Winter 2021 – Marked by the wilderness: 40 years of protecting against the elements

1492 – A rather significant year in history. That year, new worlds were discovered. Christopher Columbus reaches America – and in the heart of Europe, Antoine de Ville climbs Mont Aiguille. No, the conquest of the towering, near vertical rock in the Western Alps did not widely make it into history books. But for all alpine explorers, it marks an important moment in time: This ascent is the first one ever documented in writing and is thus considered to be the birth of alpinism.

The birth of JACK WOLFSKIN would have to await a while longer - until the year 1981, to be precise. In 2021, the Idstein-based outdoor company thus celebrates its 40th anniversary and takes the opportunity to look back with a great deal of pride - and also ahead with a vision of responsible sustainability. Back then, the brand was - and still is today - dedicated to inspire and enable people to fulfil their dreams of freedom. Then, just as now, the brand is at home outdoors - hiking and mountaineering, bicycle-touring or skiing. Naturally, JACK WOLFSKIN‘s focus lies entirely on protecting the “outdoors”.

The Alps, site of the first mountaineering ventures, are JACK WOLFSKIN‘s home - and the 21/22 winter collection’s source of inspiration. The collection is characterized by natural colour themes, minimalistic designs, homages to icons from the past, versatile options for combining products, as well as cutting-edge technologies which are ground-breaking in terms of sustainability.

Sustainable cooperation

To drive the development of sustainable technologies in the textile industry, the Idstein-based company collaborates with an equally committed, long-time partner - who incidentally is just the same age: POLARTEC^® is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Jointly, the two companies have developed, amongst other innovations, an entirely recycled 3-layer fabric: Not only the outer and inner layers of the POLARTEC®^ WINDBLOCK ECOSPHERE consist of recycled synthetic fibres, but also the TEXAPORE ECOSPHERE membrane is made exclusively from recycled material just the same.

Some of innovator POLARTEC®‘ s high-quality fabrics are also featured in the all-new DNA HIKE products, for which JACK WOLFSKIN draws from the company‘s archives to revive iconic styles - modernized and equipped with the latest and most sustainable technologies. The line presents nostalgic material mixes, timeless classics, and modern retro pieces - looking back in terms of style, yet looking forward in terms of performance.

High-performance lightweights

For winter 21/22, JACK WOLFSKIN furthermore presents a number of logical improvements to its sustainable innovations. The technical INFINITE HIKE products for ambitious mountaineering activities are smart and multifunctional and ideally suited for ski touring just the same. These high-performance lightweights deliver perfect thermal comfort on cool days as well as for strenuous physical activities - partly on account of the MICROSOFT SUPERLOFT ECOSPHERE insulation, a synthetic fibre padding made entirely from recycled polyester and offering an exceptional warmth-to-weight ratio.

Sporty minimalists

Likewise, the all-new, sporty ATHLETIC HIKE pieces barely reveal what they are capable of - as they focus on minimalistic understatement. They combine a timeless, super-clean look with premium quality. The versatile and easily combinable product line is furthermore distinguished by an amazingly pleasant feel to the touch and its natural colour scheme. All the line’s products match up perfectly and epitomize a sporty look.

Capsule Collections

The young & fresh line 365 in turn features retro-inspired iconic pieces - an homage to legendary highlights from JACK WOLFSKIN’s 40-years of history. With dynamic lines and refreshing colour schemes, the brand carries its heritage into the future – while at the same time uniting the themes“urbanity” and “nature”. Here, too, recycled materials and natural fibres are employed as often as possible. Many products are also certified according to the strict bluesign® standard and awarded the label “Grüner Knopf”.

This is also true for the product line PACK & GO! For the past 40 years, JACK WOLFSKIN has been all about making experiences - in nature, in the world. The ultra-lightweight and extremely-small-to-pack pieces of this all-season travel line leave more room for these experiences. Once again, employing sophisticated designs and high-quality materials, the brand creates perfectly matching, modular and multifunctional pieces. They offer excellent protection in any weather, are extremely flexible, incredibly comfortable to wear and dry quickly while relying on natural fibres and recycled materials. After all, it’s about living the dream of freedom and at the same time taking responsibility to preserve that adventure called “outdoors” for future generations.

Style meets sustainable functionality

Consequently, much effort has also been invested in the development of new technologies, materials and design for the OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE product line. The all-new NATURE pieces combine natural materials with sustainable performance, are super pleasant to the touch and still have that stylish, hip look.