Second Hand Grails: The North Face
Finding the ideal coat is never easy. Hours can fade into the ether never to be recovered. However, the second hand market is now more viable than ever before, with the resale space dominating much of the current consumer market.
We have taken a look through the annuls of Grailed, one of the market leaders when it comes to finding rare and desirable clothing, to find five jacket from The North Face that you may have been looking for but, up until now, have never found. Warning, these do not come cheap.
The North Face x Gucci Monogram Parka
Depending on where you stand, you either notice the beautiful floral design with the classic Gucci monogram interspersed in between, or, you notice the price tag.
Currently valued at $5000, there is a reason why this coat is a grail. The North Face x Gucci collaboration was one that, at once, excited the fashion world and checkmated any previous collaborations between fashion houses and outerwear brands.
The North Face x Gucci partnership looks set to continue to bear significant fruit throughout the next few years.
Link to the jacket can be found here.
The North Face x Gucci Green Parka
It should have been clear by now that The North Face x Gucci collaboration is currently the most significant collaboration The North Face have done in the 21st Century.
Valued at $4500, once again this jacket is difficult to get your hands on. Not only does it require a sizeable investment, but finding someone actually selling one is rare.
Also, if you’re spending this much on a jacket, how often would you wear it?
Link to the jacket can be found here
The North Facex Mastermind World Nuptse Jacket Black
A collaboration with luxury Japanese streetwear experts Mastermind World falls more inline with previous collaborations that The North face have done, the various Supreme collections instantly spring to mind.
Mastermind World was created by Japanese designer Masaaki Homma in 1997. Specialising in premium streetwear with quality and artistic direction at the heart of every design, there is little wonder why The North Face opted to collaborate with the Japanese company.
Now, for the motif: the price. Currently valued at $2559, this is a relative bargain when compared to the Gucci collaboration. Yet, for the normal person, this is an exorbitant amount to be spending on a jacket, regardless of quality.
The jacket contains a camouflage inner shell but, apart from that, the design is relatively minimalist. A subtle flex, a nod to quality and an indication that you know your brands. A niche grail for sure, but one we are a big fan of.
Link to the jacket can be found here
AW17 The North Face x Junya Watanabe Oxford Hybrid Jacket
I promise, this is not my Oxford Bias. That being said, this is one of the best North face collaborations in the last decade.
Junya Watanabe is a Japanese fashion designer, a protégé of Comme des Garçons designer Rei Kawakubo, and continual pillar of the CDG cohort. Renowned for his innovative designs with an emphasis on combining materials to create visually stunning yet practical clothing.
Valued at $2500, the Oxford Hybrid is not cheap. However, the quality of the design coupled with the unique styling make this jacket one of the most desirable, and rare, on the market.
Link to the jacket can be found here.
The North Face x Junya Watanabe MAN Terra 65 Backpack
For the second time in this list, we have a repeat collaboration. This last one derives more out of pure interest than anything else.
Let us not mince our words, this is a jacket x backpack hybrid. Almost certainly a rare find, even more rare to actually see someone wearing this. Yet, this jacket piques our fascination both from a design and aesthetic sense.
Junya Watanabe, as we have mentioned, is no stranger to distinct, hyper-individual design. Taking the element of practicality to the next level, the premise behind a design like this makes sense, to a certain degree. However, whether it is consistently wearable is another matter.
Valued at $2000, this is not a cheap jacket. Yet, for some reason, this feels distinctly North face. Pushing the boundaries of what we perceive to be contemporary fashion and practicality, the Terra 65 Backpack Jacket will raise eyebrows and stir conversation. Is that a bad thing?
Link to the jacket can be found here.