With a 48-hour deadline, I enjoyed furiously writing this advertorial on the history of The North Face and their evolution in popular culture for JD Sports.
I love when people repurpose other cultures as a means of social mobility so this was felt right within my comfort zone. As always, excerpt below.
From cliff-side to street corner, The North Face protects pioneers of any landscape. No longer solely for frigid mountaineers; TNF’s evolution spotlights the ingenuity of inner-city youth. Like Dapper Dan reinventing Polo in his Harlem workshop; North Face's audience has finessed the brand to the cultural cutting-edge.
TNF’s impenetrable feather-filled jacket is their hallmark. Its robust fabric shell emits hardiness and quality, making the puffer surprisingly symbiotic with rappers of the same ilk. Since being donned by MCs in the ‘90s, North Face is undergoing a resurgence thanks to Supreme collabs, Drake co-signs and Grime trailblazers. But how did an outdoor sporting brand begin shielding hikers and hip-hop heads alike?