On the occasion of the MM6 Maison Margiela runway show at London Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2020, MM6 announces a new partnership with outerwear specialists The North Face. Incorporated into multiple silhouettes of the MM6 Autumn Winter 2020 collection on Sunday February 16th, a singular focus on transforming The North Face signature Expedition System sees the technical precision and functionality of the original design meet the conceptual prowess of the Maison. Established in 1990, the Expedition System was a revolutionary system of detachable, layered pieces designed for extreme weather conditions. In this unique exercise, keystone garments from the series are re-imagined in circular patterns that mimic the ‘circle’ concept inherent to MM6.
Resonating with the modular and customisable nature of both the MM6 collection and the original Expedition System, garments are engineered with interlocking components that adapt and extend the protective, insulating properties of each design. Starting from The North Face iconic black shoulder construction and executed in a bright palette of cobalt, violet, bottle green, sun yellow and safety orange, authentic performance textiles ensure each piece preserves ultimate functionality whilst embodying a sculptural and resolutely avant-garde silhouette.
This duality is applied to key styles including the hooded Himalayan Coat, the cape-style Mountain Kaban, and the compact Nuptse puffer jacket – all crafted with recycled down insulation. The zippered Denali jacket is lengthened into a coat dress and shortened as a sweater, each cut in a cosy, pre-washed recycled fleece. An advanced triple-zipper system allows for fully adjustable sleeves and armholes, whilst original fastenings allow the Denali and Nuptse styles to zip directly into the Mountain Kaban. The magnified MM6 ‘numbers’ device 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. The padded Nuptse scarf, for example, is adapted with dual pockets and a loop fastening system to become a garment in itself, whilst opera-length alpine mittens are split at the thumb for a ‘Tabi’ effect. A circle backpack and clutch are each modelled off the circular base of The North Face Base Camp Duffel, complete with webbing handles and a transparent ID window.