Let’s meet the collaboration of Quiet Luxury and Gorpcore: “Quite Outdoor”.
It has been a long time since we left the pandemic, but the effects of the pandemic on daily life still continue: of course, we are talking about the desire to go out, spend time outdoors and live a healthier life. Times that sales of yoga mats and camping chairs were booming. Curiosity about this transition for a more active life would of course be reflected in consumption habits and fashion. At this point, a new “core” emerged in the trend currents. You remember the Barbiecore, Balletcore, Cottagecore trends. The core of this active life was Gorpcore. The word gorp comes from the term “Good Ol Raisins and Peanutsé,” which American hikers called the snack mixture they stuffed in their pockets. This trend, which emerged after the pandemic, is now trying to join forces with another big trend. Meet the collaboration of Quiet Luxury and Gorpcore: “Quite Outdoor”.
So, what exactly is Quite Outdoor? As consumer trends change, outdoor brands are reinterpreting their collections to expand their market shares. This commercial choice changes the balance of trend lists. The aim is no longer to integrate and camouflage with trees and grass, but to adapt to the modern phase of the cityscape. This fashion trend blurs the lines between active and functional wear and urban street style. With Gorpcore’s remarkable color palette and details, we adopt a new aesthetic approach to prevent you from becoming a fashion victim in city life. In other words, it is a camping/hiking style with a somewhat bourgeois character. Gorpcore and Quiet Luxury: We take the best of both worlds and combine them.
Adopting a simpler perspective while preserving traditional activewear details, technical aspects and character, this trend wonderfully blends the minimalist attitude of functionality and quiet luxury. We are talking about a wardrobe that is compatible with both the hustle and bustle of the city and outdoor adventures and remains stylish without sacrificing practicality. Finding the perfect balance between the functional needs of the modern consumer and innovative, forward-thinking designs is the basis of this trend.
First the numbers, then the increasing collaborations and celebrity appearances prove the popularity of Quite Outdoor and how prominent it will be in 2024. In Business of Fashion’s article, according to a survey conducted in America, the rate of people participating in outdoor activities was 62% in 2020, while this rate increased to 82% last year. Almost half of the survey participants in England stated that they spent more time outside after the pandemic.
The situation is similar in China, which directs the global market. While almost 400 million people participated in outdoor activities by the end of 2021, the number of searches for the word “outdoor” on Tmall, China’s Trendyol, increased by 600% between 2021 and 2023. According to McKinsey’s report, the outdoor ecosystem will grow by 24% in 2022. The acceleration of this growth will increase in 2023. Brand turnovers are in line with the data. Sportswear brand Hoka, which is part of Deckers, closed 2023 with a turnover of approximately 2 billion dollars. This number was $1.3 billion in 2022, so we are talking about a 69% jump.
After the boring numbers, let’s examine the collaborations and celebrity styles. Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are among the celebrities who carry the flag of this trend. Pairing high fashion brands with outdoor shoes, supermodels bring the mountain air to the city. Of course, we can’t help but mention Rihanna and her iconic Super Bowl performance. The pregnant singer, who took the stage with her bright red Alaia coat and Loewe overalls, chose sneakers from the MM6 Maison Margiela x Salomon collaboration.
One of the details that makes the Quite Outdoor movement exciting is watching how brands adapt to the rules of this new playing field without compromising their identities. Brands at both ends of the line are trying to get closer to the origin. On the one hand, there are technical experts such as Hoka, Salomon, Arc’teryx and North Face. On the other hand, there are high fashion brands that are used to leading trends, color palettes and silhouettes and try to renew themselves every season. The two extremes have a lot to learn from each other. So, the first logical step seems to be to cooperate.
One of the first examples of the coming together of the luxury and active worlds is the Everyone x Vetements collection in 2016. This is followed by Kith x Moncler in 2017, The North Face x Gucci in 2020 and Arc’teryx x Jil Sander in 2021. Not only the clothing but also the shoe industry has been affected by this trend. In addition to the On The challenge in the footwear industry is a little tougher than in clothing. Finding a byway is more difficult. While the comfort and durability required for outdoor activities are being redesigned to align with city trends, it should not be overlooked that the shoe should be a style emphasis rather than just a functional complement.
In addition to collaborations, you can also predict the bright future of the silent outdoor movement by following the transformations in the brands’ capsule collection strategies. High fashion brands such as Dior and Burberry have already made their seasonal outdoor collections a part of their ongoing selections. Outdoor brands are also counterattacking with high-profile pop-up stores and concepts to improve brand perception and experience. The fact that high-street brands such as H&M, Oysho and Zara invest in active sports collections such as skiing tells us that the Quite Outdoor trend has already ceased to appeal to a niche segment and is actually ready to be adopted by the masses.
On the one hand, active brands trying to get a share of the luxury brands market while preserving their identities and sovereignty, on the other hand, high fashion houses trying to integrate this technical and functional world with their brand lines, and of course the strong names of retail confirming the trend: To watch the irrepressible rise of Quite Outdoor in 2024.
