Robyn Lynch’s Columbia Collaboration Has a Personal Connection

Nostalgia plays a big part in each of Robyn Lynch’s collections. Whether it’s a nod to her native Ireland’s national flag in Spring/Summer 2019, or subtle references to the clothing she grew up wearing throughout the ‘90s and 00s, her work always carries a meaning.

Following last year’s successful Rapha collaboration — which saw the Irish designer instill various memories on a selection of performance wear — the Fashion East alumni again delves into her own past and experiences to present a follow-up sustainable partnership alongside heritage American sportswear label Columbia.

“We all wore Columbia growing up,” Lynch tells HYPEBEAST of her earliest memories of the brand. “I’m not sure what it was about the time or location of Dublin that made Columbia have such a presence, but it really did. We all used to swap our jackets around, and every so often my friend’s parents would go to America and bring us back a bunch of exclusive colourways”.

“I’m not sure what it was about the time or location of Dublin that made Columbia have such a presence, but it really did”.

The American brand, which has been one of the leading outerwear companies in the industry since its inception 83 years ago, holds a special place in Lynch’s childhood, with her describing the brand as “her unofficial school jacket along with half of Ireland”.

While having a personal affiliation to a partnering brand is always important to Lynch, so is having the right products to work with. “For a young brand it’s great to have access to technical fabrics and trims that are usually not available when manufacturing and making such small units,” she explains.

“The heat-sealed zips featured on some of the Columbia garments would probably cost me half of my budget. The fabrication in functional clothing is patented and developed for years for these activewear companies, so to have access to upcycle them into something a bit more fashion-focused is quite rewarding”.

This time around too, Lynch and her team were keen to extend the brand’s sustainable practices beyond just reworking deadstock garments, and looking into sourcing conscious supplementary fabrics, like nylons made from ocean waste, and other biodegradable fibres. This approach, combined with Lynch’s unmistakeable way with fabrics, has resulted in a 15-piece technical collaboration that’s as nostalgia-infused as it is modern.

“In this collection the best garments to rework were the ski trousers,” she explains. “Each trouser had up to five pockets and we also managed to utilise the trouser waistband into a belt on our big yellow jacket. The lining unpicked from these ski trousers can be used also as a thin layer of wadding, which is all piled in a box in the studio to come in handy later. Whatever we can get the most from is usually the best”.

Lynch and Columbia have also enlisted director Spencer Young for a short-film to showcase the collection, which sees models sporting pieces from the capsule around natural landscapes, with a soundtrack courtesy of Northern Irish musician Or:la.

The full 16-piece Robyn Lynch x Columbia Spring/Summer 2022 collection is available to buy now from Browns.