How The North Face went from 1960s hiker gear to the most-wanted brand in fashion

Caroline Leaper
·4 min read
The North Face x Gucci collection
The North Face x Gucci collection

A puffer jacket might seem like the only viable piece of clothing to wear in this iciest of lockdowns - although it should be tricky to get excited about something so pragmatic, if you’re usually into more frivolous fashion.

Yet one particular brand has managed to make its practical outerwear into a must-have. A down jacket from The North Face is now the most-wanted fashion item in the world, for both men and women, according to new data from Lyst.

Released today, The Lyst Index analyses the volume of sales, social media mentions, and searches for more than 12,000 brands and stores. Its latest report shows that The North Face’s 1996 Retro Nuptse jacket is the most in-demand product of all.

Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow and Charlize Theron have all been seen wearing variations. Rihanna, meanwhile, prefers the vintage ones and has a chocolate brown coat from the 1970s.

In 2021 the jackets are serving a new purpose as status designer puffers - an incognito celebrity association, appealing in lockdown to those who find the most glamorous and exciting moment of their week is a lap around the local park.

Charlize Theron wearing The North Face
Charlize Theron wearing The North Face

But The North Face brand was not originally designed to appeal to coffee cup-hugging strollers. Husband and wife founders Douglas and Susie Tompkins were hiking enthusiasts, who opened their small mountaineering equipment shop in San Francisco in 1966.

Named after the ‘coldest, most unforgiving side of a mountain’, the gear developed by the brand in the 1960s and 1970s was innovative, technical climbing and hiking apparel and equipment. High-performance for high-altitude, yes. High fashion? No.

Millionaire businessman and conservationist Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of The North Face, who died in 2015
Millionaire businessman and conservationist Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of The North Face, who died in 2015

In the 1980s, its range of technical products expanded to include polar expedition-proof products, then skiwear. By the 1990s, a shift was beginning to happen which put sportswear in the fashion spotlight.

The New York Times points to 1996 as the year rappers began to wear The North Face. In a story titled ‘Geared for the Grocery, or Mount Everest’, an interview with a mountaineering shop assistant in Manhattan cites; ‘At the beginning, about 80 percent of the people buying the North Face were technical types, and the rest were wannabes. Now it's about 50-50.’

The owners leant into the change, producing everyday T-shirts, backpacks, and other casual wear without the technical performance properties. In 2000, the brand was bought for $25.4 million US by Colorado-based VF Corporation.

The North Face x Gucci collection
The North Face x Gucci collection

Fast forward to 2021, and The North Face has sealed its newly-rediscovered fashion credentials via a new celebrity fan base, as well as with a limited edition collaboration collection with Gucci. Released earlier this month, classic puffer silhouettes are Gucci-fied with logos and 1970s-floral prints, best showcased on Instagram by Jared Leto, Alexa Chung and others.

While most fashion retailers have struggled during the pandemic, the circumstances have helped fortunes for The North Face. Shoppers are looking to buy one quality casual coat, made with responsibly-sourced down, which they know will keep them truly warm and will last in their wardrobe for many years to come.

For those who want the look but can’t get their hands on sold-out styles, or who are put off by the £200-plus price tags, eBay is the place to search.

There has been a search every three seconds for ‘North Face’ on eBay UK during the last six months, according to Emma Grant, head of preloved at the resale website. The average selling price of a North Face item is £35.

‘More than half of North Face items purchased on eBay UK in 2020 were pre-loved showing this is a trend that is really picking up pace,’ Grant says. ‘With the new lockdown meaning more outdoor walks in the chilly January weather, we’ve seen a massive 71% spike in sales for men’s and 90% for women’s pre-loved jackets compared to last year suggesting there could well be value in purchasing more expensive outerwear that will still remain valuable over time. Pre-loved purchases have grown rapidly in popularity even amongst designer brands, as items can be nabbed for a fraction of their original price.’