Brand History
2003
26 Pages, 7,735 Words
The white book pulled back the curtain on the tech story of most evolutionary brand in the outdoor apparel and pack space. After long interviews with company founders, I created breakdowns, establishing a voice that still speaks for the Arc brand. A seminal piece in outdoor, it is still referenced as a prime example of compelling brand storytelling.
Link to full book
Arc’teryx has always done things the hard way. Every effort the company has undertaken has been built from the ground up. Rather than borrowing ideas or shortcutting technology, honest labor has laid claim to every innovation. From harnesses that were formed around custom molds to an outerwear factory built from scratch, sweat has been spilled over the brand. Even designing the company’s first ad was an epic. Rather than take the easy route, they spent days creating a set to make sure the imagery turned out exactly right. It may seem unorthodox, but glimpsing this intensity sheds light on why the gear is so good.
Since its first sewn harness Arc’teryx has prided itself on technical innovation. Every incremental advancement developed, from the first Skaha buckle to laminated hi-loft insulation, has arisen from a true passion for product.Toiling over seam tolerances, experimenting with proprietary foams and pouring every gram of effort into the details has defined the company.Arc’teryx has consistently shed convention and worked to build new and unique evolutions of gear. This desire to innovate has bound the brand together and permeated every aspect of the company’s culture
The next phase of Arc’teryx was launched by a simple yoke.Tinkering in his shop, Mike Blenkarn designed a shoulder harness to haul his hardtail up the North Vancouver trails. Like almost all of future Arc’teryx innovations, the motivation behind this invention was to make playtime more fun. Extremely specialized, the functional benefit of the shoulder-yoke extended no further than a hardcore group of technical singletrack friends. But when this molded piece was introduced to the mix at Arc’teryx, to them, it looked surprisingly like a leg loop and set in motion interesting ideas about thermoforming.
Climbing harnesses had traditionally been cut flat and sewn, but now Arc’teryx looked to introduce a third dimension into the equation. Thermoformed shaping offered the possibility of form-fitting contours, but had no precedent. So they began building crude prototypes as the first step toward finding a solution. Salvaging a second hand pizza oven and purchasing a few sheets of foam that responded predictably to temperature changes, they started baking.
Dissecting thermomolding would be a tedious process.With multiple variables, even one small adjustment created a heap of new problems. Temperature, process, materials and pressure all had to be blended perfectly.After many unsuccessful attempts they finally dialed in the right combination. Before long, the foam composites were being heated to the perfect forming temperature and then molded into shape around a variable radius Ikea™ wastebasket.
Designers began congregating at the North Vancouver offices after-hours to drink beer and swap ideas. In this charged atmosphere radical thoughts came fast and furious.Wrapping their heads around the challenges of thermoforming, the design crew experimented until new components began to take shape. Finally achieving the perfect balance of multi-density foam, high temperatures and rapid cooling, they gave birth to what became Vapor™ Technology
The biggest gamble in the history of Arc’teryx began far from home.While off climbing in the Tetons, Jeremy Guard purchased a top-ofthe-line parka at a mountaineering shop. Even though Arc’teryx had never sewn a single jacket, he knew that they could build better. So after returning to Vancouver, he began building a team that could construct outerwear.
The first obvious choice was Michael Blenkarn, the inventor who had accidentally inspired the company’s first thermoform.With a background in materials and in the details of construction, Mike was the perfect person to drive this next phase of technical innovation. Mike’s workshop tinkering and extensive outdoor experience had already given rise to new ideas about apparel that simply needed the right outlet.
The biggest departure from conventional construction was developing a WaterTight™ zipper. For some years Mike Blenkarn had been focused on the performance benefits of eliminating bulky double-flap zips.A new charge toward refinement generated a urethane coated, smooth sliding zipper. Making the component function properly demanded months of affixing, testing and evaluating different derivatives.After an all-consuming effort, the zipper was finally perfected and a new phase of connection technology was underway.
