Horsefeathers Womens Outerwear 2024/25 Preview

Retail Buyers Guide: Womens Outerwear FW24/25 Retail Buyer’s Guide
Brand: Horsefeathers outerwear
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 ads 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. The essential jacket in our women’s collection is the stable Larra jacket, designed for girls who ride frequently and need a jacket that withstands all conditions. A fresh, stylish newcomer is the Rheie jacket, embracing current trends with its cut and subtle color palette. It pairs perfectly with the unisex Baron pants. The Derin II and Mija anoraks, long-standing bestsellers, remain essential in our range. Every model in our women’s pants line is considered essential, each specifically crafted for its specific group of customers. In our W24/25 collection, we’re excited to introduce the new Isobel bib pants, featuring a refreshed, relaxed cut. Our unisex baggy-fit Baron pants are ideal for fans of a loose fit. Additionally, the Diane pants, with an updated slimmer cut, are a budget-friendly option while maintaining high quality.

What new colours / prints are you introducing?
In women’s collections, colors and allover prints are always crucial. The new W24/25 line showcases a spectrum from subdued, earthy tones to more vibrant tints. Colors like blue haze, mojave, cream, and hydro are present in the muted palette. In contrast, the livelier group features colors like Malaga, Iris, and Grape. Additionally, the collection is enhanced by two outstanding all-over prints, Abstract paint and Snowstorm, each adding a unique flair to the range.

Any *NEW* technical stories with regards to fabrics and materials?
Within our women’s collection, our emphasis is on optimizing the use of established and tested materials. This approach enables us to uphold our products’ high quality and durability, ensuring that our best-selling items continue to meet the standards our customers expect and appreciate.

Any trends that your brand is moving away from?
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.)
We have outlined three primary focus areas for the upcoming women’s collection. Firstly, we’ll communicate popular cuts and colors, highlighting the significance of both Snowstorm and Abstract paint prints and the colors Malaga, Iris, and Mojave. Secondly, we’ll present the new unisex combo of the Envoy jacket and Baron pants, along with a looser women’s jacket, Rheie. Lastly, our third key topic will be the reliable Larra II jacket, designed for girls who spend significant time in snowy conditions and require a high-quality jacket adaptable to frequent weather changes. 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 products

Derin II anorak

a top-selling jacket in our collection, is equipped for various riding styles with a 10K water column, 80/60g insulation, a large side opening, and key technical features. The W24/25 collection introduces five new colors in darker and bolder shades, including the Abstract paint print.

DERIN II abstract paint

Larra II jacket

designed for girls frequenting the mountains, offers unmatched protection against variable conditions. It features a 15K Ultratech membrane, Primaloft Bio insulation, and all essential snowboarding/ski features. Larra II has a proven longer fit, and this year, it comes in four fashionable colors that align with current trends.

LARRA II blue haze

Rheie jacket

combines a trendy, looser cut with functionality and pairs excellently with the Baron unisex baggy pants. It has 15K waterproofness and breathability, all necessary technical features, and 60/40g insulation. Available in four colors, including the popular Snowstorm print.

RHEIE black