January 22, 2025 |
99 years ago, the revolutionary outerwear brand 66°North was born. Founded by Hans Kristjánsson, and named after the Arctic Circle’s latitudinal line – which passes through its original home of Súgandafjörður – the brand began as a practical solution to an urgent need. Its mission was clear: to protect Iceland’s fishermen, who faced relentless Arctic storms, with durable, warm and weatherproof clothing designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the north. Over time, this commitment to functionality saw the brand expand beyond the fishing industry, becoming one of the go-to outfitters for Icelandic police, firemen, postal workers and other professionals braving the elements. By the mid-20th century, 66°North’s reputation for high-performance outerwear had cemented its place as an essential part of Icelandic life.
Now, to honour nearly a century of innovation and craftsmanship, 66°North is not only making a Copenhagen Fashion Week debut, but it is also presenting an expansive exhibition spanning its history from humble Icelandic workwear company to global outerwear giant with one foot firmly set in the fashion world.
It may not seem the most obvious place for a fisherman’s brand to be, but, successfully bridging the gap between functional outerwear and high fashion, 66°North has become a cult favourite amongst outdoor enthusiasts and style-conscious consumers alike. Collaborations with renowned designers like Ganni, Soulland and Charlie Constantinou have increased its presence on the international stage, reinforcing its status as a leader in contemporary design. Plus, as a certified B-Corp, the brand’s commitment to sustainability has only strengthened its appeal to the modern fashion punter, where conscious consumption is becoming more and more of a must for many.
On January 28 in the Danish capital, at Rådhuspladsen 37, the 99 Years exhibition will open to the public for one day and one day only offering visitors the rare opportunity to explore the brand’s archives. From its earliest designs to its latest collections, the craftsmanship, innovations and stories that have shaped 66°North’s legacy will be revealed.
The presentation will kick off that same evening; expect a cutting-edge display showcasing the brand’s dedication not just to technical performance and Nordic design, but to style and day-to-day wearability.
Here, we speak with 66°North CEO Helgi Oskarsson and CBO Bjarney Harðardóttir to find out more about the brand’s enduring philosophy, its anniversary celebrations and the vision driving it into its 100th year.
66°North AW25 and archive pieces
99 years! How is 66°North celebrating?
Helgi Oskarsson: Our 99-year anniversary is a huge moment for us at 66°North, it’s a time look back and reflect on our deep heritage in Iceland whilst also looking forward to the brands global growth. We will be kicking off the celebrations with our Copenhagen Fashion Week debut at the end of the month. We’ve never presented during a fashion week before, so it’s something totally new to us. It really felt like the right time for the brand.
Of course, we will be doing it in our uniquely 66°North style. It won’t be a traditional fashion show that quickly moves on to the next season, it has been designed to challenge the norm, emphasizing durability and timeless design. For the first time, we will offer a glimpse into our archive collection, and we will also be opening the exhibition to our customers, meaning that our local community can join in. We’ll be offering up all sorts of exciting raffles and interactive elements for them to participate in on the day.
Can you talk us through the upcoming exhibition and some of its key displays (especially from the archives)?
Oskarsson: The exhibition will be a deep dive into our almost 100-year heritage. Some of my favourite displays include the original fisherman’s coat from back where 66°North began, creating coats for fishermen in the Westfjords of Iceland. You will also find the Olympic kit the brand made for the Icelandic team in 1998 and the one of a kind Tindur all-in-one suit the brand created for the first Icelander to climb the north side of Everest in 2013 – with the Tindur Gore coat which it inspired still being one of our hero styles for AW25.
The exhibition will also offer an insight into our craftsmanship and smart technology – something we pride ourselves as experts on after almost 100 years testing our product in the most extreme conditions of Iceland.”
How has the brand evolved over its 99 years, and how will it evolve going forward?
Oskarsson: The journey of the 66°North brand over the last 99-years is an incredibly special and unique one. Starting off making clothes to save people’s lives means you absolutely cannot compromise on quality and durability. Dressing Icelandic fishermen taught us the importance of making garments that perform in the most challenging weather conditions, whilst also being designed in such a way that you can easily move and perform the tasks you need to do. This has been a part of our DNA as a brand from day one, staying true to our company values has been integral to our evolution over the last century.