As the apparel launch approached, the pieces were assembled into finished form.The new line was packed with innovation that the average alpinist couldn’t yet envision.The shells were lighter, worked better and were infused with a technicality that was hard to quantify. But the question remained, would enough be sold at their introduction to keep the maxed out company afloat?
Like all of the company’s technological leaps the new outerwear arose not from motives of sales projections or design briefs, but from personal crusades to create the finest product available.The self-taught design staff built on their experience as dedicated alpinists to cultivate legitimate and necessary innovation. This passionate desire to provide fellow mountain travelers with exponentially better product solutions is what made all of the company’s leaps so innovative.
What was even more astounding about the line’s reception was that a new appreciation for apparel craftsmanship emerged.The shells were viewed through a new aesthetic lens. The tailoring was so meticulous that users fell hard for their smoothness.
In a few short seasons, Arc’teryx stood apart as the most influential outdoor apparel innovator. Their sales dominated the technical end of the market and competitors shied away from high-end hard shell construction. WaterTight™ zippers were integrated into the manufacturing mainstream and the brands’ designs were often mimicked with mixed results. But in the eyes of the alpinist, Arc’teryx emerged as unquestionably the best brand of technical apparel available.
Every Arc’teryx innovation had been forged in the mountain environment.Arising from the demands of harsh climates and functional challenges of alpinism, the products thrived under tough conditions. But as the company grew it became obvious that they were ignoring a market that deserved innovation all their own. Inspired by the unique demands of the backcountry descent culture, this big mountain market became the next focus.
Continuing a company tradition,Arc’teryx searched for an avid user who exhibited a personal passion for descending and a willingness to affect change.The company found an eager advocate in Tom Routh. Routh’s diverse riding background and willingness to bend the parameters of design made him the perfect crusader to spearhead the brands’ entry into a historically unforgiving market.
The big mountain core was initially skeptical of the brands’ intentions.Tired of halfhearted and dishonest crossover marketing attempts, the snowsports culture was ready to discount any attempt at infiltration. But rather than putting a glossy spin on the same product, the design crew attacked ‘Descent’ with a plan that resonated in the core of the community—deliver honest and exceptional innovation.
As the next horizon appears, Arc’teryx sees only a new canvas. The designers have charged forward with characteristic religious devotion in an effort to spark even greater revolutions. At the core of every ongoing effort is an intense devotion to the honest aspects of radical innovation with the unyielding focus of remaking the mold of conventional product. Also at the core is a defining passion that sets them apart. With its’ heritage of innovation Arc’teryx ventures into the future, knowing anything is possible.
VAPOR™ TECHNOLOGY Created as a 3D alternative to the standard sewn selection, our Vapor harness introduced thermomolded technology to the climbing world. While alpinists focused their energy on ascending above the horizontal plane, construction thinking had been grounded by cut and sewn convention. Adding a third axis to design, we concentrated on baking variable thickness foams into true form fitting shapes. Our new technology introduced radical revisions of incremental tapering and sophisticated shaping. The resulting silhouettes conformed to the contours of climbers, instantly elevating the standard for comfort, mobility and performance.
WATERTIGHT ZIPPERS™ Conventional shell design had always viewed zippers as weak points that needed reams of weatherproof reinforcement. But after ten years of thoughtful development we introduced a urethane coated, long-lasting and smooth sliding WaterTight™ zipper. The new design eliminated the need for bulky double flapping and shed grams from traditionally overweight construction. Taking the outdoor world by storm, this seamless connection set the new technical standard.
LAMINATED STRETCH WOVENS While soft shell fabrics had been used before, we worked with Malden Mills to pioneer technology that laminated complimentary woven fabrics together. Our first fusion brought together the superb weather resistance of a stretch woven exterior with a soft wicking interior. This new revolutionary fabric offered a versatile combination of breathability, durability and mobility, which radically revised layering theory.
