Wearing the Future, Athlete Tested, Expedition Proven

Several years ago, I was lecturing a group of young businessmen on selling themselves on and off the slopes. To my point, business deals and presentations are no longer restricted to golf courses like they were in the past. On the contrary, more and more top management professionals are holding off-site company seminars at ski resorts!

One of the desirable influences that I mentioned was technically advanced fabrications coupled with up-to-the-moment style. Most of the men replied by saying “We’ll, we’re definitely okay on that score, because that definitely describes us.” Upon viewing their individual images I didn’t really think so, but instead of contradicting them outright, I decided to put their brands and looks to the test.  And as predicted, I was not pleased with my findings.

Allow me to be abrupt. When on a company outing, what you think of your style is totally irrelevant; what society thinks is largely irrelevant, too. What matters are the opinions of those men who are in positions to make judgments about you that will either help or hurt? More importantly, this varies from man to man and locality to locality. There is no set of rules I can offer, but it is a matter of importance, and you must learn for yourself what product and style is acceptable in your specific circumstances and adopts it. 

In my profession, I am frequently asked if there are any traits common to all successful executives. There most defiantly are; they are always polished in appearance. And they expect the same of other men, particularly subordinates. If you appear disheveled, it triggers very strong negative reactions from other men. Keep it neat and clean. More importantly, keep up-to-date with the latest technology and style—as it is transitioning rapidly and you don’t ever want to be viewed as behind the times at a work gathering.

The old proverb “Everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it” is most certainly not true of course. Rainwear and Outerwear manufacturers have been battling the elements of nature for multiple generations in response to severe weather conditions. On the contrary, there is another adage that states, “Necessity is the mother of invention”—necessity in this case being the fact that there is an average of roughly 125 rainy days in 30 of the largest American cities.

By today’s standards, waterproof apparel produced in the first decade of the twentieth century seems more utilitarian than stylish. Back then, the product had been created with protection as its prime aim. Fashion and style were very much an after-thought.

In speaking of technically advanced apparel, the North Face recently embarked on a multi-year journey to create a waterproof fabric that’s soft, light, flexible and comfortable—but also durable and sustainably designed. After three years of research, product development and extensive lab and field-testing, The North Face introduces the first apparel made from the brand's proprietary, FUTURELIGHT fabric.

The North Face was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. From the beginning, the brand has been committed to serving all those who desired to explore and to serving our natural wild lands by helping to conserve them. At the brand’s core, we believe exploration creates an indelible bond with the outdoors, inspiring people to protect our land and pass these beliefs down to the next generation. Today The North Face is the world's leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential.

Disruption is one of the key elements of the DNA of The North Face brand. It is what the company was founded on and it still believes to this day that disruption is the key to future growth. The North Face is also a brand that is constantly thinking about the future of apparel and how it can push the limits to create the next best innovation for our athletes and consumers, helping them pursue and achieve the highest peaks in their athletic and personal pursuits, just as we always have. FUTURELIGHT is just the latest in the company’s 50-year history of disruption and firsts.

While performance is at the core of The North Face product development, the brand also feels that the idea that exploration as purely physical is dated. They believe that exploration is a mindset fueled by curiosity and courage. They are inspired by all forms of exploration–whether that means summiting a peak or discovering a new city. 

FUTURELIGHT is a new, advanced breathable-waterproof material developed using nanospinning technology. This innovative use of nanospinning has allowed The North Face to add air permeability into the membrane of a fabric for the first time. This process creates nano-level holes, allowing for incredible porosity—letting air move through the material and providing more venting, while maintaining total waterproofness. With FUTURELIGHT, waterproof fabric no longer needs to be crunchy, muggy and stiff. We created breathable-waterproof apparel that is, for the first time ever, light and comfortable with a quiet hand feel and stretch, while still providing the waterproofness and protection needed in the harshest environments. The best part is that FUTURELIGHT is delivering on industry-leading sustainability through the unique fabric creation process. For the first time, we can responsibly create three-layer garments with 90 percent recycled front and back materials through a process that reduces textile, water and chemical waste, in a factory that values sustainable practices. For every men’s medium jacket, switching to our FUTURELIGHT membrane saves the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from 26 miles driven by an average car.

The concept for FUTURELIGHT was born in the mountains out of specific requests from The North Face global athlete team looking for increased performance and breathability in their waterproof gear. Determined to reset the expectation that waterproof product is uncomfortable, heavy and stuffy, The North Face commenced a multi-year journey to create a waterproof fabric that’s not only soft, light, flexible and comfortable – but also durable and sustainably designed. After three years of research, product development and extensive lab and field testing, The North Face is proud to introduce the first apparel made from the brand’s proprietary, FUTURELIGHT fabric.

Through the brand’s innovative adaptation of nanospinning, The North Face designers can now adjust the weight, stretch, breathability, durability, construction, and texture of any fabric to meet the needs of athletes’ and consumers’ activity or environment. The ability to adjust these factors in fabric construction is unprecedented in apparel, equipment and accessories. I have never seen anything like this before.

