The North Face: Summit Series combines performance with International Klein Blue

The North Face combines Yves Klein's iconic blue in the Summit Series™, combining functionality with artistic aesthetics – a growing trend in trail running.

Words: Sven Rudolph
Photos: The North Face

Trail runners are constantly looking for the next step towards perfection, ready to push their limits further and further. The relentless urge to explore the unknown is deeply embedded in the DNA of the running scene. This season, The North Face surprises with a unique collaboration that draws on the archive of artist Yves Klein and uses his famous shade of blue as the main color of this Summit Series. This exclusive line combines functionality with artistic aesthetics, appealing to a growing community that values not only performance but also style.

The path to a perfect race is like the search for the ideal composition - a journey that is as individual as it is challenging. Yves Klein took years to perfect his distinctive International Klein Blue, a process that parallels the meticulous development of The North Face's Summit Series™. Just like Klein's relentless pursuit of the ideal shade of blue, ultrarunning is a balance between art and science, using both mind and heart to achieve the unattainable.

Now, Klein's signature blue meets The North Face's high-end collection - a collaboration that symbolizes the special focus that ultra-distance running requires. This perfect symbiosis between a masterfully developed hue and a well-prepared race is reflected in the setting of Mont Blanc, where running becomes its own kind of artwork. Similar to Klein's anthropometry, where painted models became "living paintbrushes," here art merges with endurance.

More and more running brands are recognizing the potential of creative collaborations and are looking for common ground with the creative scene. It's no longer just about offering functional equipment - aesthetics play an equally important role. The so-called Gorpcore style, which has developed from the fusion of outdoor clothing and urban lifestyle, underlines this trend. It's more than just a fashion style, it's a lifestyle that combines the need for functionality and fashionable expression. This creates collections that meet both the high demands of the trails and the aesthetic demands of a new generation of runners.