BlackYak Global Collection FW 2017.18: Technical, Formidable, Colourful

Published by Mountainblog on 12/15/2016.

After BLACKYAK made its successful debut on the European and North American markets, the South Korean outdoor clothing specialist is showing a second, global Autumn/Winter collection for the current round of orders. BLACKYAK is remaining true to its origins with this collection: packed full of technical innovation, new solutions and exciting designs, as well as a raft of unique new developments, it will cause a sensation for all the right reasons. With eleven ISPO AWARDS won last year, BLACKYAK has rebooted its premium styles and technically enhanced many details. Overall, the global collection´s 54 BLACKYAK styles are perfect for expeditions to 8,000-metre high peaks, and ideal for sports, skiing and hiking.

Backcountry Insulation Pants, insulation pants worn underneath hard shell trousers in cold temperatures, are just one of the many innovative happenings taking place at BLACKYAK. BLACKYAK cooperates closely with the production team Development Never Stops (DNS), Jost Kobusch, the German team athlete, Polish mountaineer Adam Bielecki and several textile manufacturers to develop and test new materials. One of them, developed for this winter, is called CottonShell®. Cotton Shell Pants are robust trekking pants, waterproof, without PFC and as comfortable as jeans.

The Signature Jacket combines virtually all the technologies, materials and solutions BLACKYAK products have to offer: large mesh pockets on the chest to put things in, a laser perforated CORDURA® back section for maximum ventilation, 3D Mesh at the shoulders ensures comfortable backpack wear and Polartec® Alpha® for heat insulation. These are just a few of the features the jacket has to offer. Excellent freedom of movement, comfort, heat insulation and high breathing properties make the jacket a highlight of the global BLACKYAK collection.

Another amazing product in the BLACKYAK collection is the Emergency Jacket, taking weight to new (low) levels in the outdoor clothing sector. No other product can match its weight, durability and packing dimensions. Made for emergency use, large enough to fit over a down jacket, reduced to the essentials, its Dyneema® material is 15 times stronger than steel and extremely light, weighing only 71 grammes in the M size.

The new collection includes the Light Down Insulation Stretch Jacket, a BLACKYAK bestseller, in a waistcoat variant. The chest, back and collar of the stylish Light Down Insulation Stretch Vest are padded with 90:10 RDS down, with 3D mesh inserts on the shoulders for maximum comfort and a high-tech look. The jacket is closed optimally at the hip with the new “Y binding”, an elastic rubber band used on most BLACKYAK jackets in the 2017/18 collection. The vest fits perfectly at the hip, preventing cold draughts from entering.

With the 2017/18 autumn/winter collection, the „mountaineer´s best friend“ Basecamp Hoody will become the best friend of female mountaineers too. The hoody was designed for staying in base camps, and its impressive look and versatile functionality have proved their worth on many expeditions. The Basecamp Hoody is half fleece and half down, providing warmth, extensive freedom of movement and comfort, possessing looks to impress anywhere and anytime – not just on the mountains – and available for women as from next season.

„BLACKYAK´s global collection had an excellent start. During the first European season, we were lucky to contact those dealers who were our first choice for our market launch. During my past few weeks´ travels I was amazed at the how our dealers were presenting BLACKYAK products. We sent out a message that we were seeking to establish strong, reliable partnerships with traders, and it seems it has been well received. Not pausing to rest on our laurels, we continued to develop top products, discover new materials and improve details on existing products in the collection“, says Maximilian Nortz, Managing Director International Business – Europe. The BLACKYAK remains a one of a kind brand: natural colours, each shade blending into the style elements, have their origins in the Himalayas, based on traditional clothing, colourful spices and houses.

Materials:
BLACKYAK and DNS collaborate closely with textile and materials suppliers to develop new items, testing them in the most extreme conditions to give mountaineers all over the world optimal products for their expeditions.

CORDURA® tops the BLACKYAK list for tough outer materials. Kevlar® is used to protect against sharp ski edges, crampons or jagged rocks. GORE-TEX® materials protect mountaineers against wind and water. For the first time on the outdoor market, the BLACKYAK collection will include a GORE-TEX® Pro Shell stretch material, ensuring even greater freedom of movement.

The defining feature of the GORE-TEX® C-KNIT™ Jacket is its breathable thin material, which is very comfortable to wear.

BLACKYAK integrates water repellent RDS certified goose down into its down products for maximum heat insulation. BLACKYAK styles also make use of PrimaLoft® Gold, Polartec® Alpha® and G-LOFT®. All the materials have been tried and tested for their warming capacity during mountain sports, plus their water repelling, breathable properties.

BLACKYAK makes trekking pants from CottonShell® that can breathe, are waterproof and free of PFCs.

Style:
For some decades now, BLACKYAK has been steadily establishing a unique design language with strong links to the brand´s origins: the Himalayas. The hues that we know so well from clothing, houses, mountains and spices are to be found in the global autumn/winter 2017/18 collection. A combination of shades and fashionable looks. The BLACKYAK signature range is all in black, accompanied by fabulously named colours such as Surf the Web, Deep Lagoon, Monk’s Robe, Beet Red or Bittersweet. In sum, a cascade of colour unique in the outdoor market. The yak silhouette complete with horns, strong cheekbones, a long muzzle and powerful physique is present in all the collection´s styles, giving them an individual look.

Technical Insights:
Did you know that the mesh box walls used to produce BLACKYAK down jackets and pants are patented? To prevent rips and damage to the thread, all seams run through the inside of the items. Mesh box walls are sewn to the seam fold from the inside: this means that all seams have double stitching and are very durable. A mesh box wall structure also ensures that warm air within the jacket can flow from chamber to chamber, but not outwards – ensuring perfect warmth insulation. This complex construction procedure is applied for the Heavy Duty Down Jacket, the Hooded Active Down Jacket and the new items in the collection, Backcountry Insulation Pants, Active Insulation Shorts and Active Insulation Pants 2.0, short, three-quarter length insulation pants that can be worn in the extreme cold.

INFO: BLACKYAK

Powerful and majestic, the Yak moves continuously up the mountain. Fully loaded with expedition material, these animals are used to strain and hard work. Their robust form has enabled them to survive the ice age, continuing under the most arduous conditions. They live in the Himalayan Mountains. Yak’s also benefit people in many ways. They give wool, milk, and meat. They are perfect for riding or transporting large and heavy loads. It is effectively the Sherpa of Sherpa’s. The best friend of the mountain climber. For these reasons, BlackYak has chosen the Yak as a namesake and company logo. It symbolizes the connection with the mountain climbers, the Yaks, the mountains, nature. BlackYak was founded in 1973 in Seoul / South Korea. The company aim was to make the climbing process easier for mountaineers by providing them with the best possible clothing and product. In short, BlackYak seeks to be just as valuable a companion to mountaineers as the Yaks. The development work of BlackYak benefit ambitious mountaineers, ski tourers and hikers. They all value the functional clothing of BlackYak, which offers them protection against cold, wet and wind. South Korea is the second largest outdoor market in the world. As domestic market leader BlackYak’s growth continues. BlackYak will celebrate ist market launch in Europe with a technical and functional collection with a strong focus on European style and body fit. Based in the centre of Munich, BlackYak has established it’s new European headquarters. An in-house European team with extensive global experience in the development and production of high end outdoor clothing takes care of the development of the collection, and a successful launch on the European outdoor market..