This fall, Patagonia plans to release a completely redesigned PowSlayer ski jacket as part of its “Crafted to Last” kit. By utilizing recycled nylon and incorporating used materials into the redesign of one of its most popular winter products, the company appears to have taken its mission to a new level.
Historically, manufacturing fabric for clothing tended to be an energy-intensive procedure which resulted in unavoidable byproducts and environmental harm. For instance, the process produces excessive nitrous oxide, which is a powerful greenhouse gas that exceeds the detriment of carbon dioxide. Recycling polyester was accomplished over a decade ago, illustrated with the company’s 1993 release of the first polyester fleece jacket constructed totally from recycled bottles.
While last year’s PowSlayer jacket featured durable 3-layer Gore-Tex Pro fabric, Patagonia opted to outfit this year’s version in Gore-Tex Pro fabric spun from the softened yarns of recycled nylon. The utilization of recycled nylon began with the company’s Primo Jacket and Pants released in 2011. The PowSlayer took this achievement to unbelievable heights, incorporating extensive design research. Furthermore, the brand yielded its results just in time to reduce the waste emerging from next season’s production of ski shells.
“It took over a year to develop the fabric used for this new collection,” Pasha Whitmire, Patagonia’s Materials Developer, reported to Digital Trends.
In addition to recycled fabric, this season’s PowSlayer boasts simpler features and more streamlined contours. Additionally, Patagonia eliminated unnecessary seams and removed a few of the pockets. The popular jacket also features a design capable of making repairs much easier.
“In working with our ambassadors and guides, our inspiration for this jacket was simplicity in construction. This was achieved by years of work in our Advanced Research and Design center ‘The Forge,'” said Patagonia Director of Technical Design, Glen Morden to Digital Trends. “We made sure that what was left on the jacket was both simple and had multiple uses. An example is the 2-way chest media pocket. By having access to the chest pocket from both the inside and outside of the jacket allows it to be both a media pocket and security pocket.”
Patagonia’s mission statement to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis,” its Worn Wear Program, and its 1 percent total sales donation to environmental stewardship agencies are specific individual elements which attest to its reigning interest in ecological activism. The comprehensive redesign processes associated with the new PowSlayer jacket epitomize its omnipresent model for going green.
In addition to the PowSlayer, the company intends on utilizing recycled nylon in other products moving forward, including the Pluma jacket also to be released later this year. Patagonia’s product line now includes dozens of items situated on a wide range of the environmentally friendly creation spectrum — however, the PowSlayer certainly stands a step above the rest in terms of reduction of industrial waste.
“The product will upcycle 3,245 pounds of industrial waste next season when the apparel launches,” the company reported in an earlier press release to Outside Online.
As far as physical product developments go, the new version of the PowSlayer boasts equal durability, guaranteed waterproofing, and lighter weight than the previous year’s model. Patagonia targed the most accountable wear points for reinforcement to withstand mountain sports’ roughest participants.
“By hand-crafting the garments in-house we took into consideration how to repair and focus on prior wear points,” Morden said.
For skiers, snowboarders, and mountaineers alike, the PowSlayer jacket remains beloved on account of its exceptional waterproofing, light weight, lack of bulk, and windproof protection. The redesigned product upholds these rigid standards, while going above and beyond in terms of environmental stewardship.
“We are always trying to incorporate more e-fibers into our line,” Morden added.
This statement is sure proof the advancements don’t stop here. The PowSlayer jacket is a revolutionary outdoor product which raises the bar of environmental advocacy in the marketplace. This advancement is just beginning and Patagonia’s leading the pack.
