World of Fashion
CORDURA Advanced Fabrics and MYSTERY RANCH Collaborate with DIOR for 2023 Summer Men’s Collection
By Yvonne Heinen-Foudeh, Senior International Correspondent
MYSTERY RANCH Backpacks and CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics announce the DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH collaboration featuring CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics, for the Parisian fashion house’s Summer 2023 men's collection. Partnering for the first time, DIOR’s new backpacks and bags combine the formal with the informal, the practical with the purely aesthetic, and outdoor culture with the demands of luxury. Available exclusively in DIOR retail locations worldwide and on www.dior.com, CORDURA® and MYSTERY RANCH are thrilled to share the details of this unique collaboration.
The DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH collection features the Gallagator backpack, Saddle Bag, Belt Pouch, Wallet, and Tactical Belt, in two colorways, featuring CORDURA re/cor™ RN66 (Recycled Nylon 6,6) fabric that is entirely recycled, resistant and durable, and embroidered with a leather crest intermingling the seal of the two Houses.
For over 20 years, MYSTERY RANCH has been building some of the finest load-carriage equipment for wildland firefighters, and mountain and tactical professionals. Based in Montana – close to the Rocky Mountains, where its equipment is tested – the brand imagines bags created for adventure, resistant to the most extreme situations, and intended, notably, for rescue services.
MYSTERY RANCH and CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics have a long and trusted history of partnership across all product categories, including their most recent early adopter launch of CORDURA re/cor™ RN66 in their District Series debut. This partnership deepens with the debut of CORDURA re/cor™ RN66 in the DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH 2023 Summer Men’s Collection.
“Urging the outdoor industry to 'Expect More, Waste Less', CORDURA re/cor™ RN66 fabric challenges the throw-away mentality within the textile industry, making it easier for consumers to understand how one ingredient and quality craftmanship can allow them to get the most from their gear and apparel. For those who demand durability, there's no better choice,“ says Cindy McNaull, CORDURA® brand business development director.
She continues, “Recently we identified the emerging crossover lifestyle trend whereby consumers are looking for clothing, bags, and packs that they can use for work and their leisure pursuits. Traditional boundaries are changing – our customers are taking inspiration for their products from a wide variety of markets such as outdoor and urban lifestyles. Combining working from home, adventure-travel, and exercise, is the new reality. We are applying our knowledge of durable fiber and fabric technologies to help shape and define the fusion of functional fashion for the consumer of tomorrow.”
Inspired by Christian Dior’s passion and attachment to the countryside, the earth, and “simple and natural things,” Kim Jones, artistic director for DIOR Men, sought a partnership with MYSTERY RANCH featuring CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics to bring authentic outdoor design and functionality to the men’s summer collection.
“This collaboration is a testament to companies that care deeply about their crafts and the communities they serve,” said Dana Gleason, founder of MYSTERY RANCH. “Working with companies like DIOR is the ultimate recognition that we are doing what we set out to do — to design and build great packs and bags specific to the mission. The DIOR collection is a thing of beauty. Mission accomplished.”
Drawn to the aesthetic and technical aspects of the MYSTERY RANCH Y-shaped 3-ZIP closure system, Jones and the Ranch design team built the bag collection around the MYSTERY RANCH Gallagator backpack “elevating functionality to the ultimate fashion statement.” The pack offers immediate access to its multiple interior storage spaces, and compression straps on the front of the bag allow for even volume adjustment. It comes with an essential detail – a detachable, water-repellent hooded cover.
DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH Gallagator
DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH Belt Pouch
The epitome of clean, functional design, the 3-ZIP closure makes accessing pack contents as easy as 1, 2, 3. Created by Gleason in 2007 to quickly access gear while backcountry skiing, the 3-ZIP closure system has become a brand signature with an iconic look for both the urban and core outdoor user.
Gleason continued, “Born out of aggravation and necessity, the 3-ZIP design serves a unique set of families. It’s been adopted by climbers, hikers, and backpackers, and now Paris.”