In Iceland, our population has grown up with the 66°North brand with over 97 per cent of Icelandic households owning at least one 66°North item. We first expanded outside of Iceland 10 years ago and opened our first international store in Copenhagen and opened our flagship store on Regent Street, London two years ago and have a global wholesale distribution in stores such as END Clothing, Harrods, and Browns Fashion.
Looking forward, we are excited to continue our growth in the UK and more widely in Europe, both through our own channels and expanding our wholesale network. We are excited to continue to innovate and introduce exciting brand collaborations and product offerings whilst continuing to honour our heritage and core collection.
66°North has really carved out a really unique space with the fashion world as a brand rooted in dressing police, firemen, postal workers and more. Can you speak to how this was strategised, and what this will look like for 2025?
Oskarsson: Sometimes things may look strategically smart though-through, but for 66°North the brand has evolved over the decades by simply striving to meet the needs of different customer groups in Iceland. This includes the service industries mentioned, but even more importantly, meeting the needs of the everyday user in Iceland; this may be the high school student who needs a new puffer for the winter or the retired couple who walk their dog every day. When you design performance clothing for every day, you need to design it in such way that it is relevant for different occasions and purposes.
When we expanded our reach outside of Iceland we used the same strategy; we strive to meet the needs of the everyday customer in Copenhagen, London, and New York. Our focus for 2025 is to bring the world products that are versatile and relevant to our focus markets in Europe and North America. To ensure that happens, we have added new designers to our team in Copenhagen; we are bringing out a capsule designed in collaboration with Rory Griffin a London-based photographer and enthusiastic runner and Chris Burkard, the California photographer, film maker, and adventurer who now lives in Iceland.
66°North AW25
How do you stay true to the original client while moving forward with the times and appealing to the modern, fashion-forward consumer?
Oskarsson: Our special collaboration product is a great way to resonate with a more fashion literate audience and experiment outside of our core product offering. We have created collections with Ganni which were presented during Copenhagen Fashion Week, and two collaborations with London-based designer Charlie Constantinou crafted from deadstock fabric from our own factories and stocked in stores such as Dover Street Market in London. Interestingly, our top-of-the-line ‘Hornstrandir’ Gore-Tex Pro Shell Jacket has been picked up by a fashion-forward audience, as well as our most advanced down ‘Tindur’ jacket.
What can we expect from the CHFW debut in February?
Bjarney Harðardóttir: Our Copenhagen Fashion Week debut pays homage to our past, present, and future, with the exhibition offering a walk-through of our key brand moments. We will also have a live presentation of the upcoming AW25 which will be presented to the media and the industry for the first time. The new collection is focused on creating products that endure and evolve. Rooted in our circular philosophy, the AW25 collection is made to last for generations and contains many of our ‘hero’ carryover products which we revive season-after-season. The AW25 concept speaks to the constant transformation of both the natural world and our brand, we can’t wait to present it.
Why is circularity an important part of what 66°North does? How is it enacting this?
Harðardóttir: Circularity is a hugely important part of the 66°North brand. Having gained B-Corp status in 2022, we are constantly evolving and looking at ways to improve. When I joined the company in 2011, I was incredibly impressed with how much circular and sustainability focused thinking there already was in the company. It’s been part of the culture of the company since it was founded in 1926. For example, we have always used leftovers to make our accessories, taking cut-offs from our RTW products to make gloves and smaller bags. Another thing that impressed me was the brand’s pre-existing repair shop. We continue to run this service and repair everything for our customers meaning our products truly can be for life.
We have been moving more into both sustainable and recycled fabrics; however we always have to balance this with the durability of our products. We want our products to stand the test of time, meaning we sometimes must compromise on the fabrics to ensure the product lasts.
Photography courtesy of 66°North.
66°North CEO Helgi Oskarsson and CBO Bjarney Harðardóttir
