Arc’teryx Soho Adds an Artistic Touch to the Beta AR Jacket
New York-based creatives explore functionality and duality through film and art.
Fueled by endless internet jokes about its functionality, the Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket is a popular topic in fashion conversations. The instantly recognizable shell jacket works in both city and nature settings, which served as the inspiration behind a creative installation at the Arc’teryx Soho store. Hosting a video premiere for a film by director Emilio Chavez, Arc’teryx also invited creators from its local community to reinterpret the Beta AR Jacket as a multidisciplinary canvas.
Featuring art direction by Jordan Thomas, “All-Round II” is Chavez’ latest film in a three-part series that captures the Beta AR in exhilarating adventures across New York. Each of the films have a unique 360° perspective on the jacket, and community-focused casting that highlights locals who maintain an authentic connection to the outdoors. Starring Joel Popoteur, who manages The Dominguez Corp., the film is a high-speed bike ride that starts Uptown, by Highbridge Park, before racing down to the Soho area.
“The shaky shots of him in traffic feel like you’re riding next to him. The wide, expanding shots give a bigger sense of the movement of his surroundings, and the stationary shots feel like you’re watching him ride past you,” explains Chavez. “We wanted this video to feel like there isn’t an end to Joel’s ride.” As guests watched the film, they also joined live music from DJ Brandon Lamont and interacted with a stuffed mannequin wearing in the same outfit as Popoteur in the film, which acted as his “stunt double.”
Apart from the Beta AR’s performance, there’s an important physical aspect that artist Ally Bo explored through airbrushed paintings of poison dart frogs. Thomas says that the natural patterns brings the Beta AR jacket to life while visually representing “the story of making your transition between city and nature easier.” While airbrush is commonly used on apparel or canvas, the consistency of his abstract patterns wasn’t easy to achieve. “The GORE-TEX material on the Beta AR requires multiple layers of paint to look even and to make the colors vibrant,” says Ally on his final pieces hanging for an in-store installation.
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After watching the film above, viewers will gain a sense of how New Yorkers truly move between urban and natural terrains in style. To keep up with upcoming projects and events from Arc’teryx New York, follow the store on Instagram.
