EVERYONE'S HIGH ON MOUNTAIN MODE

No one was really the hiking type until it became a thing. Neither were we. Lara, half Italian (Sicilian to be precise) enjoyed summers filled with granita and beach days, not the Dolomites. After watching Le Otto Montagne, a quietly powerful film by Belgian director Felix Van Groeningen (you might know him from Beautiful Boy), the other Italy came into view. High up in the mountains, shaped by silence, it suddenly felt very appealing. Something Charon discovered in the peaks of South Africa. She’s shared her newfound love for hiking, or anything outdoors for that matter, more than once. We get it now. The pull of elevation, of solitude, of mountain life. Even, or better yet, especially from the city.

Everywhere we look, we see mountain mode. Technical outerwear now feels more chic than tailoring, and hiking boots have become street staples (your Salomons were made for rugged terrain and performance athletes, not for walking to your local coffee shop). And if Instagram is any proof (See Alice Pilate’s and Lie Studio co-founder Amalie Moosgaard’s latest trips. And has Lotta Volkova caught the hiking bug too?), Alpine escapes are winning over beach holidays.

DISTRICT VISION Red California cotton T-shirt and mock sport shirt (both on sale), DISTRICT VISION Black Nagata speed blade sunglasses (in black here), DISTRICT VISION Black pocketed long sport leggings (can’t go wrong with a Nike pair, both on sale) and UNIQLO UV-protection compact parka (in black or red here)

Fashion wise, Rier seems to be leading the charge. Founded by Austrian designer Andreas Steiner, who was shortlisted for the 2021 LVMH Prize, Rier is quietly redefining what we consider luxury. After working as a senior designer at Louis Vuitton and Miu Miu, Steiner turned to something more personal, inspired by his childhood in the Italian part of South Tyrol. High on our wishlist is their signature fleece, made from local Austrian sheep’s wool in the most delicious shades and the trekking boots in Argile, made in collaboration with Salomon (now on sale). The brand’s appeal lies in a tension of something that is very ‘what you see is what you get’, but made with the most refined materials. Traditional yet offbeat, investment pieces made for movement and different weather conditions, but somehow worthy of a dinner out.

Rier’s signature fleece ebane, our favorite shades are taupe and chlorophylle.

More emerging and established brands are proving hiking is 'haute'. There’s Roa, with its utilitarian edge. District Vision, whose gear is just as smart as it is practical. Snow Peak’s elevated campsite essentials (who knew a water proof pouch could be this chic? This is a great nylon jacket btw), Swiss brand ON whose running shoes you see everywhere (just like everything from Lululemon). NYC based brand Still Here launched a hiking-inspired jean that proves the trail and the city aren’t opposites anymore. We haven’t even touched on Made Some (best shorts), Johanna Parv (we need this asymmetric mini skort on sale), North Face x everything, or this Edara track jacket (here worn by Charon) that looks like it walked straight off a Seoul forest trail and into an art fair, this black jacket with UV-protection from Uniqlo is a good option too, just like this green Cordera jacket or red anorak from Aflalo (a good alternative to The Row Marty Jacket). If even The Row is into mountain mode, that says enough. We have been obsessed with their windbreakers, like this White Dava Jacket (on sale), that goes perfectly with the yellow sporty pouch (here in navy canvas or black leather).

An enviable still life from Alice Pilate’s five-day walking trip this summer.

It’s not about dressing like you hike. It’s about embracing a mood that moves at a different pace. The idea of the outdoors brings a sense of something solid. Something quiet.

ROA Black Katharina Sneakers (in brown here, both on sale), more great styles here.

There’s a shift in what luxury means. More and more, it’s tied to functionality. Something our modern lives seem to crave. These brands tap into what we’ve been missing. Design that works hard, lasts long, and connects us to a feeling rather than a trend. Perhaps fashion just needed a new form of escapism, or another form of crisis dressing? We feel it’s less about fantasy, more about freedom. The kind you find in movement, in nature, in clothes that can actually take you somewhere, even if it’s only in your mind. If that’s what mountain mode stands for, then yes, we’re in. Hikers at heart, or at the very least, in wardrobe.

RIER Chlorophylle fleece sweater (in taupe here), NIKE Swift dri-FIT shorts, SALOMON Xa pro 3d amphib sneakers and COS Mole mesh-panelled nylon cap (in black here)