Patagonia Brand In Focus

Patagonia Brand Guide

The Patagonia brand is steeped in history, crafted to conquer the environment, and designed to help save it. Patagonia continues to revolutionise the fashion industry.

History of Patagonia

The man who carried this vision was Yvon Chounaird, who started climbing in America when he was 14. He grew an insatiable passion for the sport, travelling to America to find the best rock faces to climb, and meeting fellow climbers with who he would become best friends along the way.

Chounaird began his first business, making removable fittings called ‘chocks’. He began making them by hand after he bought the tools he needed from a junkyard in California. Word soon spread of his invention and the production of Chounaird’s innovation went industrial, as ‘chocks’ became the norm for a majority of climbers. He then went on to redesign nearly every piece of climbing equipment, bringing them up to date with new lightweight, stronger materials like aluminium.

 

 

Chounaird began to travel the world climbing with his friends, moving from the Rockies to the Alps, and even to Scotland. It was here that Chounaird picked up some new climbing clothing- a heavy-duty, overbuilt Rugby top. The colours were striking and new, and a visual break away from the rock climbing clothing at the time which consisted of beige shorts and white shirts. Chounaird soon became inundated with requests for his Rugby shirt and began to ship styles from England, which were made by Umbro. This side of the business, which was much more profitable than making climbing equipment, became Chounaird’s priority. He began shipping clothing from all over the world and sold it under a name he came up with with the help of his climbing friends- Patagonia was chosen due to its ability to be pronounced in every language.

Patagonia soon became a well-recognised label, as Chounaird began to bring innovative fabrics from other lifestyles into climbing. Elements from fishermen’s outfits, such as quick-drying cotton were introduced, as well as insulation through extra internal layering, and waterproof outer layers. The new clothing range was a huge success, but the colour palette of all outdoor clothing was still very bland.

In the early 1980s, Patagonia took a huge risk and introduced clothing with radical colouring. Bright red, cobalt and teal were used to add interest to the collection. The risk paid off, and the influx of colour created a huge fad, helping the Patagonia brand reach out beyond the world of climbing and into the wardrobes of the fashion pack. Patagonia had become a hugely desirable brand, both on the high street and on the cliff face almost overnight.

The success of the brands early days still lives on, and despite its fluctuation into the fashio world, they still create clothing aimed at the outdoor pursuits consumer. Priding itself on an economically friendly approach to production, Patagonia creates clothing for the ‘silent sports’ like fishing, climbing, hiking and skiing. Like the sports that they provide for, there is nothing loud or brash about Patagonia clothing – they are functional, appropriate and ready for any situation.

 

Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket

 

Patagonia Jackets

 

Patagonia’s Mission

Patagonia’s mission has developed and changed since the brand was first launched. Their goal of producing functional clothing that will serve you well on outdoor adventures and this still continues to be their main mission, however more increasingly how they go about doing this has become almost as important. If producing clothes to explore the environment causes harm to the environment, then it’s not worth making. So the company is producing garments of the best quality causing no unnecessary harm to nature and finally using business to inspire and implement solutions and projects to the environmental crisis.

2022 saw Patagonia in the headlines across the world as its founder, and now ex owner, Yvon Chouinard give his company away in a move that made the Earth Patagonia’s sole shareholder. After this, we had the privilege to catch up with Harry from Patagonia to ask him some questions about the brand and to discuss the company’s history, future, and commitment to saving our home planet. Read the full Patagonia interview – ‘Partnered With The Planet : A Q&A With Patagonia’

Celebrities Wearing Patagonia

Taking Patagonia onto the high street is not a new fad. Like the colour lovers of the 1980s, celebrities who have enjoyed Patagonia’s qualities have included Reese Witherspoon, Shia LaBeouf and even Will Ferrell. Using Patagonia’s rugged design and functional design stay entwined with any casual look, whilst their outwear provides more than ample protection against some of the worst weather you are likely to encounter, thanks to its rich and diverse climbing experiences.

Patagonia Jackets And ClothingCheck out the full range of Patagonia Clothing at Aphrodite

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