LFW AW20: MM6 Maison Margiela unveils outerwear collaboration

MM6 Maison Margiela used their London Fashion Week autumn/winter 2020
catwalk show to unveil a new partnership with outerwear specialists The
North Face, which transformed the brand’s outerwear as padded circle coats,
jackets, a top and dress.

The collaboration features The North Face’s signature Expedition System,
a revolutionary system of detachable, layered pieces designed for extreme
weather conditions, established in 1990, which has been reimagined in
circular patterns that mimic the ‘circle’ concept inherent to MM6, as the
label reinterprets the concept of all-weather gear.

The pieces combine both the “technical precision and functionality of
the original design” with the “conceptual prowess of the Maison,” explained
the contemporary Parisian label, and the design resonates with the “modular
and customisable nature of both the MM6 collection and the original
Expedition System”.

The garments have been engineered with interlocking components that
adapt and extend the protective, insulating properties of each design.
Starting from The North Face iconic black shoulder construction which has
been executed in a bright colour palette of cobalt, violet, bottle green,
sun yellow and safety orange, while authentic performance textiles ensure
that each piece preserves functionality whilst embodying a sculptural and
resolutely avant-garde silhouette.

The North Face collaborates with MM6 Maison Margiela during London
Fashion Week

This duality is applied to key styles including the hooded Himalayan
Coat, the cape-style Mountain Kaban, and the compact Nuptse puffer jacket,
all of which have been crafted with recycled down insulation.

The zippered Denali jacket has been lengthened into a coat dress and
shortened as a sweater, each cut in a cosy, pre-washed recycled fleece,
while a triple-zipper system allows for fully adjustable sleeves and
armholes, and the original fastenings allow the Denali and Nuptse styles to
zip directly into the Mountain Kaban.

The magnified MM6 ‘numbers’ device also mirrors The North Face logo in
white thread embroidery on each piece.

Accessories also fuse elements of MM6 iconography with classic The North
Face functionality, such as the padded Nuptse scarf, which has been adapted
with dual pockets and a loop fastening system to become a garment in
itself, and the opera-length alpine mittens have been split at the thumb
for a ‘Tabi’ effect.

There was also a circle backpack and clutch unveiled, both of which are
modelled off the circular base of The North Face Base Camp Duffel, complete
with webbing handles and a transparent ID window.

The MM6 x The North Face capsule will be available from September 2020
in selected multibrand stores, in key MM6 and The North Face flagship
stores, and online.

Images: courtesy of MM6 Maison Margiela