New Generation Urban Outdoor Brands
Crafted performance meets urban lifestyle - Top 10
Getting into the outdoor spirit this summer, here at LTP we are excited about the emergence of a new generation of urban outdoor brands. In this article, LTP looks at this surge of brands, sub brands and collaborations, which merge exceptional performance with street appeal to produce crafted garments that are engineered with superior technical fabrics, innovative manufacturing technologies and meticulous attention to detail.
Outdoor by ISPO Munich is on the horizon and many traditional outdoor brands will present their gear for a wide range of outdoor activities including climbing, hiking, bouldering, mountain biking and trail running. In addition we can see the trend towards urban outdoor is already having an impact in industry, as Outdoor by ISPO’s dedicated space THE BORDERLANDS is launched to showcase accessories and clothing that combine outdoor performance with a modern aesthetic suited for the city.
ACRONYM
Acronym is a Berlin-based technical apparel brand and although it has been around since 2002, Acronym has recently enjoyed well-deserved success, as collaborations with brands like Nike have drawn attention to their unique collections. Designer Errolson Hugh was originally inspired by his childhood karate clothes, which allowed him to move in a way ordinary clothes wouldn’t. This inspired his design ethos of ergonomic and functional pieces, where each style is constructed using innovative materials, processes and techniques.
ACRONYM GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper cape www.acrnm.com
The brand’s latest range includes the Infinium Windstopper Cape, an adaptable piece that can be worn in different ways to offer different levels of protection. Worn in half cover mode it provides the wearer with coverage and mobility, while rotated by 90 degrees, the wearer has access to the Storm Hood and full-length weather protection.
ARYS
Arys, another Berlin-based lifestyle and urban performance brand, has been combining the functionality of outdoor clothing with innovative design and minimalism, since it was founded in 2014. The brand was awarded the ISPO AWARD for their Perfect Pillow Coat in 2018, as well as for their Vigorous 2-in-1 Vest and Cosmic Coat in 2019.
Arys’ latest collection www.arys-berlin.com
With a contemporary unisex aesthetic, the brand’s Vigorous vest features waterproof fabric and recycled Primaloft padding for comfort and protection from the elements, while providing space for a notebook and various gadgets to enable the wearer to work on the go.
ASRV
US based ASRV is an outdoor brand in the true urban sense, offering apparel for all condition outdoor training and urban commuting. Combining technologically advanced fabrics with painstaking attention to construction and fit, the brand spend months testing out product design options and variations to create the perfect version of a product. Signature styles include urban training vests, which are hybrids between a slim backpack and a gilet, a windbreaker jacket that converts easily into a waist pack and a water-repellent, anti-bacterial, insulating hoodie.
ASRV RainPlus™ Fleece Hoodie www.asrv.co
BERG OUTDOOR
Originally founded in 2002, this Portuguese brand recently had a face-lift with an updated logo and website and is on a reinvigorated mission to inspire people to explore the world and turning every day into an adventure. The brand has one of the more traditional takes on outdoor in this group of new generation brands, as they offer hiking, trail running and travelling collections but their commitment to material and product innovation has been making waves at ISPO, winning several awards across footwear and apparel.
Berg Outdoor ASNELA at ISPO 2018 © Anne Prahl
We particularly loved their high performance, insulated mid-layer ASNELA, launched at ISPO 2018. This style pushed the boundaries on innovative material and garment construction to produce a unique hybrid that combines outstanding functionality, such as advanced engineered body mapping for compression, ventilation and comfort, with highly appealing aesthetics.
BYBORRE
Byborre is a young Dutch brand and textile innovation studio and just like ACRONYM, designer Borre Akkersdijk is inspired by martial arts, in this case judo, which he cites as influencing the way he lives, thinks and designs. Pushing boundaries in functional material innovation through engineered knits, the designer focuses on comfort, protection and aesthetics for the urban environment for his highly unique pieces.
The Arrivals x Byborre www.byborre.com
Byborre’s signature three layer, three-dimensional insulated engineered knit has attracted much attention and led to impressive collaborations with brands including adidas, Nike, The North Face and Rapha. A recent collaboration with New York based The Arrivals showcases a future-facing technical knit collection, which compliments the body’s movement, while providing all-weather protection.
