Andrea Canè, creative director of Woolrich WP lavori in corso, replies
“A garment with a purpose”, a phrase from an old Woolrich catalogue that we try to actualise, aware of the need to create garments in between the great outdoors and typically urban environments.
The main challenge for a heritage brand like Woolrich, which was founded in Pennsylvania in 1830, is not to sit on our laurels but rather to always try and innovate. Respecting, of course, our traditions but with the awareness that we live in a “new reality” that adapts to change very quickly. Woolrich has always provided highly performative products for the great outdoors.
Therefore each season we must reinterpret our past and stay faithful to our DNA and, as a matter of fact, the point of departure and main source of inspiration of our collections are always our historical archives. This Spring/Summer we worked on the outdoor world connected to fishing because Woolrich developed real “technical” product ranges for this outdoor activity between the 1960’s and the 1980’s. In those years, the first camouflage patterns, derived from the military but in perfect harmony with the need to blend in with nature, were introduced in the world of hunting and fishing. Clearly our world of reference is more contemporary and linked to the idea of “commuting” between nature and city.
Therefore we adapted the technical elements, such as weights and functions, to nowadays focusing on climate versatility and the need for elastic and comfortable performance fabrics, like the waterproof and breathable Paclite by GORE-TEX®, the Soft Shell as a transition between winter and spring, the very light wind-proof nylons, the laminate and therefore impermeable denims.
The functionality of materials has now become a necessity because of the “violence” and “unpredictability” of atmospheric phenomena combined with the international mobility of our customers. This originated the collaborations with leading companies such as GORE-TEX®, Woolmark and Loro Piana. We have also re-interpreted through modern eyes the Mountain Jacket, one of Woolrich historic items, an authentic 1970’s icon and one of the greatest achievements of our brand.
On the other hand, a very important theme of the Autumn/Winter 2017 collection is the location for which our iconic Artic Parka was created at the beginning of the 1970’s, to protect the workers who built the Alaskan Pipeline, one of the largest pipelines ever made.
A brilliant garment with performing characteristics like thermal insulation and anti-condensing breathability to ensure “comfort”, a concept that is a mantra for Woolrich.
http://www.woolrich.com/woolrich/
by Peppe Orrù
