Disclaimer: This article will discuss technical matters, so do not read it if you are allergic to them. That said, it was impossible to do otherwise, because it was precisely a show entirely dedicated to technology.
One of the parts I love most about my creative job? Trade shows.
I like to walk the aisles, discover new products, take the time to ask all the technical questions I want to the professionals on site.
If I have done some very "conventional" shows, namely shows presenting fabrics for shirts, suits or coats, with Julien we wanted to broaden our horizons, particularly on more technical materials.
And for that, there is an essential trade fair: the ISPO in Munich.
Very honestly, we didn't go there saying to ourselves "we absolutely have to bring Gore-Tex for our next outings!!!" No, it was more with a view to discovery, I'll tell you all about it .
What is the atmosphere like at Pitti?
It's an outdoor show so, in essence, there are only very comfortable, warm, technical, comforting clothes and this is felt in the atmosphere, which is frankly relaxed.
Outdoor is sport, it's escape, it's technical, it's therefore a DNA that has nothing to do with a sartorial show.
No dressed-to-the-point sartorial outfits. Blazers are also rather rare. We feel that no one comes to show off or show off their outfit. Quite the opposite of Pitti Uomo, where we were in January, and of which here is the debrief .
What is ISPO?
An outdoor show is bound to have snow.
At ISPO in Munich, buyers from all over the world come to discover the new collections of brands like Arc'téryx, Descente, Black Diamond, Patagonia, Black Yak, Mammut, Rab, The North Face, Peak Performance, etc.
Do these brands mean nothing to you? This is normal, because these are brands for skiing, hiking, mountaineering, climbing, etc.
The Arc'teryx stand was huge! Funny thing, the top of the range of the brand (Veilance) was presented at Pitti, but not at ISPO. One brand, two ranges, two shows.
In short, absolutely not brands that are in the BonneGueule ecosystem, unless one day we start comparing climbing harnesses or hiking jackets.
Another particularity, suppliers of technical materials are also present: Sympatex, Schoeller, Polartec, Climashield, Toray and others and, obviously, Gore-Tex. It is often the opportunity to unveil their latest new products, as for Polartec.
To put it another way, it's a bit as if Pitti (a show where brands present their collections) merged with Première Vision (a show where suppliers present their new fabrics) to create just one — and gigantic — show.
Why did we go there?
So I reassure you straight away: this is not to transform BonneGueule into a ski brand (besides, I am not a skier). Nor to take up hiking and climbing. Nor even to wear techwear everywhere.
We had two objectives:
- meet suppliers of technical materials
- meet manufacturers who have mastered the technique of welded seams.
Finally, I think that in the job we do, it's important to keep an open mind and draw inspiration from very different inspirations. I love going to Pitti, but it shouldn't distract me from what's happening elsewhere, in a world like the outdoors for example.
This is what we saw
Pertex, Tilak and coffee
Pertex intrigued me, because we find many of their fabrics used for lining (but not only).
They specialize in very fine nylons where air and moisture can easily circulate, which is very practical for down jackets with down or other insulation.
It’s a brand with a crazy history. However, coming without an appointment (as you can do at Première Vision) was not the idea of the century and I only had a glimpse of their technologies.
ISPO also has small installations that allow the technical properties of materials to be shown, as is the case here on this Páramo fabric.
Almost by chance I came across Tilak , the Czech Arc'téryx who makes perfectly executed outdoor pieces.
Then, a little by chance, while walking through the aisles, we came across Singtex , a Taiwanese supplier who collects all the coffee waste from Starbucks and other coffee shops and who makes technical fabrics , like fleeces.
During the recycling process, they even manage to recover coffee oil to… make waterproof membranes. I was impressed.
And then at one point in the mist... Gore-Tex!
I couldn't wait to meet them and... actually nothing.
They certainly have a huge stand, but to my great surprise, it was more of a meeting “hub” than a materials presentation stand. There were a few jackets, a few gloves and a few shoes and that was it. No racks full of their fabrics in different colors.
Like at Pertex, it's the kind of place where it's almost imperative to make an appointment, which was not our case.
That said, it allowed me to meet Hélène, who is in charge of press relations for Gore-Tex in France, for a very interesting exchange and to establish a first contact with the brand.
I was also able to manipulate all the seams of their new shoe technology: Gore-Tex Invisible Fit . This makes it possible to make shoes waterproof, but without that famous, very flashy silver lining.
It's very interesting and promises attractive models, even for urban use.
And what's next to Gore-Tex? Granger's stand! This brand provides maintenance products specially adapted to technical materials and in particular to restore water repellency.
The unexpected meeting with AustriAlpin
Here we reach peaks of geekiness…
AustriAlpin is the manufacturer of a cult belt buckle among techwear fans: the famous Cobra buckle , also visible on superhero costumes in American blockbusters.
Two Cobra buckles are hidden in this photo, can you find them?
Why such enthusiasm for this buckle, from which Alyx and Dior were very strongly inspired?
A Dior belt, designed by Alyx, which is very inspired by a Cobra buckle.
In use, its clicking sound is exquisite. Its design, designed to withstand 200 tonnes of traction, has a very particular shape. And then it's a loop that allows you to easily release a few centimeters if you've eaten too much at the restaurant.
