Forward Outdoor Womens Outerwear 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Womens Outerwear FW24/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Forward
Interviewee: Tony McWilliam, Global Brand Director

What is the overall theme behind your 2024/25 outerwear range? From which big trends do you take your inspiration?
I’ll be honest and say that I don’t think there are many brands out there truly catering for women who are passionate about skiing and snowboarding. I will probably be outspoken here but I see brands that offer a lot of pastel pieces masquerading as technical without strong technical features or pedigree and I think the market deserves better. There’s enough fur collars and tight stretch pants in the world that we don’t need anymore. What we need is pieces tailored and cut specifically for women who actually want something that is focused on them pushing the envelope in the backcountry. We’ll always take inspiration from fashion, but we’ll always do it in a way that combines performance and sustainability into a complete offering. And we build products that fit exceptionally well and are built to last.

What new fits / silhouettes are coming out in 2024/25? What pant and jacket styles are most important in your range?
We’re big on bibs – they just seem to be easier for everyone right now. Our Tour silhouette is incredibly lightweight and we’ve removed what you don’t need – but kept everything you do – to create an outfit that moves with you to make the ascent as enjoyable as the descent. The fabric is great, the feel is great, the fit is fantastic and the colours have incredible depth to them. For us it really embodies where the industry and market is moving as a whole – versatility, exploration and adventure with style.

What new colours / prints are you introducing?
Tell you what, I’m most stoked about the Dry Sulphur colour on our Manifest 2L Lined Shell – we’ve used a technical waterproof/breathable ripstop and combined with this colour it just looks amazing.

Any *NEW* technical stories with regards to fabrics and materials?
In terms of fabrics, we focus on combining hand feel with performance and sustainability to create unique offerings across the entire range – every single piece has something special about it, whether it’s PFC-free DWRs or the ripstops or the insulations.

Any trends that your brand is moving away from?
I mentioned this on the men’s thread – although we’re focused on improving our sustainability credentials each and every year (and we’ve got a long way to go), the fit, feel, performance and durability of the product have to also be top of mind. In five year’s time we won’t even be talking about sustainability – it will be a given. And right now I want to focus on the people behind the brand, the experience and knowledge and skill they have acquired over decades driving innovation in the industry, as well as the athletes and ambassadors and what they’re doing to push society forward as a whole and help broaden the appeal of the outdoors and specifically skiing and snowboarding. The outdoors is about individuals pushing themselves and what they’re capable of in order to inspire all of us and I think we’ve forgotten that.

What are your top marketing stories for 2024/25? (This will help us to put some focus in the right place.)
Again it’s about people – it’s about adventure and expression in the mountains. Pure and simple as that. We’re working with some incredibly creative athletes, ambassadors and artists and we’ll be focusing on them for the coming year or two. We hope it will inspire us all.

Outerwear Best Sellers/Hero products

1. Women’s Tour Lightweight 3L Shell Jacket & Bib

The W Manifest Tour 3L Jacket boasts a higher level of functional detailing and is optimized for backcountry travel. For those who venture beyond the resort on excursions big and small, this 100% seam-sealed jacket is made from recycled yarn that is waterproof and stretches to move with your body. The fabric is cut precisely to avoid excess weight. Superbly breathable, this garment will keep you at your best throughout the warm springtime days and also when the temperature drops — an integral piece of your layering system.

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2. Women’s Manifest Lined 2L Jacket

The W Manifest 2L Jacket features the beautifully bare necessities. The new waterproof and breathable shell fabric keeps you inspired and protected from the elements while a high-quality lining fabric provides coveted comfort. Additionally, extra-wide hand pockets stow all of a gal‘s essentials.

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3. Women’s Catalyst Fusion 3-In-1 Jacket + Insulator

The W Catalyst Fusion Jacket brings newschool vision to the iconic 3-in-1 jacket solution. Enjoy the ultimate in versatility: on the mountain, choose the best outfit for the conditions. When it‘s time to hit the town, the quilted inner jacket strikes the right chord. The garments take inspiration from workwear; Ripstop integration protects against abrasion and generous pockets stash all that a gal needs for a full day of adventure. It‘s all backed by a lightweight 2.5L construction; a soft hand-feel; water repellent YKK zippers; and recycled yarn and insulation, so you can look good and feel good, too.

Womens Catalyst-Fusion-Pnt-Full1