From sport to fashion: how outdoor brands are conquering the fashion world

The global hype surrounding functional it-pieces goes by the name of gorpcore – a neologism made up of the terms “normcore” and “gorp”, the acronym for “good old raisins and peanuts”, another term for the trail mix popular among hikers. Since New York Magazine first used the term in 2017, the trend has been growing and has been defining the looks of fashion-conscious Gen Z around the globe since the end of restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Trail runners from Salomon or On, chunky outerwear from Patagonia or The North Face and hiking boots from Hanwag are no longer just running on trails and mountains, they are running through cities, through offices, across catwalks and, above all, through Tik Toks and Instagram stories. Gorpcore embodies the new lifestyle of Gen Z and Generation Alpha and is now considered the most enduring trend of the last 100 years.

According to McKinsey, sales of outdoor products rose by 24% in the year following the pandemic. This is not only influencing the fashion world, but is also changing the outdoor sector. Entering the fashion market definitely offers great opportunities and can already be very promising for outdoor start-ups. However, it is also clear that the fashion world has always been much more competitive, the sector is much larger and the target groups more difficult to reach. How can you still make it?