“Need is what drives the technical end of design. Purely form-based ideas, what I would call “fashion,” is when you come up with some concept and you make things to approximate it – to look like something. I wanted more than that – it was about how you move in it, what you use it for, where you end up while wearing it, and more importantly, where it can take you as an individual. Oppor tunities are opened up with tools, and choosing the right clothing is like choosing the right tool.

But most late-capital city dwellers don’t do things to fulfill basic needs. Going to restaurants has very little to do with satisfying our nutritional needs; we go to dine. When we choose what to wear, the question of warmth or comfort, even, is only a part of the decision. Scandi na vian women like their short skirts and stilettos as much as women in warmer climates – and I wager than none of them are all that comfortable. I think the same goes for men.

Fashion plays a much larger role than simply meeting the demands of the body. What we wear communicates visually and socially.”

– CONROY NACHTIGALL / designer for ARC’TERYX