Dakine has been working for the past several years on resetting and authenticating its outerwear collection with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest culture and aesthetic, most notably with the addition of snowboard icon and design leader Peter Line. This year, we caught up with Product Line Manager Amy Eichner to hear more about women’s design when it comes to outerwear. The brand recently brought on Brittany Crook to take the helm, steering the women’s design in a similar direction.
“We were able to use both three layer and two layer Gore for the men’s, and we’ve now been able to bring that over to the women’s side, which Brittany and I were really excited about, since we are out there pushing our gear to the limits as well,” explains Eichner. “We wanted to have a good balance for the men’s side, and we also wanted to offer that for the women.”
The collection consists of three-layer Gore-Tex pieces with soft flannel backing, which gives it a more appealing hand-feel at retail, and also provides a warmer and softer next-to-skin factor, Eichner explains—characteristics that only strengthen the value proposition within a somewhat crowded women’s market.
Eichner explains that at the same time, as the brand hones in on technical aspects of the line, they also “don’t want to take themselves too seriously.” The result has been slightly longer fits on the jackets, and its pinnacle piece for women’s, the Berretta Bib, which has a contoured, tailored fit, with chest pockets, side zips, signature flannel backer, and the highly functional drop seat allowing for easy access to layers.
Join us for this episode of The Sessions @ SIA and hear the whole interview with Eichner on what Dakine’s future holds. For more Sessions clips, visit our Sessions @ SIA archives, and check out some of the most recent drops:
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