Overview
Arc'teryx is a Canadian high-end design company specializing in outdoor apparel and equipment headquartered in North Vancouver, British Columbia. It focuses on technical apparel for mountaineering and Alpine sports, including related accessories. The company's name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Arc'teryx is known for its waterproof Gore-Tex shell jackets, knitwear, and down parkas.
Founded in 1989 as Rock Solid, the company re-branded in 1991 as Arc'teryx to produce outerwear and climbing gear for the Coast Mountains in Canada. The company was sold to Salomon Group in 2001 and Amer Sports in 2005. Arc'teryx maintains two divisions: Veilance, their luxury streetwear retailer and LEAF, their retailer of technical gear for law enforcement and military forces.
The company is a major influence in the "gorpcore" and "normcore" fashion movements, the wearing of minimalist, technical apparel in urban settings. It is prominent in streetwear fashion, a variety of youth subcultures, and global outdoor culture. The brand is colloquially known as "dead bird".
History
Originally named "Rock Solid" by co-founder Dave Lane, the company's first line of products was climbing gear. Dave Lane sold his 50% interest to Blair Murdoch and Tim Duholke who became silent partners in 1989. Then-principal and co-founder Jeremy Guard changed the company name to Arc'teryx in 1991. The name and logo reference the Archaeopteryx, the transitional fossil of early dinosaurs to modern dinosaurs (birds). Guard chose the name to represent the idea of accelerating evolution as characterized by the geologic time scale of fossils.
From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).