Situated at opposite ends, fashion and outdoor have always had a bizarre relationship that has sometimes led them to coincide in the same place. While the first one needs constant novelties every season, the second one aims at utilitarianism, with a research of new materials and designs accepted by other aesthetic trends. Brands such as Moncler, C.P. Company or Stone Island have a past -and a present- focused on performance in extreme conditions, even though they have evolved towards other scenes.
Another type of approach occurs when fashion looks to the outdoors as an anti-fashion element, that is, as the utilitarian counterpoint to its aesthetic proposals. This is the case when Virgil Abloh deconstructs Arc'teryx, when Gucci turns to The North Face or when Boris Bidjan reinvents Salomon: they all end up creating from a decontextualized point of view. Streetwear has always skillfully managed this apparent contradiction and has brought to the street items designed for a very different context.
The need for nature connection has allowed many people to approach new brands without hesitation and has started a trend that promises to last. The path taken by streetwear is the new outdoor path.
