Polartec Collaborates on Performance Apparel Brand

Polartec has entered the finished goods market with the launch of MtnLogic, a “top-of-the-mountain apparel brand.” The brand is collaboration with Peter Whittaker and the guides at RMI Expeditions.

“After years of working with outside brands, Peter Whittaker and the guides at RMI Expeditions recognized that, despite the vast selection of quality gear available, they still found themselves searching for the perfect alpine workwear,” said the announcement. “So they decided to work with Polartec to make their own.

The collaborators contend that, unlike traditional product development, which is driven by merchant demand, price, trends, MtnLogic starts with an actual need. “An intimate understanding of how gear needs to function in the field drives the design process.”

As a textile solutions provider and development partner, Polartec worked with Whittaker and the guides at RMI Expeditions to develop a full range of apparel solutions, resulting in a pure expression of alpine workwear: the very best tools built to the specifications of mountain professionals.

“The partnership with Polartec is a natural one,” says Whittaker, MtnLogic founder. “To build the best workwear, we needed the best materials. The innovation and engineering from Polartec aligns with our solutions-based approach.”

“What sets this process apart is the combination of best-in-class fabrics from Polartec and a design process where need dictates product,” says Gary Smith, Polartec CEO. “MtnLogic was developed by guides to first solve their apparel problems, with commercial considerations secondary. It shows how a product-first approach with Polartec can enable the most authentic product creation.”

“Typically, the process starts with a merchant-driven approach,” adds Whittaker. “Our process begins with ‘What do we need? How do we solve the problems that we encounter up high?’ We weren’t worried about spreadsheets or trends. We set out to build the best gear possible for our needs. For mountain guides. For climbers. The result is a pure expression of alpine workwear: the very best tools built to the specification of mountain professionals.”

No doubt, existing brands would argue their designs are also driven by the needs and requests of their athletes, but nonetheless …The MtnLogic collection contains 19 styles developed by over 60 RMI guides during a 12-month development timeline testing over 7,000 pieces of apparel through over 1.2 million vertical feet of climbing, said the company. The MtnLogic collection will become available to consumers April 15, 2017 on MtnLogic.com as well as at Whittaker Mountaineering at the base of Mt. Rainier.

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