Nowadays, many a leading brand avidly focuses on engaging retail, and that’s particularly the case with companies operating in sportswear and activewear. Needless to say, The North Face is no exception. The Denver-based brand has a large global retail network, but picked the plush French ski resort of Chamonix to unveil an intricately crafted installation for its new Vectiv shoe. The installation, created in collaboration with 1KG, a multi-disciplinary creative studio based in Amsterdam, Berlin and Paris, explores the world of trail running and endurance through a mechanical sculpture in which the aforementioned shoe design is featured. The design concept draws on exploring the physical, tangible and the digital.
That said, it also showcases movement, endurance and pushing the limits, all elements which underpin The North Face as a brand. The close proximity of Chamonix to Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in Western Europe, has made it a major destination for skiing and climbing aficionados from across the planet. The installation, situated at the The North Face boutique downtown, sees the new Vectiv shoe worn by running robotic legs framed by a steel wheel featuring three meticulously detailed terrain surfaces inspired by the landscape surrounding the city and framed by a screen featuring the latest campaign. Within the wheel, there are two robotic legs running in slow motion, mimicking the exact human movement, while the screen deforms the objects and gives a mesmerising effect (on through Sep 17).
The North Face
31 avenue Michel Croz
74400 Chamonix
Telephone +33 4 50914594
Daily 10am-7pm
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
