FORWARD WOMENS OUTERWEAR F/W 2025/26 PREVIEW

Retail Buyers Guide: Womens Outerwear F/W 2025/26 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Forward
Interviewee: Marketing Team

How was the women’s snow outerwear market in 2023/24
Tough for everyone – overstock and bad snow globally combined to leave everyone in a difficult position which has left a number of brands by the wayside so to speak, and I think the carnage has only just begun. Overall though we’ve stuck to our focus of high quality product and supporting specialty retail sell-through rather than discounting to clear stock which has been appreciated.

What is the overall theme behind your 2025/26 outerwear range? From which big trends do you take your inspiration?
We don’t really look at trends within the industry – while we get inspiration from what’s happening in streetwear and fashion for colours, style and finishes, we’re a function-first brand. We build products based on our 30-year+ history of living in the mountain resorts of the world and combine that with fabric and material innovation to create pieces that answer the needs of real skiers and snowboarders. Performance, fit and function combined with progressive style is our mantra and it’s particularly relevant for women’s outerwear. Too many brands in our opinion focus on colour and style and forget that for the core market the products need to be technical and keep you warm and dry and move.

What new fits / silhouettes are coming out in 2025/26? What pant and jacket styles are most important in your range?
We’ve rejigged the fit slightly in a number of styles, and added some key missing mid-layers but overall we’re really happy with our offering – from our Catalyst All-Mountain Line which offers insulated waterproof/breathable pieces for inbounds use, to the Manifest High-Alpine Line which focuses on highly-technical performance-orientated layering pieces for freeride, backcountry and touring – we’ve got it covered. I’ve always been focused on making sure that even the most inexpensive items in a range have the most thought put into them to ensure that people get value for money and can wear it day after day, and our current line is no exception.

What new colours / prints are you introducing?
Colour has always been a really important part of Forward, and we’ve been working on getting back to basics – really strong, bold blues and reds with depth to them, then some supporting light blue/greys and purples that are sophisticated yet modern and will stand the test of time for winters to come.

Any *NEW* technical stories with regards to fabrics and materials?
We’re shifting a lot of our fabrics over time from PET to nylon as it’s stronger and more durable, and the supply chain is more transparent and reliable when it comes to things like recycled yarns etc. PET got a lot of hype over the last few years because of ‘recycled bottles’ etc but the truth is that the supply chain is way more opaque than you’re/we’re led to believe. We’re also looking at ways to close the circle in terms of product lifecycle and sustainability – our products have to look great, fit well and perform at the highest level, but the topic of sustainability is a core tenet of what we’re building our business on for the future. While we can control the supply chain from raw material to weaving to cut-and-sew (and we still have a long journey to go on that front to reduce impact), end-of-life is harder to build solutions for but they are out there and we’re joining the dots together. We’ve just worked with a university and garment renewal centre in the UK to provide over 400 old used jackets for university design students to take apart and build into new items, and we’re building these relationships and centres all over the world – but as I said, it’s going to take time. It’s also great to see the EU regulations for digital product passports come in so we can share all the information we have on how the product was made, and then help facilitate localized recycling.

Any trends that your brand is moving away from?
We’re moving away from trends

Key Products:

Women’s Manifest Lined 2L Jacket – EURO 449:
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. 2 Layer Stretch Ripstop / Recycled Yarn Mesh Lining / PFC-Free DWR / 20k / 15k

Women’s Tour Lightweight 3L Shell Jacket – EURO 549:
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. 3 Layer 4-Way Stretch Recycled Nylon / PFC-Free DWR / 20k / 20k

Catalyst Down Hoodie (Women’s) – EURO 249:
Destined to be an instant classic – a modern style lightweight down mid-layer to keep you toasty warm on the hill or off. RECYCLED NYLON 66 DOUBLE-LINE RIBSTOP WEFT MECHANICAL STRETCH // C0 PFC-FREE DWR+PU CLEAR COATING(DOWN PROOF) 800 fill power RDS-certified down