Holden Outerwear has had a few different homes and iterations since it was founded by pro snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc 18 years ago.
But fall 2020 marks a new chapter for the business, now headquartered on Abbot Kinney in Venice, Calif., which has transitioned from purely men’s alpine performance wear to include fashion and a women’s wear proposition.
With a Japanese sensibility, new offerings include mid-weight pieces in stylish proportions and hybrid indoor-outdoor fabrications that can function as street or workout wear, including down puffer jogger pants or shorts; cropped sherpa hoodies; seamless Fair Isle sweaters; hi-loft quilted down kimonos, and oversize, oil-finish metallic parkas with fishtail hems.
Holden will be selling during women’s fashion weeks in New York and Paris for the first time this season.
“We want to be a more stylish Canada Goose and a less status Moncler,” said co-founder and designer Scott Zergebel, emphasizing that in addition to using luxe European textiles, the brand has been eco-conscious from Day One, using recycled cork insulation and trackable down, for example.
“We see the emulation of the technical in traditional fashion,” Le Blanc said of Holden’s potential. “And there are so many large down brands that have been very successful. Now that they are
Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.