Last week Turner PR attended Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, the largest outdoor sports industry gathering, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Every season the show introduces exciting new advancements in outdoor gear, apparel and footwear, but this time around we noticed an overarching trend: the blending of outdoor lifestyle with, well, everyday lifestyle.
More and more outdoor brands are offering products that appeal to both their core audiences and people who simply appreciate the aesthetic. Call them modern outdoorsmen, “Lumbersexuals” or whatever you like – today’s consumer is wearing outdoor (or outdoor-inspired) apparel in everyday life.
Sanuk, a brand of footwear long beloved by surfers, campers and climbers for its innovative comfort, introduced sleeker, more fashion-forward silhouettes for men and women that could be worn anywhere from Venice Beach to the streets of New York City.
Fair Trade footwear company Oliberté debuted its Highlander Collection, an elevated collection of hiker-inspired men’s footwear that utilizes rugged, durable camel leather sourced in Ethiopia.
Stay Wild and Nau officially launched their limited edition collaborative issue, House of Nau.
Nau’s Marketing Manager, Nick Lawrence, was snapped for a “Lumbersexy” round-up in the OR Daily.
Fenix Outdoor’s brands took home numerous awards. Fjallraven won Gear Institute’s Best in Class Award for winter & mountaineering tents, while Primus received the same in the rapid boil stoves category for its Eta Lite. Brunton took ActiveGearReview’s Gear of the Show award for its new Light Wave collection, a line of connected camp lighting.
New exhibitor receiving a lot of buzz was NuDown. An outerwear brand using compressed air as insulation. The jackets use a pocket size hand pump to adjust insulation depending on weather: to keep core warm – increase air chamber fill and deflate for cooling down. Could air be the insulation of the future?
Off the show floor, TPR attended a session on the Modern Outdoor Woman, led by Jeanine Pesce of RANGE. The discussion included overview on impactful brand campaigns, analyzing the female community and 2015 macro trends to consider and apply in the outdoor industry. Interesting insight: the emotional connection and community of being outdoors trumps the must-have gear aspect for women.
- Anna / @annarice23
