THE NONLINEAR PATH 16: Create Useful
Create Joy and Value By Building Beautiful and Useful Things That Last
One the things I have loved the most about designing for the outdoor industry has been the ability to create beautiful pieces of outerwear that stand the test of time.
It has made the conversation of sustainability a little easier. When you build something of quality with high intention for beauty you create something special that people value, and when they value or love something they don’t throw it away.
I have spent the major part of my design career creating for the two largest outdoor companies in the world. I have designed thousands of pieces and have literally multiple millions of my styles walking the globe. I still see jackets I designed a decade or more ago on the street regularly. That always amazes me.
I recently had a piece return to me after I gifted it to a friend over twenty years ago: a long down parka I designed for Columbia Sportswear’s line for Russia.
In the early 2000’s, Russia was the fourth largest customer for the company. Being the first International designer for the brand, I had the opportunity to create some unique stuff.
At the time, down jackets were not yet a fashion staple beyond super-snowy climates and winter activities. After a couple of trips to Northern Europe, I was dying to build a long down parka for women.
I got the chance to make one for the Russian line and when it came to market, I secured one for myself. I had to buy it at full price and paid two-hundred rubles for it. Yes, I had to physically exchange US dollars for rubles to buy it. I gave it to a friend for Christmas.
Years later she shared with me that she had given the coat on to a mutual friend of ours. She loved it but decided to pass it along to someone who needed it more. I was happy it could continue to be used and loved.
Another decade later, in 2023, the second owner contacted me saying she still had the coat and asked if I’d like it back. It is now officially in mine.
Over twenty years old and aside from the elastic in the cuffs turning to powder, the coat is in near perfect condition. Even the faux fur looks pretty good. The design is back in style and if I didn’t live in the mild-weathered Bay Area, I’d wear it.
Now it is a part of my portfolio collection, serving as a reminder to create things that are useful, that people love. We live in a time where we are over-stuffed and bombarded with cheap trash in the form of products, food, and media. Real craft and value are seemingly in short supply.
But this is where we can make a difference. We can make the choice to do better.
As we say in my martial art, what you put out into the world comes back to you ten-fold. It’s not always easy, but it’s pretty simple. Create useful and you will receive useful.