HBX 2016 Fall/Winter "High Performance" Editorial
Outdoor gear with a serious upgrade.
Performancewear has historically been associated with utility, but these days it’s not too much of a stretch to find athletic gear that merges fashion and function. The rise of designer athleisure has been the main catalyst for this shift. Recent collaborations between luxury houses and athletic giants — Raf Simons x adidas Originals and sacai x NikeLab among others — have paved the way for designs that fuse technical fabrics with fashion-forward silhouettes, upping expectations for your workout style.
Several streetwear and outdoor brands have set the new “haute performance” standard for sportswear. The partnership between adidas Originals and breakout performance brand White Mountaineering exemplifies this. In their latest fall/winter collection, the two brands take hype streetwear silhouettes like the coach jacket and security coat (made popular by Vetements) and refashion them in lightweight and waterproof fabrics, finished with prominent Three Stripes branding. Californian label STAMPD takes a more minimal approach to sportswear, constructing statement outerwear from high-tech textiles like mesh and neoprene, albeit in a monochromatic palette.
Stone Island has always been the gold standard for utilitarian outdoor gear, but that’s not to say that its designs don’t have a sophisticated elegance to them. The brand’s offerings this season are crafted in a subdued palette of blacks, greys and olives – featuring an olive hooded jacket crafted from two-layer performance material. Of course, we can’t speak of sophisticated performancewear without mentioning RAINS, the Scandinavian brand that has transformed wet-weather wear from dreary to tasteful. From anoraks to windbreakers to capes, the brand constructs its rainwear from elegant matte fabric in subdued tones.
It’s time to throw out your plastic raincoats and upgrade to rainwear that is both practical and fashionable. Our performance brands have proven beyond doubt that functionality doesn’t mean compromising on style. Shop high-end performancewear now on HBX.
