![]() It’s very rare that we give someone something that is crazy new-it’s still a jacket. So when we’re testing something outdoors, we take all of our accumulated knowledge and use our awareness to improve upon products without compromising some of their design fundamentals. We’ve been trying to solve them for years and years. What is that process like?ĭG: It’s important to remember that a lot of the problems we’re trying to solve are not new for us. Since Arc’teryx’s headquarters is right beneath an epic mountain range, you do a lot of product testing in the wild. So, in that case, we would probably partner with someone else who’s constantly updating their capabilities. We could buy a 3D printer, but it’s going to be outdated in six months. When it comes to technology, though, there are limitations. Once you realize that building machinery is on the table, you don’t have to be held back by typical material or factory constraints. Sometimes we’ll modify tools that are already out in the industry, but we slowly started to develop a staff that is dedicated to making custom tools. Then we took some of the successful tools we built to our partner factories. Back in the early days, a lot of things like thermoforming were new at the time. Why is designing custom machinery important to Arc’teryx?ĭG: When you’re innovating, it means you’re doing things that don’t exist. And then as we’ve grown, it’s a huge challenge to maintain that quality with thousands and thousands more pieces every year. It takes a while to get new factories on board and up to our quality standards. Through that, we’re able to set a precedent with all our partner factories. Having a factory so close by allows us to understand every little detail about each product, control the quality and understand the “why” behind all the questions that a factory would have for us. Knowing how to run a factory, knowing how to handle materials and knowing how to do construction is valuable for doing good design work. How does Arc’One’s proximity to Arc’teryx HQ affect your design and production processes?ĭan Green, VP, Design: Arc’teryx has always aspired to build the perfect thing-not to dream it up and have someone else figure out how to build it. In today’s streetwear landscape-a space that has already been declared “dead” by Abloh-perhaps the only thing more authentic than a legit-checked pair of Off-White™ Air Jordan 1s is a brand that couldn’t care less about streetwear. Maybe Arc’teryx is onto something with its reluctance to enter the world of frequent product drops and collaborations. ![]() “The moment we pivot and try to address the streetwear world, we’ll totally lose it,” says Green. ![]() Yet, as with the normcore movement, there’s something inherently fashionable about not caring about fashion. Pushing for sustainable innovations, designing custom machines, expanding nearby factory Arc’One, holding in-depth R&D sessions with GORE-TEX and designing military gear are just a few items that take precedence on the brand’s to-do list. Arc’teryx has more on its plate than to pander to its new fan base. The brand could have easily embraced its appearance on Off-White™’s Fall/Winter 2020 women’s runway show as a collaboration and step forward in streetwear, but instead the brand dismissed it as unofficial, saying in a statement to HYPEBEAST that Abloh and his team essentially used Arc’teryx jackets and harnesses without permission.
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