Color, Collaborations and What is Old is New Again – On The Ground Outdoor Apparel Trends from London

It may have been 80 degrees in London, but fall/winter 2023 offerings were front and center at outdoor and mainstream retailers. My tour included visits to Ellis Brigham Mountain Sports, Outsiders Store, Harrods, Snow + Rock and Selfridges. Key trends?

🌸💓🟣 Color Color Color:
In the traditional outdoor specialty stores, there was more color than usual. A ton of pink. A Barbie influence? Hmmm,..

🌎🌎🌎 We all need to take better care of the planet. There was plenty of signage reminding us that we need to be planet friendly and instore, brands were sharing the key sustainability initiatives they were embracing. Selfridges was heralding, “Being naked is the #1 most sustainable option- we’re #2.” In addition, Selfridges showcased, “Thanks, it’s rented” along with “It’s vintage” section where all items had to be 20 years old (including a well-worn Gucci briefcase next to a pre-loved outdoor jacket.)

🤝 Collaborations are welcoming new consumers to the outdoors.
Hello CDG and TNF.

🕰️ 🎿⛷️Retro is not going anywhere anytime soon. Don’t throw away your vintage ski sweater with the three stripes – the more things change, the more they stay the same.

👗Fashion wants to be “outdoorable.” Yes, still.
The world of fashion and outdoor continue to intersect with street style, active (Vuori was omnipresent everywhere) urban and performance. No wonder Louis Vuitton had a puffer prominently displayed in its own well curated department within Harrods waiting for its next city adventure on Fifth Avenue. Classic
outdoor “fuzzy” apparel was definitely not positioned as such- but was merchandised as “weekend wear” — code for “outdoor.”