Growing up, I remember The North Face coats being a staple amongst my peers during the winter season. It was the fly gear to wear. And much like an interlocking CC or monogrammed LV, the Yosemite Park’s Half Dome peak embroidered logo on the left side of the chest was a fashion statement for high school kids who prided themselves on being in the "flashiest" fashions.

But that was the late 2000s. The North Face's roots date back to 1968 in California. Founded by Douglas Tompkins and Susie Tompkins Buell, the husband and wife found their niche selling the best mountain climbing gear for explorers looking to beat the peaks. My generation's love for the brand is due to the popularity of The North Face bubble in the 90s. The coat is known as the Nuptse Jacket and you can still buy the iconic style today.

Rappers began to wear and name drop the brand in their lyrics. "Hail Mary, full of grace..." smack the bitch in the face/Take her Gucci bag and the North Face off her back," The Notorious B.I.G. rhymed on a Mister Tee mixtape in 1995. His vocals were later remastered for the song “Dead Wrong” in 2007 featuring Eminem. And you can spot two men wearing yellow and red Nupstse Bubble Coats in Method Man's debut video "M.E.T.H.O.D. MAN." But you can also hear references to the iconic style in current music. "North Face bubble with eight bundles under it/Gold front upper-lip smile while I was hugging it,” Joell Ortiz rapped on Pusha T’s “Tick, Tock.”

Today, The North Face maintains its status as a go-to outerwear brand for expeditions on Mount Whitney in Alaska or on S.Elmwood and W. Chippewa Street in Buffalo, New York. The designs have also improved as The North Face has collaborated with streetwear and luxury fashion brands to bring us modern updates on classic coats and jackets and introduce new styles for us to want. With the announcement of their latest partnership with Gucci, we've decided to look back on some of the best collaborations with The North Face.

The North Face x Gucci

The North Face and Gucci closed out 2020 by dropping the first images from what is sure to be one of the most hyped collection releases of 2021. The collab features an array of traditional hiking gear with a high fashion flare. Prints from florals to the classic monogrammed GGs, bubble coats in vibrant hues, fanny and backpacks in abstract Gucci monogrammed prints, and duo brand logo tees are just some of the highlights within the lineup. Offering garments for men and women, the collection will be available online at Gucci and The North Face on January 22nd.

The North Face x Supreme

The North Face and Supreme have a relationship that dates back to 2007 with two color-blocked Summit Jackets serving as their first garment together. Outerwear from the The North Face x Supreme collaboration often plays with bold hues of green, yellow and red, city landscape, animal and camo prints, and unique logo placement. Jackets from this particular collaboration can resell for over $1,000. You can also find apparel accessories from this collab including mountain pants, fleece jackets, mittens, backpacks, and hats. For Fall 2020 The North Face x Supreme released faux fur Nuptse Jacket in red, black and green colorways.

The North Face x Junya Watanabe

Junya Watanabe is another brand with an ongoing collaborative relationship with The North Face. Their offerings walk the fashion week runways when Junya Watanabe debuts collections. And on more than one occasion, a third brand has joined in on the TNF X JW line including Comme Des Garcons and Karrimor. Some of the standout outerwear from this collab is the Sleeping Bag Jacket and the backpack parka.

The North Face x Comme Des Garçons

In addition to Junya Watanabe x Comme Des Garçons x The North Face collaboration Comme Des Garçons had a separate partnership with the brand. The lineup featured menswear staples, a white tee, grey hoodie, blue and white striped button-down with both the Comme Des Garçons PLAY Heart and The North Face half dome logos placed on the bottom halves of the tops.

The North Face x Brain Dead

Kyle Ng and Ed Davis, cofounders of the brand Brain Dead had one of the most anticipated drops of 2020 with their collaboration with The North Face. The focal point of the fall capsule collection are logo print separates and outwear, pops of color and hiking gear inspired detailing.

The North Face x Timberland

The North Face x Timberland collaboration was a meeting of two iconic New York fashion staples, the bubble Nuptse Jacket and the wheat nubuck timberland boots. Touches from both pieces are found on 2 piece collection, a pair of wheat Timberland 6" boots with a nylon bubble coat upper and the Nuptse Jacket with the wheat nubuck detailing over the shoulders.

The North Face x Dover Street Market

he North Face was one of many brands apart of the Dover Street Market MONOCHROMARKET collaboration for their 15 year anniversary. The offerings included a black and white fleece set, a bubble coat and a tent all in black and white.

The North Face x Extra Butter

East meets west when the NYC based brand Extra Butter collaborated with The North Face. Bernie Gross, creative director of the brand told esquire.com "my goal was for the collection to just immediately transport you to a back-alley scene of a classic NYC film." Featuring the NYC cityscapes digitized on outwear this collab captures 90s vibes in a way that pays homage to the city that took The North Face Brand to the next level.

The North Face x Kazuki Kuraishi

Designer Kazuki Kuraishi added The North Face to its long list of collaborations after working with Adidas Originals and Bape. With The North Face, Kuraishi worked with GORE-TEX waterproof fabric on military-style coats and clothing. Driving home the themes using details like buckles, straps and quilting, the outerwear and trousers were the standout pieces in this lineup.

The North Face x Maison Margiela

The North Face x Maison Margiela debuted their unisex outerwear during London Fashion Week in February. Taking some of the popular silhouettes from The North Face, the Parisian brand reworked the Himalayan Coat, Denali Jacket fleece and the Nuptse puffer jacket and stamped them with the logos from both brands.

The North Face x Vans

It's a big deal when two powerhouses California brands come together to create fashion magic. That's exactly what happened with The North Face x Vans collab. The outcome is a weatherproof skateboarding sneaker built to keep your feet warm and dry thanks to weather coated leather, an inner lining and an outsole build for traction. Vans also created a snow boot using The Northface weatherized fabric and technology.

Outerwear Flex: 11 Best Fashion Collaborations With The North Face