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Why Fashion Insiders Are Buzzing About Patagonia

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  • AKA*NYC
    Senior Member
    • Nov 2007
    • 3007

    Why Fashion Insiders Are Buzzing About Patagonia

    this article from last week seems relevant since there has been so much discussion about normcore as of late.

    i think this can help clarify the term and demonstrate that the aesthetic is very specific and arguably "forward" if done with intent.

    http://www.wsj.com/articles/why-fash...nia-1420825704

    Why Fashion Insiders Are Buzzing About Patagonia

    JUSTIN STANWIX doesn’t have to wear a suit to work. But, as a director at eBay, the 30-year-old Manhattan resident puts a considerable amount of thought into his daily oxford-and-jeans look, sporting Bruno Magli shoes or Opening Ceremony sneakers, shirts from Engineered Garments and denim from Acne Studios. He tops off these decidedly “fashion” pieces off with one seemingly unglamorous Patagonia jacket or another. “I own the standard black fleece zip-up, a raincoat in neon green and the down ribbed hoodie in blue,” he said. “I started wearing the fleeces in high school. It’s a mellow brand that’s really good quality. Even the logo is not incredibly in your face.”

    Few labels are sticky enough to withstand decades of trends, but Patagonia devotees like Mr. Stanwix are proof of its enduring appeal. And now, the Ventura, Calif.-based outdoor apparel brand is becoming trendy itself, earning the droll nickname “Patagucci” from some of its most committed fans, and inspiring runway looks from both women’s and men’s designers. This past fall, both women’s brand Altuzarra and Louis Vuitton men’s designer Kim Jones created outerwear that took cues from the brand’s Classic Retro-X fleece jacket with its distinctive nylon, side-zip breast pocket.

    “It has a kind of romance to it,” said Patrik Ervell, 34, a menswear designer. “I always think of San Francisco, where I’m from. The captains of industry [there] aren’t wearing suits. They’re wearing fleeces half the time.” Mr. Ervell’s interpretation—offered in different iterations for several seasons—comes in high-pile Schulte mohair, a material often used to make teddy bears.

    Scott Studenberg and John Targon, the designers behind unisex label Baja East, were also driven by nostalgia when dreaming up their spin on the fleece, a $2,795 bomber jacket made of French terry bonded with lambskin. “In high school, everyone was obsessed with the North Face, Columbia, Patagonia,” said Mr. Studenberg, 31, a native of West Bloomfield, Mich. Patagonia’s fleece dovetailed with the ’90s-era embrace of outdoorsy and distinctly unostentatious fashion. “We wanted to do something that is sporty and functional but in a luxe way,” added Mr. Studenberg.

    Utterly unisex-looking and anonymous enough to style any way you like. For an extra dose of normcore, just add slouchy khakis.

    Though a certain school of fashion-lovers prefers their 501s worn-in and vintage, the normcore acolyte opts to wear them retail-fresh. To lean into the norm, try them belted high on the waist and tuck in a mock-turtleneck sweater. Steve Jobs will be smiling down from heaven.

    While Patagonia does not consider itself a fashion brand, it has taken note of the industry’s increased interest in its wares. “We’re thrilled to see it referenced as often as it is,” said Lisa Williams, the company’s vice president of merchandising and design. “Our design philosophy is really about creating the best-quality product. Timeless, classic, simple pieces.”

    Patagonia’s styles, which are only occasionally updated for fit, also play into “normcore,” the faddish idea that has evolved into a movement. To dress normcore is to appropriate relatively mundane items most popular in the 1990s as fashion pieces. “The normalness of that pre-Internet moment feels really authentic in a way,” Mr. Ervell said.

    On the street, fashion professionals like Mr. Stanwix, who confidently mix Patagonia with high-end labels, exude cool. A friend of mine layers her olive down Patagonia jacket—bought in a boys’ size for a shrunken fit—under an Altuzarra fox-hood parka. That inspired me to wear my own black down Patagonia jacket which I originally bought for cold-weather running, with black Acne jeans, Saint Laurent boots and a tomato-colored Lyn Devon cashmere turtleneck. I could have opted for a wool coat, but this felt less precious. As if I wasn’t straining to be perfectly turned out.

