Twin Peaks: The North Face Collaborate with Gucci On 70s Inspired Outerwear Collection

Celebrating the spirit of exploration and adventure whilst connecting fashion to the outdoor world, Italian fashion house Gucci have partnered with mountaineering brand The North Face for a much anticipated outerwear collection. Think functionality meets fashion, practicality meets performance or maybe Yosemite National Park meets Milan Fashion Week, and you are already halfway there.

From the pinnacle of high fashion to the peak of the most unforgiving mountain, the collaboration adopts the middle ground between those who live in high fashion and those who seem unfazed by any facet of the fashion world. And what better time to launch an outerwear collection than when going outside has become a more valued luxury.

It is fair to say we cannot even begin to doubt the cultural presence of an outerwear brand whose half domed logo has seemingly united the fearless mountaineer, the committed dog walker and the urban streetwear community, and this new collaboration with Gucci is no exception.

No longer under the restraints of a technical mountaineering brand, The North Face have become a fashion powerhouse and no stranger to a high fashion collaboration. Naturally evolving from their humble beginnings, the brand has certainly reached new heights and now boasts a host of partnerships such as their 1990s inspired MM6 Maison Margiela outerwear collaboration earlier this year.

The eclectic capsule houses a wide collection from goose down puffer jackets and windbreakers to dresses, dome shaped backpacks and hiking boots – all adorned with the statement half dome hybrid logo. In line with their ethical credentials, the collection also offers hiking tents and sleeping bags made from ECONYL, an organic nylon recycled from regenerative material. This follows Gucci’s sustainable efforts of going carbon neutral, opting for bi-annual collections and launching their circular lines initiative to decrease material use.

This Gucci collaboration marks the first coveted partnership under Alessandro Michele, merging the opulence of Gucci with the functionality of The North Face. With a campaign set in the alps directed by Daniel Shea, journeying us through a hazy wood and ethereal lakeside, the whimsical designs transcend the beauty of nature and high fashion. The early 70s inspired collection refreshes the mountaineering brand’s early designs such as the Sierra Parka and Geodesic Tents, whilst remaining true to Gucci’s idiosyncratic, Avant Garde approach to high fashion.

Championing archival colours, distinct retro graphics, maximalist floral prints and not to mention the signature Gucci monogram, the ready to wear pieces adopt a nostalgic twist on their original designs. Rooted in luxury silhouettes and paying attention to finer details, the refined pieces proclaim high fashion but do not compromise the North Face brand’s all-encompassing functionality.

It goes without saying that the collaboration is taking the industry by storm, especially given fashions newfound love for practicality. After all, there is no wonder the streets have turned to functional streetwear when it not only looks good but feels it too. The Gucci North Face collaboration is now available and is set to be a notoriously quick sell out, with price points ranging from socks at £135 to statement investment jackets at £1320.