The close -fitting knitted hat of the Canadian outer brand Arc’teryx have unexpectedly attracted a fan base that is much further than the intended audience.
Their turnout started in 2019 when the musician Frank Ocean wore one to attend a Louis Vuitton men’s clothing chair road, which combined it with an orange quilted ski jacket from the Swiss label Mammut and faded Blujeans. “Looking back, this outfit felt like the start of a monumental shift,” GQ Magazine written When he looked back on the combination three years later, it suggested a turning point that was a turning point at which goal-oriented technical brands became feed for luxury fashion enthusiasts.
Last week the Beanie had a controversial observation: Timothée Chalamet combined one with a pink puffer jacket from Telfar, True Religion jeans covered with a meager knitted scarf and a quilted metalful Cross-Body bag from Chanel.
In between, the hats – or toques, in the Canadian language – rose in popularity, especially under a subset of young, urban consumers. The type that “a skull cap is wearing the logo is a matcha who likes to talk about Japan,” said Alex Hartman, maker of the popular Instagram account Nolita garbage bagwho spoke the niche habits of the center of New Yorkers. He saw that the Beanie got a grip in the pockets of the center such as Nolita, the Lower East Side and Dimes Square.
Nowadays it is not uncommon to see the Arc’teryx-logo-cocooning frontal lobes in neighborhoods all over the world, from Paris to Tokyo, often combined with fuel-efficient pants with double knees from Carhartt, Oakley sunglasses and selections of other technical exterior brands Such as Salomon and North face. But more often the toques seem to exist on social media, in Fit Pic messages on Instagram or Shop round -Ups From the best new winter hats on Tiktok.
But they are a significant of a much larger movement in which the gap between high-end model labels and outdoor lifestyle brands have become blurry, if not downright not existing. And brands with technical design bravery – Patagonia, the North Face, Salomon or Hoka – are absorbed by the fashion industry. In a world where some luxury sales are stuck, companies that emphasize functionality and usefulness – plus a little aesthetic finesse – have recorded the spirit of consumers. In Most recent quarterly reportWho was released last November, reported Arc’teryx and Salomon in November, which owns Arc’teryx and Salomon. Those profits were led by the strong performance of Arc’teryx.
The hats are popular enough that they have inspired their own set Van Memes, often playing on the fact that they have become a tailor disorder for an archetypal city dweller. And even though they are designed for a specific use outside, they are taken over by those they use Only for fashion purposes.
“It is interesting when a fashion trend comes from, not to make the stereotype, but in the core it is for a man who is middle -aged or older and who does not really care about fashion,” said Mark Boutilier, 27, a new York-based content creator. “He just wants something to help him climb a mountain. It was never meant to be popular. “
In fact, the disinterest of the brand is to be part of a more traditional fashion dialogue, which attracted some consumers in the first place.
“We look at it a bit from the sidelines,” said Katie Becker, the Chief Creative Officer of Arc’teryx, during a video call from Vancouver, where the brand is located. “Because we are not a brand that is built on trend. We have been making the same type of technical product for 35 years. But it is cool to see it go beyond the mountain. ‘
She added: “It’s not the way we were,” Let’s see how many birds we can get on heads. ” We are aware that it is happening, but we are not hunting. “
Arc’teryx was originally founded as Rock Solid in 1989, with his first product as a rock climbing harness. The popular bird head to be introduced 21 years ago, in 2004, and the current versions – The Bird Head, Grotto, Lightweight Bird Head, Bird Word, Mallow and RHO – have not changed, except for new Colorways that are released seasonally. They all contain a version of the logo of the brand, an Archeopteryx, a bird -like dinosaur fossil dating to the late Jurassic period (“we love fossils,” wrote a company spokesperson). Mr. Ocean wore the Grotto, while Mr. Chalamet chose the bird main model. Prices vary from $ 45 to $ 60, but they are often sold out and can be found two to three times as much on resale sites.
Getting too popular has its own pitfalls, especially in the social media era where consumers quickly cycle through trends. Something that was once cool when it was taken too wide, becomes an emblem to be over.
Mr Boutilier suggested that the verdict will come out or Mr. Chalamet who carries the toque will put an end to the trendiness, or that it indicates the next step of the evolution of the product. “The style of the Frank photo to the photo of Timothée is very different,” he said. “It is a bit checked, from a gorp-y look to slightly more Y2K.”
“I feel that they have remained pretty consistent with their roots,” he added about Arc’teryx. “Their things are functional, it serves a goal. Even if that fashion decides to continue to the next, they still have a core customer. “
After all, it is not the first time that one of the brand products has become something of an internet sensation. In 2021, many Tiktok -users wore the Alpha AR jackets of the company in the shower To test their watertight options.
“It’s a bizarre thing to look at, as a brand,” said Mrs. Becker. “Perhaps a part of the allure is that it is so pure. The more authentic you can be, the more relevant you are. “
