Alex Rakestraw
Nov 10, 2020 BY
@alex-rakestrawđ§„
Thereâs a ton of great heritage down shops operating out of JPN these days, but despite that one picture of that dude on a bike (you know the one), Iâm team Nanga. Founded in 1941, theyâve consistently turned out gorgeous product thatâs light down and little else. Stockists are relatively rare in the West, so if their take on wispy ripstop and 750 fill suits you, peep either their web store or Rakuten.jp to cop.
Nov 10, 2020
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A short selection of the best contemporary media to stan #outerwear.
Nov 10, 2020
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TNF is a BFD in the outdoors space, but its real special sauce comes from translation. This checkered out, mohair-alike down parka mixes the brandâs heritage alpine DNA with the panache of retro suiting for a frickinâ 70s blow out. So much high-end outerwear is emotionless: black GORE shells, slick matte surfaces. This is the opposite. Itâs a lumpy, textural oversized parka that just reads âwarm.â If youâre on the Beatniks and Goreckis wave, this is your heater.
Nov 10, 2020
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In the late â90s, there were two choices for cool snowgear: Errolsonâs Burton [ak] kits, or Mikeyâs Holden. The brand (founded by pro boarder Mikey LeBlanc) got red hot in the â00s but faded out before a recent revival. I saw their FW20 collection in Denver last January and fell in love. There is legit functional ski gear thatâs one degree of Visvim mixed with casual jackets that look like Veilance meets Yves Salomon. Itâs a fresh perspective if there ever was one, and one of my favorite brands of this moment. Check âem out.
Nov 10, 2020
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Oh MAN is this the hidden gem of #clouterwear. Patagoniaâs WornWear ReCrafted program has been serving up sustainable Frankensteins since this time last year, and the garms have only gotten better. While theyâre technically unisex, the boxy fit and c-c-c-crazy colors make these tiny shirt/big pants compatible in a way that disappointingly few âcoolâ coats really are. If your WCW has a snap-front skirt, she needs like four of these. Bonus: every jacket is handmade by LAâs Suay Sew Shop, a woman-led ethical production shop fighting for garment workersâ rights. Follow them on IG. Theyâre doing great stuff and making cool clothes to boot.
Nov 10, 2020
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Czech outerwear label Tilak is the hidden gem of superlative shells. Everyone knows Arcâteryx. Some know Norrona. But Tilak flies under the radar. While I love their GORE Pro power armor the Raptor MiG, the brandâs Odin Jacket is my reco for an all-season #techwear jacket. The Odin is made from treated Ventile cotton, a tech that dates back to WWII-era flight suits made to keep downed pilots alive at sea. On this jacket, it keeps you dry and comfortable without the clammy (#clammgod) feeling of a giant membrane. It also looks fucking badass and is only like $300, which is a steal for such a quality piece.
Nov 10, 2020
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Japanâs Hiroshi Nozawa is a nature-loving design savant who made his name cuttinâ clothes for such tiny, unheard-of brands as uhhh Snow Peak, Fjallraven, and Columbia. Heâs since hung out his own shingle with Norbit, a line designed around notions of âhybridity,â aka, garments that fit both outdoors and urban contexts. I interviewed him for last springâs edition of eyeC (linky) and was so impressed by the craft that goes into every Norbit garm. Follow them on IG, then save thine pennies to cop pure rockstar shit like the brandâs overdetailed Field Jacket.
Nov 10, 2020