FW
FW Apparel was launched in January 2019 and immediately received positive attention from the industry, as the brand’s Root Anorak was awarded the ISPO AWARDS GOLD in the urban segment. With a strong focus on creating quality outdoor apparel for alpine living, the brand designs dual-purpose products, which can switch easily between high performance outdoors and an urban street-style look. The silhouettes are minimalist and modern, as the brand refuses to add any unnecessary detail just for design’s sake.
FW Root Anorak at ISPO 2019 © Anne Prahl
The Root Anorak features a high-neck collar lined with Polartec fabric and a quality 2-layer recycled shell fabric to provide protection from the elements on and off the mountain.
TEMPLA
Australian luxury outdoor performance brand Templa was launched by snowboarders and skiers Dellano Pereira and Rob Maniscalco and burst onto the scene in 2017, when it won the ISPO Brandnew Award. The collections combine urban industrial-tech aesthetics with outstanding engineering and craftsmanship to appeal to fashion-conscious outdoor adventurers.
Raf Simons x Templa at ISPO Urban Lab 2019 © Anne Prahl
The brand has enjoyed a meteoric rise, helped by a dedicated following including A-listers and Olympic skiers. For Fall/ Winter 2019, Templa collaborated with designer Raf Simons and some of the pieces were showcased at the ISPO 2019 URBAN LAB. The range includes shell and down coats, shell pants, tops and t-shirts, padded pants and more.
VOLLEBAK
UK based Vollebak is a three-year old start-up on a mission to take on the outdoor industry through the use of science and technology and provides a space to design and develop highly unusual adventure gear that stands up to extreme conditions and performance challenges. Each style is built to perfection, following rigorous testing by athletes, adventurers and scientists and while some more futuristic styles are available via a waiting list only, a collection of men’s key pieces are available to buy online.
Vollebak 100-year pants www.vollebak.com
Iconic pieces include the Relaxation Hoodie, designed to enable ultimate recovery from extreme challenges, as well as their 100-Year Hoodie, which is constructed from a material five times stronger than steel to last the wearer for the rest of their life, while the 100-year pants are made from a material so tough it was originally built to enable the military to walk through fire.
VEILANCE
Veilance is a sub-brand of Arc'teryx Equipment, conceived to explore the design of a system of minimalist modular layers in response to varied urban environments and combines material innovation with leading-edge garment engineering and construction.
Veilance Fast and Light collectionwww.veilance.com
To celebrate its 10-year anniversary, Veilance received a new brand identity, as well as launching the Fast and Light capsule collection, which includes wool pants, shorts, shirts and jackets made with GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY™ technology. All pieces are lightweight, packable, and highly breathable, which extends the range of activities the wearer can comfortably do, allowing seamless transition between high output activities and everyday use.
WOLFSKIN TECH LAB
German outdoor brand Jack Wolfskin’s new premium line Tech Lab is described as ‘born in the city, inspired by the elements and fuelled by technology’ and while being outdoor-inspired, aims to attract urban consumers looking for the convenience and weather protection of an outdoor jacket.
WOLFSKIN TECHLAB Storm Shell jacketwww.jack-wolfskin.co.uk/tech-lab
The collection for men and women includes clean-looking jackets and coats as well as elegant down jackets and the waterproof and windproof Storm Shell jacket was an ISPO AWARD 2018 GOLD winner in the URBAN OUTER LAYER 3-layer category, thanks to its state of the art 360° invisible technology, without visible tapes or seams.
Feel free to contact me (ali@l-t-p.com), if you want to meet at Outdoor by ISPOin Munich at June 30 - July 2, 2019
LTP is a Danish owned garment manufacturer for +60 premium brands within active sportswear, outdoor, athleisure and sustainable fashion. LTP was established in 1991, and is probably the biggest functional garment manufacturer in Europe with bluesign setups in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine and Vietnam
LTP consists of two divisions; LTP Garment and LTP Contract Furniture producing in ten fully-owned factories.
Credit: Alex Ingildsen