The Uniform for Summer
How Berghaus became the essential, unshakeable style companion for Oasis’s seismic homecoming.
There’s a particular, rain-slicked alchemy to a British summer, isn’t there? One minute you’re squinting at weak sunshine, the next you’re running for shelter – usually clutching a lukewarm pint. This year, for most of Manchester and beyond, a few particular days are etched into Heaton Park’s turf – Oasis, back where they belong. And threading itself through this seismic cultural moment – as naturally as a well-loved Berghaus parka shrugged on against a rogue downpour – is the brand itself. Funny, that. Newcastle-born, yes, but Berghaus has always felt like it had a bit of Manc soul.
Forget glossy ads shouting about waterproof ratings. Their ‘The biggest day of summer’ campaign – dreamt up by Ben Ellis-Rees, Ally Whitaker, and Kyle Lynd – is smarter. It’s a scrappy, five-part digital vignette played out on Instagram and TikTok through July, capturing that uniquely British pre-gig ritual. You know the one – scouting parks for elusive sun, debating transport, the glorious, fidgety build-up. It’s less buy this jacket, more this is how it feels.
The authenticity lands like a perfectly timed cymbal crash. There’s Bez, obviously – Happy Mondays’ maraca-wielding madman, grinning through drizzle like Manchester’s eternal spirit animal. Creator Harry Hume brings the Gen-Z lens. And the Berghaus gear? It’s not just featured; it’s lived in. That anorak isn’t technical fabric; it’s the shield you whip out when the heavens open five minutes after finding the perfect spot. The pack isn’t a product; it’s the trusty carrier of questionable snacks and warm cans. This is kit as cultural currency, battered and essential.
That’s the real fashion story here, isn’t it? Berghaus gets it. On the trail, it’s performance wear. But slap it onto a heaving, singing, rain-spattered crowd at Heaton Park? Suddenly, it’s the uniform of belonging. A nod to heritage (Britpop’s heyday practically ran on parkas), a wink to resilience (of course it’ll rain), and a quiet statement of intent – we came prepared, we came ready, we came together. As Liam and Noel’s snarl echoes across the park, Berghaus provides the durable, unpretentious, utterly Northern shell for the summer’s biggest memory-in-the-making. Pack yours. The biggest days rarely come dry.