In October 2019, The North Face essentially changed the future of the outerwear industry with the unveiling of FUTURELIGHT™ jackets, pants, and bibs in its Summit Series™, Steep Series™ and Flight Series™ collections. Developed using innovative nanospinning technology, FUTURELIGHT will offer first of its kind breathable, waterproof protection.

I recently had the privilege to speak with Arne Arens Global Brand President, The North Face about the great technical brand DNA, the competitive advantage of the brand in a fast-transitioning consumer marketplace and details about launch of FUTURELIGHT and why it is important for consumers to be aware of this new release!  

Joseph DeAcetis: Tell me about the history and DNA of The North Face.

Arne Arens: The North Face was founded in 1966 with the goal of preparing outdoor athletes for the rigors of their next adventure. From the beginning, the brand has been committed to serving all those who desired to explore and to serving our natural wild lands by helping to conserve them. At our core, we believe exploration creates an indelible bond with the outdoors, inspiring people to protect our land and pass these beliefs down to the next generation. Today we are the world's leading outdoor brand, creating athlete-tested, expedition-proven products that help people explore and test the limits of human potential. 

Disruption is one of the key elements of the DNA of The North Face brand. It is what our company was founded on and we still believe to this day that disruption is the key to future growth. The North Face is also a brand that is constantly thinking about the future of apparel and how we can push the limits to create the next best innovation for our athletes and consumers, helping them pursue and achieve the highest peaks in their athletic and personal pursuits, just as we always have. FUTURELIGHT is just the latest in our 50-year history of disruption and firsts. While performance is at the core of our product development, we also feel that the idea that exploration as purely physical is dated. We believe that exploration is a mindset fueled by curiosity and courage. We are inspired by all forms of exploration–whether that means summiting a peak or discovering a new city. As far as my personal background, I am from the Netherlands and have spent most of my career in the sporting goods and outdoor industries. I joined The North Face in 2010 as the general manager in EMEA, then became general manager of the Americas before being appointed to Global Brand President in 2017. Prior to joining The North Face, I worked at Nike in Europe for eight years in marketing, sales and category roles. 

Joseph DeAcetis: In your words, what is your competitive advantage in the market? 

Arne Arens: For more than 50 years, The North Face has been disrupting the outdoor industry, always taking an innovative and forward-looking approach to developing new products. Much of our competitive advantage stems from our research, design and development process, which involves testing in both our laboratories and with our athletes. Our Global Athlete Team gives us constant feedback on the gear they depend on for success and survival in the most extreme environments in the world and are constantly pursuing their own limits to help us push the limits of apparel and equipment design and technology. We also partner with innovative materials engineers to create technically advanced fabrics that meet the high standards of our athletes and consumers.

Joseph DeAcetis: How do you intend to market to Millennial's and Gen Z with advertising dollars? 

Arne Arens: We want our consumers to know what we value. That means welcoming more people, from different backgrounds, into the outdoors through our partnership with the Girl Scouts of America or building free climbing walls in urban centers through our Walls are Meant for Climbing campaign. That means loving and protecting the wild places where we all play by prioritizing eco-conscious materials and minimizing waste in our product design or taking youth to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to learn directly about the issues facing the region. 

Joseph DeAcetis: In your words, what are men seeking today in Performance apparel?

Arne Arens: Today’s consumers are spending more money on experiences than on things. We are a brand that doesn’t just sell jackets, we enable people to explore and have memorable, remarkable experiences whether they’re in the outdoors or just in their own neighborhood. We’re focused on product versatility that combines technical performance and a high degree of style that can be part of any explorer’s everyday adventures. 

Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes in detail about FUTURELIGHT and why it is important for consumers to be aware of this new release? 

Arne Arens: FUTURELIGHT is a new, advanced breathable-waterproof material developed using nanospinning technology. This innovative use of nanospinning has allowed The North Face to add air permeability into the membrane of a fabric for the first time. This process creates nano-level holes, allowing for incredible porosity - letting air move through the material and providing more venting, while maintaining total waterproofness. With FUTURELIGHT, waterproof fabric no longer needs to be crunchy, muggy and stiff. We created breathable-waterproof apparel that is, for the first time ever, light and comfortable with a quiet hand feel and stretch, while still providing the waterproofness and protection needed in the harshest environments.

The best part is that FUTURELIGHT is delivering on industry-leading sustainability through the unique fabric creation process. For the first time, we can responsibly create three-layer garments with 90 percent recycled front and back materials through a process that reduces textile, water and chemical waste, in a factory that values sustainable practices. For every men’s medium jacket, switching to our FUTURELIGHT membrane saves the equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from 26 miles driven by an average car. 

Joseph DeAcetis: If you could choose one celebrity or person of note to wear your brand, who would it be and why? 

