Veilance integrates innovations normally seen only in technical outdoor gear into luxury urban wear. And for Veilance’s 10-year anniversary, the technical fashion brand dropped its Arc’teryx namesake.
Arc’teryx is one of the most reputable brands in the outdoor industry. Anyone who has used the Vancouver-based brand’s gear knows there’s a reason Arc’teryx is so expensive. It’s some of the nicest gear on the market.
The top-of-the-line design, materials, and production used by Arc’teryx serve as the foundation for its men’s fashion-technical brand, Veilance. And in case you didn’t know, Arc’teryx also makes high-end fashion goods — with a seriously high-end price tag.
Launched 10 years ago as Arc’teryx, Veilance sought to “bring the application of technical performance into urban apparel.” The brand borrows technical innovations seen in Arc’teryx gear and places them in urban items.
Now, for its 10-year anniversary, Veilance gets a facelift. To celebrate 10, Veilance unveiled a new brand identity, website, and spring 2019 line called Fast and Light.
And perhaps most notably, what was formerly called Arc’teryx Veilance is now just Veilance. To be clear, Veilance is still a part of the Arc’teryx brand.
“With our 10-year anniversary approaching, we felt it was time for a new visual ID. While Veilance is still part of the Arc’teryx brand, the updated logo and name will allow us to further distinguish ourselves in the technical fashion category,” said Dominique Showers, Veilance GM.
‘Fast and Light’: Veilance Spring 2019 Collection
Veilance’s spring 2019 line includes lightweight wool and water- and wind-proof options made with GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY.
Six items make up the Fast and Light collection. Dubbed the signature Veilance silhouette, the Monitor SL Coat uses SHAKEDRY and taped-seam construction. And it’s seriously lightweight at 5.6 ounces.
SHAKEDRY offers permanent beading and breathability without the use of a DWR coating.
The three-quarter-length Monitor SL Coat costs $559 and weighs 5.6 ounces.
The rest of the Fast and Light collection includes wool pants, shorts, shirts, and more jackets with GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY.
At a glance, Fast and Light appears to be a well-made, fashionable urban collection. The items are lightweight and minimal in design.
“Fast and Light is for people who want to own less and have a product that will do more,” said Taka Kasuga, Veilance creative director. “Virtually weightless and fully air-permeable materials coupled with state-of-the-art production processes greatly extend the range of activities you can comfortably do in each garment.”
Technical Fashion: Worth the Hype?
Veilance rests its head on enabling urbanites more mobility and comfort on the street. Yet the largest qualm with such statements is the price tag.
Mobility in urban settings is much different than those while exercising or in the outdoors. Most of the time, technical details won’t get noticed on the city streets.
Why pay 10 times more for pants and a shirt when simple, low-cost clothing gets the job done?
Yet even if Veilance items appear to be exorbitantly expensive, the brand stands out in the world of fashion. It appears to be one of the only fashion brands that can, to some extent, explain its price. The use of top-tier technical manufacturing is not cheap.
The T-shirts include wool-poly blends, unique knits, and articulated sleeves. The Rhomb Jacket, $596, uses taped seams, a technical hood, reflective accents, and GORE-TEX SHAKEDRY. Each of these innovations adds to the cost of a garment.
And if I were to make such lofty investments in luxury apparel, I’d certainly hope it would be comfortable and work well. Veilance claims just that.
The Fast and Light collection was announced this month. You can browse through Fast and Light and other Veilance gear here. The Fast and Light Capsule Collection, for men, is available this May.