On the first day, I message AustriAlpin on Instagram to see if they are at the show. Very quickly, I was told that they do not have a stand, but that Helmut, one of their colleagues, is on site. And two hours later, between two aisles, we had an impromptu meeting, with a stool between us so he could place his samples.
I was excited to see the different sizes possible: the smallest size would easily fit on a bag, while the largest was really... big.
Helmut told us with a laugh: "If you don't need to hang people in the air, you don't need to have a loop that big."
Although this buckle is experiencing a resounding hype in the world of streetwear, and unless someone asks me for Cobra belts in the comments, I don't want to scare everyone away by offering a Cobra belt called BonneGueule, you can sleep peacefully!
And for my part, I continue to wear my Klik almost every day and everything is fine.
Polartec: their Power Air
The huge Polartec stand, which challenged my budding photography skills.
Polartec is currently following the same path as Gore-Tex: they want to enter more and more into so-called "lifestyle", urban or "active wear" markets.
This is why our Jules Tournier jacket with (invisible) Polartec Alpha insulation was present on the stand!
Their major novelty was Power Air : a rather curious fabric made up of small “bubbles” containing insulating polyester fibers.
Two Power Air hoodies were exhibited on the stand, coming from Adidas and Houdini.
This is THE new product from Polartec, Power Air used by Adidas' Terrex range.
I also met the membrane technician at Polartec, for a very interesting discussion about what was technically possible. To be continued…
The urban alley: technical but portable in everyday life!
And these are two (extremely rare) Acronym pieces which open this aisle dedicated to urban technical pieces.
This was what I wanted to see: all the technical AND urban pieces were presented in one long aisle.
On the left, Nike ACG parka. In the middle, the model appears to be wearing New Balance x Norse Projects x Gore-Tex. And on the right, I think it's a Polartec coat from the Japanese brand Undercover.
And quite frankly, they did their job really well, because the selection was super cutting-edge. It started with two Acronym jackets, then with Nonnative, Nanamica, Arc'teryx Veilance, Stone Island, Adidas…
Without realizing it, they have made a very beautiful guard of honor for techwear.
A military jacket from the Japanese brand "Nonnative". Its presence is surprising, because although it is very pretty, this jacket does not have much in the way of technique.
A Converse model in Gore-Tex, which has its place in a streetwear outfit.
A very beautiful urban parka from the Peak Performance brand, full of delightful finishes.
A big surprise: the Chinese pavilion
The huge Chinese pavilion which brings together manufacturers of various and varied things. Here for Peruvian hats or caps.
This is my big surprise at this show!
A good third was occupied by Chinese suppliers of sports equipment of all kinds: footballs, jerseys, shin guards but also treadmills, weight training equipment, cricket equipment and so on.
As if China was ultimately the equipment supplier to the entire world.
After the surprise, a disappointment: the manufacturers
I must say, I was disappointed.
We looked up and down the show, but we couldn't find a European factory that uses welded seams. There were factories, but they were all Chinese. In desperation, I even went to a waterproof strip manufacturer, thinking that he surely knew of factories in Europe.
His response was scathing: "Sorry guys, all the technology has been invested in China, especially Vietnam. They are the ones who have the best machines and skills."
Well, that has the merit of being clear. All our hopes now turn to Portugal (Canada Goose and Isaora make their welded seam clothes there), but it is not won…
Fortunately, our parka and softshell are made in Romania.
The Performance Days show next May, still in Munich, seems to be more focused on technical materials. To see if we take a look…
Funny things at ISPO
Sometimes the living room is full of inventions of all kinds:
- ski simulator
- a t-shirt that serves as a life jacket
- frozen protein bars
- a parka that acts as a pillow
- socks that make shoes (I almost want to try)
- new generation skateboards
The kind of totally improbable product that you only encounter at ISPO. Here, Skinners “sock shoes”.
Bonus: the contents of my backpack
I wanted to keep it very simple and minimalist: not to take a suitcase, just my Axiom 20 bag. And if there is a show where you can come dressed casually, it's this one. No need to bother with a shirt and blazer.
I've never seen so many Salomon SpeedCross per square meter.
So I took:
- 2 merino wool t-shirts (impossible for me to take a trip without taking one)
- 1 Zegna Sport techmerino zipped vest
- our Travel Tech bomber in Power Stretch Pro, still just as miraculous in this kind of context
- 1 Outdoor Voices pants (I'm addicted to them), absolutely perfect for the 5.5 hours on the train and for chilling in the AirBnB in the evening after an intense day of living in the legs
- my trusty Two Years jeans from Orslow
- the Cobra belt from Klik Belts, which turned out to be appropriate when we met the Cobra sales representative
- 1 Muji packing cube to put everything inside
- 1 pair of New Balance (error on my part, I should have taken my Adidas Gore-Tex, more suited to the context of this show and above all, IN THE SNOW!)
- the Zpacks Dyneema toiletry bag
- Horace styling cream (which I beautifully forgot at the Airbnb)
- the BonneGueule parka against snow and cold
- + all electronics
It’s a configuration that I’m quite happy with! Some of the elements of which you can find here .
Back next year?
I enjoyed this show, between its relaxed atmosphere and its very cutting-edge products. I obviously want to go back but first, with Julien, I have to see if it is relevant for us, because each show represents a significant budget.
Finally, I will remember a wind of creativity that is blowing through these technical and increasingly urban clothing: there is color, boldness in the cuts and ever more sophisticated functionalities.
