Founded on the idea that there always is a better way, Arcteryx is a design and manufacturing company that sells outdoor clothing and climbing gear.
The name Arcteryx is based on Archaeopteryx, a 140 million-year-old creature, who made an evolutionary leap forward escaping the world of dinosaurs and developing the feathers of flight.
The name Arcteryx attempts to reflect the company’s vision which is “creating disruptive, evolutionary innovation”.
Arcteryx’s logo is the skeleton of the million-year-old creature. Which happens to be the only complete skeleton of Archaeopteryx that has been discovered to date.
Its headquarters are in North Vancouver, which is at the foot of the North Shore mountains, just minutes away from climbing, skiing, and harsh mountain environments.
History
Arcteryx was started in 1989, in a climber’s basement, under the name Rock Solid.
It was started by Dave Lane, an avid mountaineer who had become dissatisfied with the market’s outdoor clothes quality.
In 1996, Arcteryx partnered with Gore-Tex and obtained the license to use their breathable and waterproof material in their clothing production.
This partnership allowed them to revolutionize the industry, and design technical garments for outdoor activities.
Beginning with just four sewing machines, it soon became a world-debuting company in outdoor apparel.
What Makes Arcteryx So Special?
Arcteryx is a well-managed brand with goals and a clearly defined purpose.
It has had its fair share of challenges, has overcome them with success, and has remained standing.
From the beginning, Arcteryx has wanted to make the best product possible, and it all starts with sourcing the best possible materials.
Materials that are long-lasting, unique, and superior to the industry are chosen.
The company has a drive for fearless innovation, where it gives room to each of its 200 employees in its 25 departments, to come up with innovative ideas.
It maintains a critical link between design and production and ensures that there always is a personal touch to its products.
It does this by ensuring that there is a significant amount of communication between its design and manufacturing teams, facilitating innovation.
Arcteryx has paid very close attention to sizing and details.
It makes sure that its apparel fits just the way it has described, with enough room to breathe, and is contoured perfectly to fit the human body.
Quality Control
Arcteryx pays very close attention to ensuring that its product quality remains intact.
It does this in a step-by-step manner, which helps it to assess and guarantee quality.
It assesses the fabrics and removes any flawed pieces at the very start of its production.
It inspects each component visually and then passes it through a final quality control inspection.
Testing its products in open fields, and real-world conditions helps it to further assess its product quality.
Following all these steps has ensured that the trust of its customers remains intact.
Is Arcrteryx Worth It?
Every Arc’teryx product has unique qualities. The products are all designed with a purpose in mind and a heart of love towards the end-users.
Though every collection of it is different, they all have one thing in common which is being of the same quality, reliability, and trustworthiness.
No doubt it has become one of the most trusted, durable, and well-known brands among outdoor activity lovers and people in a very short period of time. Which all befits the brand’s image and name.
It is most definitely worth it.
Is Arcteryx Ethical?
Particular attention is paid to the life cycle assessment and the various products of the brand, keeping in mind environmental protection and sustainability.
The apparel and equipment manufacturer is one of the first 400 companies to set a verified science-based target to establish a low-carbon solution.
In order to actively participate in environmental protection, Arcteryx became a Bluesign partner.
The Bluesign system enables Arc’teryx to select sustainable raw materials and pay attention to sustainability at every step of production and not just at the end of the production.
For the procurement and use of animal materials, Arcteryx adheres to independent, internationally recognized standards.
Arcteryx is also participating in a collaborative research project about reducing the use of microplastics.
30 different samples from Arcteryx are used to make a fingerprint by which the abrasion of textiles is measured.
Arcteryx is committed to using renewable energy resources and becoming a local partner in the supply chain of renewable energy products.
It also makes sure to use uncontaminated materials and continues to design products that are robust and last for a maximum amount of time.
Future Of Arcteryx
Arcteryx’s diffusion line, Veilance, has been gauging a lot of attention from Paris and Milan.
Veilance makes a compelling case that the future of clothing might be what’s coming out of its factory in Vancouver.
It has amalgamated style, fashion, and Arcteryx’s signature, durability, in designing products that may become the future of fashion.
Its innovations in materials will further increase the quality and durability of its products, and will also help it to reduce its production cost.
With Arcteryx following the trend of “all including sizes in ready-to-wear”, it may launch longer and shorter versions of its pants, slim and trim, or regular versions of its shirts, soon.
