Outdoor brand Arc’teryx is perhaps best known for equipping explorers, adventurers and mountaineers with best-in-class gear, from footwear to headwear and everything in-between. The brand’s shell jackets are beloved by outdoorsmen and women, but recently Arc’teryx has traversed into the lifestyle category, as the fashion-conscious crowd has started to get turned on by gorpcore.
We caught up with none other than the creative director of Arc’teryx, Cooper Gill, to hit him with five quick questions about Arc’teryx and beyond.
After reading through our latest edition of That’s 5, you can follow along with Cooper on Instagram.
First and most importantly, you’re stranded on a desert island and you can take 3 Arc’teryx pieces with you. What are they?
Is this like a tropical island, an island in an alpine lake, is it rainy or windy or maybe going to snow? I have so many questions to properly plan for my marooning. Playing it safe, I’d pack a Remige Hoody which has a great hood-face mask vibe for sun protection, an Atom LT for some nighttime insulation, and a Zeta SL for any precip that comes my way.
What is your favourite hue in the famous canon of Arc’teryx colours?
We have this rad quasi-fluorescent green called Lucieole. It’s bright, but earthy and bio-feeling, like some insane lichen. I also crush hard on the classic bright outdoorsy blues, early 2000s-era stuff, Bright Royal and Summit Sky.
What is underrated right now? What is overrated?
Under – sandals with straps. Chaco season is upon us!
Over – the word “Zoom”
Tell me about a recent big purchase that was not shoes or clothing.
Signing a lease on an apartment sight unseen, only to hate it. Backed out of the deal and lost the security deposit.
What are your favourite things to do in Vancouver on a day off?
We’re juggling a five-year-old, so our trips need to be a bit family-friendly. We typically jam up to some local trails on the north shore, or if it’s a bigger weekend we do a bit of car camping out past Pemberton. There are always lazy beach days and bonfires, Vancouver is really bottomless for outdoors stuff to do.
Name a musician you can’t stop listening to right now.
Khruangbin. Solid studio vibes!
What are you excited for right now?
Any type of vacation would be incredible. We haven’t travelled in over a year which is so crazy given our past lifestyle. I’m currently dreaming of an empty point break in Mexico and some cold Tecates.
BC has a lot to offer in terms of the outdoors, from Vancouver Island to the Coastal Mountains, do you have any favourite spots?
Surfing is one of my lifelong pursuits, so Tofino out on Vancouver Island is a pretty amazing place. The waves are consistent, the weather is fickle, and the beaches are long and bonfire ready. And then there’s the scenery. It’s almost indescribable. Totally one of those places that is touched by the divine.
Obviously, Arc’teryx is a mountaineering brand first and foremost, but how much are you drawn to capital “F” fashion? Do you rock any luxury brands?
I’ve come and gone as a luxury consumer for the most part. Obviously, accessories are the easiest and lowest hanging things that have been folded into my aesthetic from time to time. But I also had a moment with knitwear and some tailoring. I’ll admit here I had a moment with Ralph Purple Label polo shirts in all the easter-egg colours. It was the early 2000s and Dipset was a thing!
