Code Name: Condor or Why I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the North Face.

First Strike

Jackie Chan, famous for martial arts and stunts, has a long-standing association with The North Face. He often wears their gear, reflecting his active lifestyle and profession. The partnership signifies his trust in the brand, something I recognized early on.

I credit my dad with my love for action movies. The movies would, in turn, scar me from their adult material, but, that is an all-together different story. When my dad brought home action movies, I knew they were gonna be good, no matter how bad they actually were. I would like to say it guided me towards who I am today. A good guy underdog that noone believes will make it. Yes, I really did think of myself in that light.

The one film that made a real impact on me was Operation: Condor. In my opinion, this movie is the perfect action film. It doesn’t have any filler, a short premise, simple story, and a hero that earns the prize at the end. And Jackie Chan became my favorite action movie star. He always humbles himself in the story. He’s always starting at the bottom or he’s alway outnumbered. He influenced how I should approach story building and how themes can be just as important to design as the pattern used to make the garment. It might feel like a stretch to claim that watching a handful of Jackie Chan movies can do so much for a young man.

If you must ask yourself this question, then you haven’t really been paying attention. I was always aware, despite the action, of the clothing Jackie’s character was wearing at the time. It was functional, unintentionally. The character he plays will always be wearing the right thing for the job at hand. Coincidence? Plot armor? Maybe. But its still exciting to see how Jackie’s character can always wear something and its just perfect for the situation.

Now, my collection is modest, but, I consider what I have as a small love letter to the brand. I’ve never been for one to just buy a jacket just because. Remember, I’m keeping to a functional philosophy. The jacket is simple in design, waterproof, and is affordable. There are other brands in my closet, but none of that would exist if it weren’t for the one model that started it all for me.

I’m not going to go over the history of the North Face, of the mountain jacket, or any of the numerous collabs that the brand has done. There are countless numbers of articles and videos on those subjects. The one point of view I would like to see is how the brand adds to and improves your everyday life. The one thing that the North Face mountain jacket has been able to provide me is the reassurance that it won’t fail me whenever I need it.