Arc'teryx Veilance

Since it's inception in 1989, Arc'teryx has been a brand known for pushing the boundaries of what can be done, both in terms of clothing manufacture & performance, with the goal to create the best possible product. With the Veilance line, Arc'teryx translates this way of thinking from outdoor apparell to focus specifically on the demands of urban use.

Ido (Arc'teryx Veilance) & Thomas (Caliroots brand manager)

Ido from Arc'teryx Veilance graced us with a visit in the store a couple of days ago, giving us the low-down on the methods of production & the brands extreme attention to quality & detail.

What is the main concept behind the Veilance line & what triggered Arc'teryx to start making apparell for urban use?

Arc'teryx has always been a company driven by our own demands. The laminated harness we developed in 1993 came about simply because we couldn't find a product suitable for our own needs. With Veilance it's the same idea, Tyler (Jordan, CEO of Arc'teryx) & Conroy (Nachtigall, Arc'teryx designer) felt there was a need for a jacket that was as good as one developed for outdoor performance, but designed to suit the needs of a person who lives & travels in the city. 

It seems a lot of focus is being put into selecting the right fabrics. Do you work solely with Gore-Tex as your fabric supplier & are you using any fabrics specifically woven for Veilance?

Since the beginning we've always had a very close relationship with Gore-Tex. We have a mutual understanding & drive when it comes to developing new ideas & pushing things forward, sometimes working almost as a testing ground for Gore's latest & most advanced fabrics. For Veilance, some of the fabrics we're using are being released exclusively to us first before being made available to other brands. We do however work with some Japanese fabrics as well, but our main fabric supplier is Gore-Tex. 

A lot of brands are designing their collections based on a seasonal idea or concept, often with it's ground in the heritage of mens wear. Does this also apply to Veilance?

Not really. Arc'teryx has always been a technologically driven brand rather than heritage based. Sure, as with any mens wear brand our jacket styles are based on heritage military- & work-wear, but the main point of the design is to build a perfect product. Everything you see in our garments is carefully thought over. For instance, the sleeves on our jackets doesn't go up when you raise your arm, this took two years of developing before Conroy was satisfied with the result. So rather than reinventing the whole line, each collection is based on updating a number of key styles based on color, fabric choice & slight design modifications.

Is everything made in Canada?

Yes, every piece within the Veilance line is made in Canada, in our own factory in Vancouver, just a few blocks from our main office. It is the same factory where we make the products for the LEAF program. LEAF is short for Law Enforcement & Armed Forces. Among other armed forces, we're contracted by the US Marine Corps to produce some of their equipment that they use in the field. It's in this factory that we can test new things & really get to push ourselves even further in order to create products that we can proudly say are the best ever made.

Words & Photos by David Irigoyen

Shop our selection of Arc'teryx Veilance products both instore & online now @ caliroots.com/c-store