Horsefeathers Mens Outerwear 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Mens Outerwear FW24/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Horsefeathers
Interviewee: Tomas Koudela, Head of Marketing

What is the overall theme behind your 2024/25 outerwear range? From which big trends do you take your inspiration?
The overarching theme for our 2024/25 outerwear collection is centered around our core mission: to deliver progressive, high-end products without making your wallet feel like it’s gone through a triple cork. This guiding principle is intertwined with our dedication to offering products that resonate with our customers’ needs and emerging trends. The upcoming trend of unisex and loose-fit apparel significantly influences our latest collection. This trend reflects a shift towards more versatile outerwear options, catering to a diverse range of body types and style preferences. Additionally, we are observing a trend towards earth tones again, which we have incorporated into our new line, offering a sophisticated and modern aesthetic. However, we maintain a selection of items featuring traditional colors and bestselling cuts as we are also mindful of the segment of our customer base that is more cautious in adopting recent trends. This dual approach ensures that our collection is inclusive and appealing to trend-forward and more conservative customers, demonstrating our commitment to meeting all snowboarders and skiers’ diverse needs and preferences.

What new fits / silhouettes are coming out in 2024/25? What pant and jacket styles are most important in your range?
Our 2024/25 collection is marked by several new developments in fits and silhouettes, reflecting both proven bestsellers and a response to emerging trends. We’re embracing a more spacious, comfortable style with broader cuts across various pieces. This shift caters to a growing demand for more relaxed fits, blending comfort and contemporary style. The wider cuts are designed to offer a more laid-back look while ensuring maximum mobility and comfort, which is particularly important in active wear. An important combo in our new line is the unisex combination featuring Baron pants and the Envoy jacket. This pairing embodies a progressive approach to design, offering a versatile, gender-neutral option. The loose fit adds to the comfort and aligns with a more modern, relaxed aesthetic. Our latest collection includes many new or updated styles, introducing fresh, on-trend fits while offering our essential bestsellers. This strategy ensures our line remains relevant, offering something new and exciting for our customers while retaining the familiar favorites that have become staples. Focusing on the most important items in our jackets range, the new 3-layer Terra jacket, made from our flagship recycled 3-layer Ultratech shell material, showcases our commitment to sustainability without compromising performance. The Envoy model is our new loose-fit unisex option in trending retro earth tones colorways. Additionally, the Donnie and Gordie anoraks, along with the Crown jacket, remain our proven bestsellers. We consider every model in our pants line crucial, each tailored to its unique customer base. For the W24/25 collection, we are introducing the new Transfer bib pants with an updated cut. The unisex baggy-fit Baron pants are for those who prefer a looser, relaxed style. And the updated price-point Orca pants offer an affordable option without sacrificing quality.

What new colours / prints are you introducing?
In the realm of colors and prints, our 2024/25 collection presents an exciting mix. We’re blending earthy tones with more vibrant, eye-catching colors and prints. Key colorways include Desert Camo allover print and a palette of Mojave, Blue Haze, Hydro, Mirage Gray, and Sulphur colors. In addition, we’re thrilled to introduce new prints on our Chuck coach jacket in collaboration with our riders Halldór Helgason and Daniel Hanka and local artists.

Any *NEW* technical stories with regards to fabrics and materials?
Absolutely! One of the highlights of our new collection is the introduction of the Terra 3-layer backcountry jacket. This piece is a direct result of valuable feedback from our backcountry team riders and our relentless pursuit of high-end products at reasonable prices. We’ve developed our new Ultratech 3-layer fabric in collaboration with our partners in Taiwan. This fabric is designed to maximize performance while maintaining the durability and lightweight nature of the jacket.

Any trends that your brand is moving away from?
Yes, we are slowly reducing the number of basic jackets in our collection. This strategic shift is driven by growing demand for high-end jackets. While we transition towards these more sophisticated items, our commitment to affordability remains unwavering. We understand the importance of balancing premium quality with cost-effectiveness, ensuring our customers don’t have to compromise. Additionally, we notice that parka-style jackets are entering a downward curve in popularity. In response, we are gradually phasing out parka-style jackets from our line. This move is part of our broader strategy to stay in tune with current trends and customer preferences, ensuring that our product range remains relevant, fresh, and appealing to our diverse customer base.

What are your top marketing stories for 2024/25? (This will help us to put some focus in the right place.)
For our 2024/25 collection, we have a series of compelling marketing stories covering the new line’s key products. Central to our narrative is the launch of the Terra 3-layer backcountry jacket featuring our new 20K UltraTech Recycled 3-Layer fabric. This high-end material, developed in partnership with Taiwanese technical fabric experts, is engineered to achieve the lowest possible weight while keeping the essential durability needed for action sports. This fabric is our most lightweight, robust, and breathable shell material in the line. The development of this jacket was a collaborative effort, incorporating insights from our production team and input from our backcountry team riders like Steve Gruber, Tyler Chorlton, David Vicente, Clemmens Bergmann, and Dušan Kříž. Their experiences in riding and hiking powder lines and backcountry jumps played a crucial role in tailoring this jacket. Another significant story is the introduction of a new unisex loose-fit combo featuring the Baron pants and Envoy jacket. This combo aligns with the latest trends in the snowboarding community, offering a versatile option for all riders. Belgium’s jib queen Anne-Sophie Lechon has particularly favored the design. We are super stoked about the second collaboration of our team rider Halldor Helgason and the Iceland artist Meat Soda’s new artwork capsule, Acid Bath. This collaboration blends high-performance gear with cutting-edge design. Our coop with Czech freeski sensation Daniel Hanka and young Czech artist @yakokarlik has resulted in the exclusive Danihell artwork for the Chuck coach jacket. This collaboration highlights Daniel’s unique style within our product line. A crucial part of our new collection includes the introduction of Scout goggles with innovative magnetic toric lenses. Moreover, our new gloves category, perfected over the last few years, underscores our dedication to fine-tuning every aspect of our gear. These stories collectively reflect our brand’s approach to innovation, collaboration, and understanding of what our customers seek in high-quality outerwear.

Outerwear Best Sellers/Hero product

Gordie Anorak

builds on the legacy of our bestselling Spencer jacket. Gordie emerges as its modern successor, gaining popularity for its simplified style and contemporary color palette. Gordie is maintaining the technical prowess and affordability of its predecessor. This jacket features a 10K Ultratech membrane, making it perfect for various activities. It’s the preferred jacket of our freeski ace, Simon Bartik.

GORDIE

Envoy jacket

aligns with the latest unisex loose-fit trends in snowboarding, offering a versatile option for all riders. This jacket’s key features are loose cut, contemporary earth-tone retro look, 10K Ultratech shell material, and no insulation. Envoy pairs great with baggy unisex pants, Baron. Belgium’s jib queen Anne-Sophie Lechon has particularly favored the design.

ENVOY

Terra 3-layer jacket

features our new 20K UltraTech Recycled 3-Layer fabric developed by Taiwanese technical fabric experts. It is engineered to achieve the lowest possible weight while maintaining the essential durability for action sports. The development of this jacket was a collaborative effort, incorporating insights from our production team and input from our backcountry team riders Steve Gruber, Tyler Chorlton, David Vicente, Clemmens Bergmann, and Dušan Kříž.

mens TERRA