2022 Polartec Apex Award Winners Announced

Polartec, a Milliken & Company brand, and premium creator of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, announced the winners of the 2022 Polartec Apex Award. The annual design award celebrates brands and designers that push the boundaries to turn Polartec fabric technologies into inspiring products. The winning garments – selected from hundreds of entries based on skilled and creative uses of Polartec fabrics – exemplify the pinnacle of form and functionality across sport, lifestyle, and performance categories.

The winners highlight design solutions that emphasize versatility, sustainability and convert classic traditions into modern concepts. The 2022 Polartec Apex Design Award winners are:

  • Berghaus MTN Guide MW Hoody – The MTN Guide MW Hoody is a performance mid-layer that manages the balance of warmth, breathability and moisture. By using different weights of Polartec Power Grid, the garment removes the bulk for a better fit and increased breathability in high-heat areas. The addition of an innovative Polartec Power Wool internal neck gaiter provides custom-tuned warmth that can be used with the hood up, down or tuck it out of the way when not needed.
  • Element x Millet – MXE – P EDGE FLEECE LTD PO and MXE – P FLEECE LTD PANT – A convergence of design, inspiration, and upcycling innovation blends seamlessly between vintage Millet styling curated with deadstock Polartec 200 Series Recycled Fleece and Element’s artistic touch blends in this collection. Millet and Element’s teams breathed life into leftover fabrics, creating a unique color-blocked look while providing comfort and warmth. With greater resiliency, lightweight warmth and fast dry times, Polartec fleece remains an industry standard for outerwear performance since its inception in 1981.
  • Haglöfs L.I.M Z|T Sync 1 Mid Hood & L.I.M Z|T Sync 2 Mid Jacket – Built for super rugged conditions, the L.I.M Series Z|T is a synchronized layering system challenging the common perception of expedition gear. The versatile approach to layering elevates the “less is more” wisdom, using a combination of Polartec Alpha, Power Air and Power Dry technologies. Through meticulous design and a selection of innovative Polartec fabrics, the pieces supply outstanding functionality when worn individually, but true ingenuity shines when they are combined, producing an average of 30 percent lower humidity within the layering system compared to that of conventional systems. The result reduces the feeling of being too hot or too cold and keeps body temperature stable through a range of activities and intensities.
  • Houdini Pace Flow Houdi – Constructed of Polartec Power Dry – an advanced next-to-skin moisture management fabric – the versatile Pace Flow Houdi offers high insulation, low weight and exceptional breathability. The open mesh fabric allows air to flow through and vent out any excess heat or moisture and when used in a layering system, will encapsulate a powerful layer of warm air – akin to the new generation of Polarte Power Air fabrics – that provides a level of insulation and thermal efficiency to create the perfect microclimate for high pace activities.
    Indyeva Toga – A blend of style and performance, this modern designed fleece tunic featuring Polartec Thermal Pro for core body warmth is durable and pill resistant. With technical fiber compositions that maintain a soft texture and air pockets for thermoregulation and breathability, Thermal Pro advances fleece fashion with premium yarns for a cozy, resilient, and stylish finish. The thin and soft Toga tunic can be worn as an outer layer or an insulating intermediate layer under a shell without added bulk.
  • KUIU Wind Pro Fleece Full Zip – Dead quiet, low-sheen and wind-resistant, the printed Polartec Wind Pro fleece hunting jacket is versatile as an early-season outer layer or as a late-season mid-layer that achieves high-level protection without a noisy windproof membrane, ensuring unrestricted breathability for maximum comfort. Engineered with a compact knit surface structure for up to four times greater wind resistance than regular synthetic fleece, Wind Pro adds brawn to deflect the elements while maintaining soft comfort and lightweight warmth.
  • Moncler Grenoble Peyrus Hooded Jacket & Shorts – Designed for an active lifestyle in a retro-inspired mountaineering silhouette, this ripstop hooded jacket and shorts are made with a wind-proof lining and hydrophobic Polartec Alpha that regulates warmth and provides exceptional breathability. Alpha releases excess body heat before it builds – an adaptive quality that is made possible through Alpha’s lofted fibers connected to a solid mesh core. This active insulation resists all moisture, is fast drying and is compressible, making it an ideal piece for on and off the mountain.
    Nonnative Dweller Cardigan Poly Fleece – Reimagining the cardigan silhouette as a high-performing technical garment, using Polartec Alpha Direct fabric providing warmth while releasing excess body temperature to maintain comfort and coziness. Alpha Direct active insulation technology allows for direct contact with skin and other fabric layers due to the refining of the shape and size of its fibers – this design ability increases breathability performance and expands versatile style options. Japanese label, Nonnative, has gained a following for its fresh takes on traditional American workwear, upgrading them with contemporary fabrications to blend practicality and style – an approach that gained attention through this inventive utilization of Alpha Direct.
  • Pearl Izumi Pro Alpha Layer – Designed for cyclists, this mid-layer featuring Polartec Alpha Direct fabric transfers moisture with breakaway speed, keeping riders dry and comfortable throughout a wide temperature range in a lightweight, a packable, insulative and thermoregulating garment with breathability and drying times. By refining the shape and size of its fibers, Alpha Direct active insulation releases excess body heat before it builds to cause saturation and discomfort, and being hydrophobic, it resists moisture and dries incredibly fast for unparalleled performance and versatility.
  • Santini Alpha Pack Vest – A new garment designed for gravel cyclists seeking protection from cold and wind, the pack vest combines a version of Polartec Alpha with wool for superb moisture management properties and natural thermoregulation. Alpha active insulation is engineered for warmth while allowing for breathability and fast drying during activity and maintains a packable, low-weight structure, which provides critical benefits for year-round, all-weather cyclists.
  • SCARPA Ribelle Run Kalibra G – Applied for the first time to a trail running shoe, Polartec Windbloc provides water-resistant, breathable and comfortable protection for gnarly conditions in the Ribelle Run Kalibra G trail shoe. Designed for mixed terrain and extreme conditions, the shoe’s gaiter is constructed of a Polartec polyurethane membrane that defends against the harshest elements of wind, water and cold temperatures, while it allows moisture vapor to permeate outside for maximum comfort and breathability.
  • Thrudark Centurion Alpine Jacket – A versatile technical softshell jacket incorporating a combination of two Polartec-powered fabrics and one enhancing technology. Designed as a mid-layer for advanced technical pursuits, the Centurion Alpine Jacket is forged with Polartec Hardface technology, and fused at the fiber level to increase abrasion resistance and water repellency without compromising breathability. In addition to the bomb-proof exterior, it includes Polartec Power Stretch for ease of movement and Polartec Power Air capturing air to retain body heat in cool environments. Designed as an all-mountain piece, the jacket is suited for a range of outdoor disciplines.

Every Apex Awards winner is an embodiment of Polartec fabric innovation and design inspiration, celebrating the science of fabric and the art of product design. Each winner receives a Malden Wizard trophy in celebration of their winning designs, in addition to joint marketing support.

The Apex Awards also feature a “People’s Choice” contender – voted on by the public via Polartec social media platforms. The winner will be announced in the coming weeks.