The Saddle Bag, an emblematic DIOR model, is reinvented in a version designed for the outdoors, with an ingenious double-zipped compartment. It has a nylon jacquard shoulder strap, an additional strap for attaching various accessories, an aluminum "CD" buckle, and a second, more technical one that closes the flap.
Gleason continued, “Born out of aggravation and necessity, the 3-ZIP design serves a unique set of families. It’s been adopted by climbers, hikers, and backpackers, and now Paris.”
The Saddle Bag, an emblematic DIOR model, is reinvented in a version designed for the outdoors, with an ingenious double-zipped compartment. It has a nylon jacquard shoulder strap, an additional strap for attaching various accessories, an aluminum "CD" buckle, and a second, more technical one that closes the flap.
Dior By Mystery Ranch Saddle Bag Beige Cordura® Nylon
MYSTERY RANCH President Alex Kutches commented: "We make the most durable loadbearing packs in the world, and now thanks to our innovative fabric partners, we can take some meaningful steps at the product level with full pack lines made of recycled materials. Our company's partnership with CORDURA® has a long and special history, but the launch of the DIOR collection heralds a new chapter in our brand story and our unyielding focus on design and innovation.
Cindy McNaull, CORDURA® Business Development Director, added: "We're delighted to be working with MYSTERY RANCH and DIOR. Innovation is at the core of what CORDURA® truly is, and this latest DIOR by MYSTERY RANCH collaboration is no different. We make it a priority to continually bring new ideas and products to our brand and retail partners. As the world evolves, we know a large piece of that will fall within stewardship and sustainability. We've put this work at the front of our efforts. At CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics, we believe that "Sustainability Begins With Products That Last™." MYSTERY RANCH operates from the same value set, and they truly are the perfect partner to help us move forward."
CORDURA re/cor™ Recycled Nylon 6,6 (RN66) launched last January, delivering the performance expected of CORDURA® Advanced Fabrics, while expanding the portfolio of responsible products. The CORDURA re/cor™ RN66 portfolio is ‘durable, responsible and innovated to last’ using 100 percent post-industrial nylon 6,6 fiber material that is GRS certified.
About MYSTERY RANCH®:
Founded in 2000, MYSTERY RANCH is committed to building the finest load carriage equipment in the world. A product-driven company from the beginning, MYSTERY RANCH designs packs for the job that needs to get done, for the people committed to doing it, with the best materials available and the most durable construction methods that exist. For more, visit: www.mysteryranch.com #BuiltfortheMission
About CORDURA® BrandCORDURA® fabric is a primary ingredient in many of the world’s leading high-performance gear and apparel products ranging from casual apparel and activewear to footwear, backpacks, tactical wear, and workwear. The CORDURA® brand is a registered trademark of INVISTA, one of the world’s largest integrated polymer, intermediates, and fibers businesses. To distinguish the CORDURA® brand, the word “CORDURA®” must be spelled out in all caps and used with an ®, and it must be followed by the word “brand” or “fabric.” To learn more about INVISTA’s CORDURA® brand, end-use products, and marketing tools visit www.CORDURA.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.
About INVISTAINVISTA is a global manufacturer of chemical intermediates, polymers, and fibers. From parts for the automotive industry to medical equipment, airbags, food packaging, carpet, and clothing, our ingredients in the nylon 6,6 and polypropylene value chains help bring many of life’s essential products to market. A subsidiary of Koch Industries since 2004, INVISTA is committed to innovation and responsibly creating more value for its customers and society while consuming fewer resources to make these products. See the bigger picture at INVISTA.com.
About DIORChristian Dior was the designer of dreams. Since the founding of his House in 1946, which was consecrated by the New Look revolution, his visionary spirit has never ceased to magnify women around the world. “Fabric is the only vehicle for our dreams (...). Fashion, in short, comes from a dream, and the dream is an escape,” he wrote. With each new collection, this extraordinary heritage is reinvented with passion and force, the singular modernity of the different artistic directors who – from haute couture to perfume – boldly perpetuate the Dior magic, the excellence of savoir-faire, and the beauty of each unique gesture. A creative energy is revealed in the House’s men’s lines, through which Kim Jones reinterprets, season after season, the timeless elegance of the Dior man.