The North Face

Driven by the great outdoors, adventures and nature since 1966, The North Face has been designing performant gear and clothing—like the Summit Series collection—who will inspire adventurers across the world. From the Base Camp duffel bag to the shells and dawn jackets, The North Face will follow your every move.

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History

The North Face was founded in 1966 in San Francisco as a mountaineering retail store, auspiciously opening its doors with a concert by the Grateful Dead. In its early years, the company specialized in outfitting climbers and backpackers with durable packs, sleeping bags, and expedition tents. By the 1980s, The North Face had expanded into apparel, developing insulated jackets, waterproof shells, and technical layering systems built for high-altitude expeditions.

In the 1990s, iconic products such as the Denali fleece and the Nuptse down jacket marked a turning point: garments designed for extreme conditions became everyday apparel in cities around the world. These pieces signalled the brand’s shift from a specialist in mountaineering gear to a global name that bridges performance and lifestyle.

The 2000s brought a renewed focus on expedition-grade innovation with the launch of the Summit Series, a collection designed specifically for professional alpinists and the most demanding conditions. This line underscored The North Face’s continued commitment to pushing the limits in the mountains. At the same time, the brand’s presence in cities grew, and collaborations with streetwear and luxury labels, such as Supreme and Gucci, continued to carry its outdoor aesthetic into the world of fashion. Today, The North Face has worldwide renown as both an outfitter for athletes and a lifestyle brand.

Brand Identity and Aesthetics

The brand’s ubiquitous, instantly recognizable logo speaks to its identity and aesthetics. Unchanged since 1971, the logo combines bold Helvetica lettering with three smooth arcs that depict Half Dome, a famous granite monolith in California’s Yosemite National Park. This choice set the brand apart from the jagged peaks found in the logos of many other outdoor labels. Its clean, modernist lines evoke the same qualities the company built into its products—innovation, reliability, and purposeful design. The reference to Yosemite, a key site in the history of outdoor sports, reflects The North Face’s deep roots in climbing and expedition culture. Moreover, the gentle curved lines evoke the movement and flow in mountain sports.

That visual language carries through to the products themselves. The North Face favours the same functional minimalism and graphical clarity in its silhouettes and colours: durable shells with reinforced shoulders, high-loft down jackets with boxy baffles, and practical panelling on pieces such as the Denali fleece, often arranged in bold, high-contrast colour blocks. These design choices, shaped by the demands of alpine expeditions, have given the brand a distinctive look that easily translates into everyday fashion.

Sustainability Commitments

The North Face extends its Never Stop Exploring ethos to its continuing efforts to find solutions to protect the outdoors.

Exploration Without Compromise
The Exploration Without Compromise badge identifies products made with at least 75 percent recycled, regenerative, or renewable materials. Garments carrying this label also avoid harmful PFC-based water-repellent coatings whenever possible.

Circular Design and Gear Renewal
The North Face designs products to last and works to keep them in use. Its Renewed Trade-In program gives used gear a second life through professional cleaning, repair, and resale. Their Remade pieces transform returned garments into unique, refurbished items. These efforts keep materials out of landfills by extending the life of high-performance apparel.

Responsible Materials
The North Face is working to move away from virgin (nonrecycled) fossil-fuel–based fabrics and toward materials with a lighter impact. Today, most of the polyester in its apparel is made from recycled materials, and the company is increasing the share of recycled nylon. It is also experimenting with bio-based alternatives derived from living matter and sourcing regenerative materials from farms that restore soil health and capture carbon. The brand recently introduced its first line made with Climate Conscious Cotton from U.S. regenerative farms and is developing rubber from agroforestry systems in Thailand. All down used in The North Face supply chain is Responsible Down Standard (RDS) certified for animal welfare. The company also incorporates high-quality recycled down.

Climate Goals
The North Face aims to cut its Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions across both operations and supply chains in line with science-based targets. The brand is increasing the use of renewable energy in its own facilities, working with suppliers to reduce emissions, and improving efficiency in logistics and packaging.

The North Face Innovation

The North Face built its reputation on making advanced gear for extreme environments. Their proprietary technologies keep explorers protected and comfortable.

FUTURELIGHT™
FUTURELIGHT™ is The North Face’s most advanced breathable-waterproof fabric. Its nanospun membrane blocks rain and snow while letting air and vapour escape, helping regulate temperature during intense activity.

FUTUREFLEECE™
FUTUREFLEECE™ is an ultralight fleece that delivers low-volume warmth. Its octagonal yarn and grid construction trap heat efficiently while staying highly breathable, and the full-loop knit is soft against the skin. Stretch performance and low weight make it ideal for dynamic movement.

DryVent™
DryVent™ is a waterproof, windproof, breathable fabric used in many The North Face shells. Its multilayer polyurethane coating blocks rain and snow while letting vapour escape to reduce interior moisture. All DryVent gear is fully seam-sealed and treated with a durable water-repellent finish for reliable protection in wet, windy conditions.

FlashDry™

FlashDry™ fabrics move moisture away from the skin and dry quickly, helping regulate temperature and enhancing comfort during high-intensity activities. Variants such as FlashDry Cotton bring this technology to natural fibres, while FlashDry XD™ is designed to withstand abrasion.

Ventrix™
Ventrix™ is an adaptive synthetic insulation that keeps you warm without overheating. Tiny laser-cut perforations in the insulation open as you move to release excess heat and moisture, then close when you stop to retain warmth.

The North Face at Oberson

Oberson carries a broad range of The North Face clothing, including ski jackets, snow pants, down parkas, and accessories. If you have any questions about The North Face products, reach out to us online or stop by our Laval or Brossard stores. Our expert team will be delighted to help you find the right apparel for your winter activities and personal style.