One of the highlights of the Snow Industries of American (SIA Trade Show, which took place last week in Denver, CO, were the new styles in outerwear, including technical snowboarding gear. Burton Snowboards had two huge announcements, first with their collaboration with L.A.M.B., Gwen Stefani’s brand, and secondly, the launch of a sustainable collection with Bionic yarn with Pharrell Williams.
Stefan’s L.A.M.B X Burton collab includes 10 pieces which will roll-out in September, 2013, ranging from beanies to vests and down jackets, and the very punk rock and cool “tuxedo” snowboard pants. The vibe of course is Rastafari in theme with No Doubt’s roots of ska, reggae, and punk rock. With a long jacket in military green with a Rasta stripe by the top zipper, to houndstooth patterned, there’s definitely a rock ‘n roll flair.
Part of the goal for the collab, according to Burton’s chief creative officer Greg Dascyshyn is to inspire more collaborate projects of this nature.
According to Stefani, as reported by WWD, “The clothing itself is really technical. We haven’t done that before so it was a new challenge. We worked really hard on the pants. You don’t think of snowboarding pants as being superflattering by nature so we tried to mix masculine and feminine, which we always do, and give them a really cute fit, then added a tuxedo stripe for that edge.”
Burton’s also teamed up with Pharrell Williams and Bionic yarn to produce an urban line of eco-friendly snowboarding outerwear and accessories for Burton’s 2014 line. This collection also debuted at SIA last week, featuring Burton’s style and technical aspects, and BIONIC yarn–an incredible thread that uses 40-45% recycled content and is 400% stronger than conventional yarns.
For 2013, the two brands have taken the relationship to the next level with a full product line that is inspired by the traditional hand-woven fabrics of Bolivia. Pharrell Williams, Partner & Creative Director for Bionic, took a major role in the collaboration by providing the textile design used in every piece.
Highlights of the Burton x BIONIC line include the 3L Jacket and the Bomber Down Jacket. The 3L Jacket fuses waterproof/breathable 3-layer function while the custom fit transitions the jacket easily from snow to street. The Bomber Down jacket combines warmth with a Burton-exclusive BIONIC fabric that combines recycled yarns with rugged waterproofing for a modern collaboration that amps up strength and style in the warmest puffy in the Burton line.
Overall, the crossover of street and music influences, plus sustainability—a strategic course that all brands should have–continues to push forward the evolution of snowboarding lifestyle via apparel and accessories.
