In 2017, a writer at The Cut, a style site run by New York magazine, was looking for a word to describe what he saw as a new fashion trend: the appearance on city streets of clothes usually worn for mountain climbing, trekking and ski trips. Not finding an existing term, he created a new one, and thus “gorpcore” was born.
As people in cold climates grew to appreciate the warmth-giving garments designed for extreme outdoor winter sports while going about their everyday urban activities, the trend grew and grew. The UK’s Guardian newspaper recently, proclaiming peak gorpcore popularity, reported that people demand more functionality from their clothes than simply looking good. The normally staid Wall Street Journal echoed that worship of practicality, calling gorpcore “high fashion.”
Juun.J and Gore-Tex collaborate on gorpcore
Three-time winner of the Samsung Fashion Design Fund (SFDF) award Juun.J has also created a new collection of gorpcore wear in a unique collaboration. Although, bearing in mind that he has long enjoyed the interplay of function with aesthetics, it is perhaps more accurate to suggest that the gorpcore trend has come to join Juun.J than the other way round.
For his 2021 fall-winter collection, Juun.J has teamed up with the proprietary fabric Gore-Tex. Gore-Tex has been famous for decades for its weatherproof jackets and skiwear, so, perhaps unsurprisingly, Gore-Tex is a brand name that often is linked to gorpcore fashion.
Juun.J’s gorpcore for top and bottom
Juun.J has come up with a new look that incorporates Gore-Tex’s lightweight breathable, windproof and waterproof material into a reinterpretation of his own unique “utility mood,” with multiple zippers, pockets and detachable details, to create outerwear garments that can be worn over normal daywear when going outside.
Employing his signature stark black, khaki, and navy colors, designer and brand creator Juun.J has realized jackets, coats and pants that harmonize unique silhouettes, minimal design, and utility elements
In this collection there are three items of outerwear for the top half of the body: a black long outer jacket with a black down lining inner windbreaker, a navy mid-length jacket with a matching black down inner jacket, and a khaki long down jacket with detachable hooded metro jacket.
All three are layered and detachable, so each can be worn separately or together as a single item, to allow for adjustment to the weather conditions on the day. A pair of black multi-layered pants completes this 2021 fall winter collection.
All items in this collection use the trademarked “Original Gore-Tex” material, so they have excellent waterproof, windproof, and breathable properties.
The whole line of Juun.J X Gore-Tex collaboration items is available at the SSF shop.
