraks and parkas, inseparable companions in the adventures of millions of people around the world. The North Face is synonymous with overcoming challenges, adventure and sport in the great outdoors. The North Face is more than just a brand.
Much more than just jackets
To transcend your original purpose and become a style and cultural icon is something that only a very few can achieve. And yet, The North Face remains true to the purpose for which it came into existence as a brand and it now wants to pay tribute in the form of a digital archive to its iconic jackets and, above all, to all those men and women who wear them on their outdoor adventures.
“It’s more than a jacket” is a joint programme between The North Face and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art which aims, through a series of open and participatory activities, to honour and highlight the importance of the legacy behind the garments through the brand’s best possible ambassadors: its own customers. In this way, major feats that have been achieved with the help of The North Face will be celebrated as part of the brand’s DNA through their images, their stories and their own experiences.
From the mountains to infinity
RZA, the music producer, and the members of LA band HAIM, together with The North Face sports team members Conrad Anker and Ingrid Backstorm will kick off the programme as they were the first to send content in. The North Face will also be presenting 6 new collections throughout the autumn season that take their inspiration from the past to continue exploring the future.