In 1969, an inventor from Delaware called Bob Gore developed what would become Gore-Tex, a microporous material with, according to the man himself, "amazing list of characteristics, including low water adsorption and good weathering properties." In layman's terms: a fabric that was both breathable and waterproof.
Today, Gore-Tex is used by skiers, climbers, adventurers and, more recently, the trendy set of the world's fashion capitals. A Gore-Tex coat has become the perfect accessory to cope with an ascent of the Matterhorn or a bit of a rain day during Paris Fashion Week.
"It's an instantly recognisable marker of performance garments," says Carin Nakanishi, head of Garbstore. "You know when you see the logo that it’s going to be waterproof and windproof, while still being breathable. It’s technically astute and excellent at what it does, so it’s naturally going to be used often in collections and by other brands.
That said, it's one of the first performance fabrics that started moving into the fashion sphere. I remember Hiroshi Fujiwara [founder of Fragment] etc all going mad for it in Tokyo in the Nineties.
"I was involved in the design process of our recent Garbstore x Nanamica collaboration and getting up close with the Gore-Tex fabrics is great,"adds Nakanishi. "We made a triple-layer Gore-Tex, yarn-dyed black watch mac. It ticks all the boxes of tech-outer[wear]: waterproof, windproof, breathable but with the visuals and aesthetic of an elevated, traditional mackintosh."
Along with adding modern a layer of performance to traditional styles of coats and outerwear, Gore-Tex is also enjoying a period of dominance in the worlds of street and workwear, with Stüssy, Palace and Carhartt all recently launching collaborations emblazoned with the famous Gore-Tex logo. Yes, the technical properties of the Good Gore are unsurpassed but, much like the Italian rubber outsole company Vibram, there's clout in displaying the logo alongside your own brand's offering. That octagonal yellow badge and the famous Gore-Tex font now both act as fashionable draws in their own right. You can safely assume that the average streetwear customer doesn't really need the pinnacle of outdoor technicalwear, but it's good to have the option, right?
"I’d like to think it’s just a performance element, but perhaps there is a status element to it now too," says Nakanishi, coyly.
Up until last week, when it was announced that an 83-year-old Robert Gore had passed away after a long illness, much of the world was unaware that Gore-Tex was named after an actual person; the company a family business that was founded in 1958.
Gore's magic material was, and continues to be, used in everything from medical devices, including heart patches, as well as for guitar strings, space suits, and vacuum bags.
And did I mention the brilliant waterproof jackets?
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