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The North Face Is Calling for Your Adventure Stories

Wu Tang Clan Co-Founder The Rza in his The North Face "Mens Apex Bionic Softshell Jacket."
Wu Tang Clan Co-Founder The Rza in his The North Face 1990s era Denali Jacket. The North Face

Got a great adventure story? Video of you and your The North Face gear could end up in San Francisco’s Museum of Modern Art next year.

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On Oct. 12, The North Face announced it’s fall brand campaign, It’s More Than A Jacket, an initiative aimed at honoring and celebrating the company’s 55-years of adventure. To capture the stories behind its enduring equipment, the San-Francisco based adventure company is calling on explorers across the globe to submit stories and images of well-loved and well-used products. The North Face will choose the best (and the most emotionally-resonant) stories to include in its official archive, which will be brought to life in a series of fall 2022 programs at the SFMOMA. The exhibitions will feature the Bay Area exploration firm’s most-historically significant designs and stories alongside submissions from famous adventurers and cultural icons. 

“Our customers, the feats they have achieved, and the memories they have created are such a big part of our brand’s rich DNA,” Mike Ferris, The North Face’s vice president of global brand said in a press release. “With this archive, we are memorializing the people, products and stories that continue to inspire our community and move the world forward.”

It’s More Than A Jacket joins music stars like Wu Tang co-founder RZA and L.A.’s HAIM in tandem with The North Face explorers Conrad Anker and Ingrid Backstrom, describing their stories of adventure inside the brand’s trappings and tackle.

“In the 90s, not only was The North Face the rugged, stylish gear we needed on New York City’s streets, it was more than a jacket because it was a witness,” RZA said in a promo video. “It was a witness to the brotherhood that we were inspiring, and that inspired us. By entering this jacket into the archive, I get the chance to relive and preserve the memories lived in it forever.”

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As the campaign kicks off this fall, The North Face will introduce six new collections that pay homage to the brand’s DNA, drawing inspiration from its rich past toward inspiring future escapades. This will include the Nuptse, which, after outfitting 1990’s first-ever non-mechanized crossing of Antarctica, will now be offered in a 100% recycled fabric version inspired by the gear that outfitted 1990’s first-ever non-mechanized crossing of Antarctica (the Trans-Antarctica capsule).

To contribute to the official archive and potentially appear in the SFMOMA experience, post to social media using the hashtag #MoreThanAJacket. Additional information about “It’s More Than A Jacket” is available at www.thenorthface.com.

Read More: How To Adventure Solo

Matthew Denis
Matt Denis is an on-the-go remote multimedia reporter, exploring arts, culture, and the existential in the Pacific Northwest…
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