BURTON 21/22 Women’s Outerwear Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Women’s Outerwear 21/22 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Burton
Interviewee: Christine Egger, Director of Product Strategy Europe

What is the overall theme behind your FW 21/22 outerwear range? From which big trends do you take your inspiration?
It all boils down to AUTHENTICITY which applies to us in different ways: (1) We align to amplify – we built a more cohesive and consistent look across a product so that the line feels like a singular voice. (2) We build upon positive vibes: we create optimistic content and focus on vibrant colour use (3) we stay true: we remain a rider driven, authentic, bold, and founded on fun brand. Being aware of new lives and needs of our customers, we gut-checked our inspirations to confirm their relevance. Our boldness, optimism, positivity, and the fact that we embrace being a little out there still rings true in these times of global crisis.

What new fits / silhouettes are coming out in FW 21/22? What pant and jacket styles are most important in your range?
Complete new Gore-Tex offering across the Burton line including different gore materials as well as silhouettes / top style: Women’S GORE-TEX Pillowline Anorak – the kind of reliable storm coverage and all-day utility that keeps you warmer, drier, and riding longer. 2L Gore-Tex with bluesign approved, 60gr ThermacoreECO insulation, lots of pockets (Interior mesh dump pockets, zippered hand-warmer pockets, zippered kangaroo pocket, and zippered sleeve pass pocket), offered in a solid colour, a colour block and a print block and available in extended sizing (XXS-XXL).

New Seasonal Amora collection built with European Designer Heida Birgisdottir / top style: Women’s Amora Parka – no need to choose style over function, when you can have both in this insulated and waterproof parka, a 2L style including a removable vest, not too tight and not too baggy with 80gr ThermacoreECO insulation and PFC DWR coating, fully-featured: two-way centre front zipper, adjustable cuffs; mesh-lined no-snag Pit Zip vents, hook-and-loop waist adjustment; Jacket-to-pant interface loops and… lots of pockets! The style is also bluesign approved.

What new colours / prints are you bringing to the FW 21/22 collection?
Colour is vibrant, active, and energized. We take our fun seriously…and the colour is no exception. Bringing snowboarding’s wild energy to our seasonal palette allows us to tap into our authenticity as leaders in our sport and culture.

Highlight women colour stories:
AK High Visibility: Mixing synthetic and high-vis colours to create a high-octane palette. Paired together or standing alone, these colours are meant to stand out.

Burton 90’s Nostalgia: Retro Brights and bold blues are paired with rich burgundies for energetic, active combinations.

Prints are authentic, original, and engaging. Continuing to evolve our print stories, we have been digging into archives, in the studio making prints and connecting with new artists.

Highlight women prints:
Maalavida (Women’S and Men’s Burton collection): Alycia Rainaud, also known as Maalavida, is a digital artist that begins by creating original work in paint and then warping and colourizing the digitized results. Her work is both unique and iconic, making her a great print artist for both Women’s and Men’s.

Wavveess (Women’s Seasonal Amora collection): a print inspired by Iceland Nature, developed together with European Designer Heida Birgisdottir.

Please provide an overview of how 2021/22 is shaping up for your brand. Has COVID-19 affected your line? If so, please explain the changes you have made, and how you came to these decisions.
Like many other brands, we stay agile and flexible to create opportunities for flexibility given the unknow around COVID-19 and other challenges the world is currently facing to ensure pivoting and reacting to business, this is top of mind. We continuously evaluate and adapt our seasonal plans. For Fall21/Winter22, we have only done some low impact adjustments reducing our lines and increasing carry over into the season by pushing out category sustainability and reduce seasonal colourways in favour of carryover (increased SG carry over into F21 W22 from 25% to 33%). By doing this, we are still able to invest in seasonal newness and most importantly in consumer-facing strategies that inform the work we do.