    Christine Mitchell Adams, the Burlington, Vt.-based chief content creator for men’s grooming brand Ursa Major, links the fascination to utility, which is—ironically or not—now in vogue. Ms. Adams, 29, has been wearing Patagonia since childhood; she has multiple fleeces and a down jacket that are part of her uniform. “I wear R.M. Williams boots, Imogene + Willie jeans and something by Patagonia nearly every day,” she said.

    Utility notwithstanding, Patagonia does have things in common with the luxury brands that find inspiration in it, namely product integrity. “They have authenticity. There’s a guarantee to everything they make,” said branding impresario Andy Spade, who’s been wearing Patagonia fleeces since the late ’70s and whose agency, Partners & Spade, collaborated on the design of its new flagship on Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. (Mr. Spade also stocks vintage fleeces at his Sleepy Jones’ pajama shop in SoHo.) He added, “I don’t do logos, and I like their logo.”

    LOVE THE SHIRST... HOW much?
  • Faust
    kitsch killer
    • Sep 2006
    • 37852

    #2
    I think this article is mostly wishful thinking on its author's part. I'd say I know a fair deal of "fashion insiders" and I have not heard Patagonia mentioned once, literally. It's true that Patagonia is the North Face of rich Manhattanites, cause it's hip to consume your way out of guilt re:Eco issues.

    I am not knocking the brand though - they seem genuinely committed to Eco issues and good lifestyle. "Let My People Go Surfing" is a bit of a bible is certain circles.
    Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

    StyleZeitgeist Magazine

    Comment

    • applecrisp
      Senior Member
      • Jun 2013
      • 104

      #3
      Disagree. If you can't see the influence of brands like Patagonia within the current fashion landscape, I'm not sure what you've been looking at. Yes, not all brands will cite them as influence, but more and more seem to be. So many brands are utilizing technical fabrics and bonded seams.

      While this may be a current trend (surely a next step in the heritage trend that was strong for several years), the real importance of Patagonia being front and center as a brand currently, is their approach to business and their connection with their customers. They present everything with such transparency that allows the customer to get the feeling that they're part of it, that they're all some sort of family unit. It's very powerful and some higher end brands are catching on, giving tours of their factories and communicating with their customers on websites such as SZ. Transparency is so important for the milenial generation (sorry to generalize) and I think brands that keep their customers in the dark will lose a lot of trust and loyalty.

      Arcteryx is another brand that tons of designers are looking at stylewise, technically, and from a business standpoint.

      There will always be a place for the live-and-work-in-the-shadows-please-don't-take-photos-of-me designers, but people want to connect with the work more personally. Why do you think Alexander Wang has become so successful (aside from being funded enormously by his family to start)? He's a very photogenic and "likable" guy, at least in photos, he's not a strong designer, necessarily. People see him smiling wearing his loose fitting t and they imagine he's on their couch with them drinking wine or something and just giggling about something.

      Comment

      • Faust
        kitsch killer
        • Sep 2006
        • 37852

        #4
        That's the most wilfull misreading of what I wrote that I have ever encountered. Good job.
        Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde

        StyleZeitgeist Magazine

        Comment

        • applecrisp
          Senior Member
          • Jun 2013
          • 104

          #5
          Thanks, I was hoping for a meaningless, hyperbolic response.

          Comment

          • panosjapan
            Junior Member
            • May 2015
            • 14

            #6
            Actually, Patagonia is leading the way in how brands can truly and successfully become lifestyle brands, because so far most brands use it as a schtick.

            Patagonia is quite daring in its marketing campaigns, going as far as to urge customers not to buy its products to alleviate environmental issues. Now, how many find their products as exciting as their marketing strategies...that's an other thing.

            Comment

            • panosjapan
              Junior Member
              • May 2015
              • 14

              #7
              And here's yet another article about Patagonia's marketing strategy: Patagonia’s Anti-Growth Strategy

              Comment

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