Todd Snyder’s Debut Woolrich Collection Is Part Heritage, Part Technical (EXCLUSIVE)
There are two sides to Todd Snyder’s debut collection as the creative director of Woolrich Black Label. The newly established high-end line comes split into heritage and technical product lines.
Between these two categories, Todd Snyder, the American designer best known for his critically acclaimed eponymous brand, has delved into Woolrich’s storied 190-year history in rugged outdoor gear whilst developing high-performance contemporary technical wear.
“[Woolrich] offered me the keys to the brand and told me to reimagine it,” Todd Snyder explained to Highsnobiety before debuting the collection at Pitti Uomo last January. “My goal is to deliver the best of Woolrich’s footprint, but in a way that nobody thought possible.”
Now the collection is ready for release, launching on October 1, providing a closer look at how the designer has reimagined a longstanding outdoor brand.
Woolrich’s signature buffalo check features throughout Woolrich Black Label’s heritage line. The red and black pattern is found on items such as a shirt crafted from cashmere, a bomber jacket, and the Woolrich Arctic Parka, a style once worn by Admiral Richard E. Byrd, the leader of the first American scientific missions to the Antarctic. A similar black and white plaid pattern finds itself on matching shorts, ties, and shirts.
Away from all-checkered designs, the heritage line also includes cable knit sets, luxurious base layers made from Italian cashmere yarn, and Woolrich’s Military Trench Coat dressed in a merino shearling lining with a creamy white leather exterior.
“It felt very fresh to start with rugged outdoor styles and then refresh them in more modern silhouettes and luxurious fabrics,” says Snyder of the heritage-infused section of his debut Woolrich collection.
Similar styles of clothing can be found in the Woolrich Black Label's technical line, including two lengths of parka coat, however, with more high-performing fabrics such as shimmering drip-dyed nylon and weather-resistant ripstop nylon from the legendary Olmetex mill.
Continuing the military theme, ripstop parachute pants finished in Italian nylon and Alpine Boots with cozy shearling interiors complete the technical line. “The more I’ve worked on the Technical line, the more I’ve been excited about designing clothing that can handle the demands of the great outdoors and be the statement pieces in a city wardrobe,” says Snyder.
Combining different generations of famed American fashion exports, the Woolrich Black Label line has arrived and it is Todd Snyders’ spin on Woolrich’s past and present.