Arne Arens: The North Face is a brand that is for all those that love exploration whether that’s exploring the highest peaks in the world or urban landscapes. Our gear appeals to a broad range of consumers and the partners we choose to work with reflects this. We like working with celebrities and artists who value the same things we do – curiosity, disruption and the protection of wild spaces.  We’ve worked with everyone from world-class athletes like Jimmy Chin and Alex Honnold to musicians like Ella Mai, Mura Masa and Maggie Rogers. We really admire young activists like Greta Thunberg and Irsa Hirsi who are using their voices to urge for climate action. 

Joseph DeAcetis: Talk to Forbes about how technology aided you in the development of FUTURELIGHT, both product make-up and e-commerce? Details please. 

Arne Arens: The use of nanospinning in FUTURELIGHT allows us to offer a unique set of performance benefits that we believe are the most state of the art in the world. Traditionally reserved for nano filtration systems, tissue engineering and casing smartphone electronics, we’ve worked with medical, electronic and robotic manufacturers to reimagine the use of nanospinning and redefine the possibilities of outerwear. Through this innovative adaptation of nanospinning, designers can now adjust the weight, stretch, breathability, durability, construction, and texture of any fabric to meet the needs of athletes’ and consumers’ activity or environment. Consumer insights are also an integral part of our development process. We rely on both our teams’ knowledge of the marketplace and direct consumer and athlete feedback provided by partners like dscout and Betabrand.

Joseph DeAcetis: What are your day-to-day responsibilities at The North Face? 

Arne Arens: As Global Brand President at The North Face, I’m responsible for global brand strategy and execution for The North Face across the Americas, EMEA and Asia Pacific. 

Joseph DeAcetis: Where is the product made and why? 

Arne Arens: The North Face is committed to loving our wild places and protecting the environment. It is rooted in our purpose to build smarter product, to reduce our footprint and contribute to the place that we love. 

 MXP, the factory in Vietnam that produces our finished FUTURELIGHT garments, is 100% solar powered and is aligned with the same vision for social responsibility by offering employees incredible benefits and support, and overall ensuring that they are performing at the highest standards to reduce their impact on the environment.

Joseph DeAcetis: Do you manufacture in the USA? 

Arne Arens: The North Face creates hundreds of product styles seasonally and manufactures in more than 40 countries around the globe. Due to the demands of such an extremely technical material, we are leveraging this global network of longtime partners to manufacture FUTURELIGHT. That said, we believe that a hyper-local, climate conscious approach to sourcing can reshape our relationship with our land. For example, last fall, we continued to grow and expand our responsible wool program by adding jackets and scarves to our Climate Beneficial line, the Cali Wool Collection. These wool products are produced in partnership with one of the few U.S. sheep ranches that practice carbon farming. We’re proud that Cali Wool products can be part of the solution to help mitigate the lasting effects of climate change and are also made from materials grown, processed, milled, spun and sewn within in the USA.

Joseph DeAcetis: You have the floor: Talk to my viewers about why they should try this brand now? 

Arne Arens: When you wear The North Face, you’re wearing a brand that is dedicated to exploration of all types. We believe that with courage and curiosity, anyone can be an explorer. We’re committed to empowering and enabling every explorer, no matter where they come from or what they look like. We are a brand that will continuously disrupt to bring consumers the highest performing, most sustainable products in pursuit of exploration. We’re a brand that represents integrity in our products and in our actions. 

FUTURELIGHT is the perfect product to start with because not only does it represent so much of what we stand for as a brand, but it is unlike any breathable waterproof material that is currently available to consumers, delivering a breathable, comfortable, and durable waterproof material that’s sustainably created.

Joseph DeAcetis: How has The North Face contributed to sustainable efforts and what will the sustainable efforts strategy be for the future? 

The North Face was built on a love for the outdoors and the desire to enable all types of exploration. As we look to the next 50 years of exploration, protecting our planet and environment is more important than ever. The North Face is one of the world’s largest outdoor brands and we have a responsibility to lead the industry in sustainability.

 The North Face in uniquely poised to create sustainable change at scale. For example, reinventing one of our largest product insulation lines, ThermoBall, to recycled materials in Fall 2018 was an incredibly important step toward our goal of creating sustainable change at scale. Every ThermoBall Eco style is now made with 100% recycled insulation, shell and lining fabrics, with the insulation alone giving the equivalent of 3.6 million plastic bottles new life in our Fall 2019 season.

We also know that sustainability means pulling every lever possible and experimenting with sustainable design options that move beyond just recycled materials. We have products made using regenerative farming, like our Cali Wool Collection, as well as a company-wide focus on circular design to keep products out of the landfill. This is exemplified by our RENEWED program, a collection of refurbished clothing remade to explore. It’s the great quality and performance you expect from The North Face with less impact on the earth.Through the growth of these products and collections, we hope to prove that sustainable products with environmental impact do not have to compromise the quality and performance customers have come to expect from The North Face outdoor products. By 2023, the vast majority of our line will be made from recycled materials and are currently tracking ahead of this goal.

Joseph DeAcetis: What are your future projections and growth strategy for the next few years? 

Arne Arens: We are continuing to seek out disruptive technology and techniques like FUTURELIGHT that deliver the highest performing, most sustainable products in the pursuit of exploration.

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