Polartec, a Milliken & Company brand, and creator of innovative and sustainable textile solutions, announced the winners of the 2023 Polartec Apex Awards. The annual design awards celebrate the brands and designers who embody the ethos, Made To Go Beyond. The winning garments – selected from hundreds of entries designed to enhance the lives of those who wear them – exemplify the pinnacle of durability and functionality across sport, lifestyle and performance categories.
The Polartec Apex Awards spotlight innovative designs that look beyond the existing and create authentic products. The 2023 winners are:
- Indyeva Satu Polartec Isothermal Skirt – With its sleek style and Polartec Thermal Pro fabric, the Satu Isothermal Skirt makes a fashionable yet functional travel companion for outdoor adventures. The technical skirt fabric offers exceptional durability, pill resistance and warmth without weight. The Thermal Pro innovative insulation material makes this skirt an ideal choice for chilly conditions while maintaining a lightweight, stylish look.
- Santini Cycling Adapt Multi – Santini introduced the recently upgraded Polartec Power Shield with Biolon Nylon plant-based membrane. The Adapt Multi Jacket is a versatile, weatherproof cycling jacket that provides a jersey-like fit and feel, offering thermal balance in diverse climates thanks to the Power Shield breathable and waterproof fabric. The full inventory of Adapt Multi Jackets made from plant-based Power Shield will be available starting from Fall 2024.
- Spoonflower Polartec Fleece – Spoonflower offers Polartec 200 Series Fleece fabric by the yard, digitally printed on-demand in the USA using water-based inks. This high-loft, pill-resistant, durable fleece can be printed with the customer’s own surface design or one selected from more than 1 million designs by independent artists available in Spoonflower’s Marketplace. Spoonflower requires no minimum purchase, allowing customers to order only the quantity necessary for any at-home sewing project or business needs. Polartec’s 200 Series Fleece is easy to sew, making it an optimal choice for both DIY and business customers.
- Nike ACG Wolf Lichen Caps – Just the ticket for cool weather, the lightweight Polartec Alpha mid-layer delivers the versatility needed for wherever the day may go. Roomy enough to fit over a base layer, but still comfortable under a jacket or vest, its stretchy knit Polartec Alpha fabric feels ultra-soft and airy, helping regulate body heat and drying quickly.
- Trangoworld TRX2 Hybrid LT Pro Jacket – A technical mid-layer jacket designed for demanding outdoor and mountain activities, the Trangoworld TRX2 Hybrid LT Pro Jacket uses Polartec Alpha, a superior insulation system for extreme temperature variations, combined with Polartec Power Ai revolutionary knit construction that encapsulates air to retain warmth, while reducing microfiber shedding to produce a technical garment for high-performance activities.
- Millet Trilogy MXP Power Wool Suit – This full suit made of Polartec Power Wool blend has been developed together with Millet’s top athletes to offer an insulating first layer for use when ascending the highest peaks and exploring extreme cold destinations. Polartec Power Wool uses a hybrid design with a soft, odor-reducing, merino wool base and a durable synthetic exterior. The advanced knit construction places each distinct fiber where it maximizes its highest potential, making a perfect base layer for outdoor excursions.
- Senchi Designs Alpha 60 Hoodie – The Alpha 60 Hoodie is the lightest, most breathable, and packable active insulation fleece on the market. A go-to minimalist fleece that offers a simple and efficient design without bulk or unnecessary additions. The essential mid-layer offers everything an adventurer needs and nothing they don’t. Optimal for high-output activities in warmer conditions, or a perfect supplemental piece for added warmth for cooler temps. The Polartec Alpha fabric provides an ultralight, high warmth-to-weight ratio with natural moisture resistance for incredibly fast drying.
- Acronym J117-HL– The J117-HL hoodie sets standards in physical comfort, support, and adaptability. Key to this approach is the equal parts technical and sensual Polartec High Loft fabric, a semi-mesh fleece with remarkable thermal properties. It is cozy and elastic, yet also lightweight and compressible, featuring the greatest warmth-to-weight ratio of all Polartec fleece fabric technologies, ideal for use both when stationary and in motion.
- rabbit Fuel n’ Fly 4”— Stay incredibly dry in Rabbit’s Fuel n’ Fly 4” shorts made with Polartec Power Dry and Fresh Face technologies. Incorporating two Polartec innovations, the impressive moisture-wicking fabric features a metal-free, mint-based deodorizing solution in the liner for comfort and odor control. The bluesign certified mint extract oil used in Fresh Face is renewable, highly sustainable, and biodegradable. The performance liner is built with an elastic waistband maintaining comfort on long runs.
- Mountain Martial Arts, MMA Polartec Power Grid Zip Hoodie 2— Crafted with Polartec Power Grid fabric, this cozy full-zip hoodie delivers exceptional warmth, making it an ideal companion for various outdoor pursuits. The innovative Power Grid pattern enhances breathability and provides superior flexibility, ensuring freedom of movement during intense activities. Designed with the needs of outdoor enthusiasts in mind, the hoodie’s Polartec Power Grid fabric wicks moisture away, keeping you dry and comfortable even during the most demanding physical endeavors.
- Ciesse Piumini Race Jacket— The Ciesse Piumini Race Jacket, an anorak-style windbreaker designed for adaptability in diverse climates, stands as a pinnacle of performance and sustainability. Constructed of Polartec Power Shield fabric featuring a certified plant-based membrane derived from 48% non-food and non-GMO vegetable biomaterials, ensures breathability and water-repellency while reducing the impacts on the environment. With laser-cut Ciesse Piumini logos and internal heat-taping accentuating the advanced capabilities of Polartec Power Shield, this limited-edition jacket exemplifies a perfect synthesis of cutting-edge technology, functionality, and environmental consciousness in outerwear.
- Arc’teryx Kyanite Crew Neck Pullover Women’s — Versatile, comfortable, efficient. The Kyanite is the layer you grab for chilly climbs, snowy ski days, cool hikes, and to cut the cold when you roll out of your sleeping bag after a night under the stars. This product, crafted with Polartec Power Stretch Pro, is designed to provide a comfortable, relaxed fit with unrestricted freedom of movement, thanks to its four-way stretch fabric and abrasion-resistant nylon face. Inside, the garment is brushed for thermal efficiency and outstanding softness. Worn as a mid-layer or standalone piece, the Kyanite is an easy choice for any mountain adventure.
Each 2023 Apex Awards winner is recognized as a forward-thinking product partner who embodies Polartec’s innovation and inspires others to go beyond through each brand’s designs. 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, which will be announced in the coming weeks.
