Chris Burkard is an American photographer, explorer, and filmmaker whose adventures have taken him around the globe. He’s photographed volcanic eruptions, explored the highest glaciers in Europe, and cycled the coast of Iceland as seen in his most recent documentary, The Forgotten Coast. When it comes to the outdoors, the guy knows his stuff—and he’s tested his fair share of gear over the course of more than 20 years. So it’s only natural that, for a new collaboration, he turned to another outdoor expert: 66 North, a 99-year-old Icelandic brand that specializes in hard-wearing, highly technical gear and apparel.
Founded in 1926, 66 North started out with wares designed to shield Iclandic fisherman from the island’s famously intense winters and harsh conditions. Almost a century later, the brand keeps that functional ethos at its core while pushing the creative envelope through partnerships with fashion brands like Ganni and Charlie Constantinou. For the collab with Burkard, the idea was to blend these two elements, creating an eight-piece capsule that’s tough enough for an expedition but sleek enough for city life.
Burkard wearing the Ljósufjöll jacket from the collection.
“I wanted to make something that was understated but fully featured and highly durable,” says Burkard. “You simply can’t go out in Iceland without having something that can endure every condition.”
The modular, minimalist collection does just that. Multi-use pants, shorts, and jackets are designed to stand alone if necessary, while working together seamlessly. “Each piece builds upon itself. If you’re wearing the base layer and then the mid layer and then the shell, they all work harmoniously,” says Burkard. In other words, you’ll stay warm and dry no matter what.
“Coming from Iceland, we need to be protective, otherwise we wouldn’t survive,” says 66 North CEO Helgi Oskarrson. In tandem with durability, one of the brand’s key pillars is its cyclical mentality. The 66 North repair shop has been around since its founding in 1926, and you can get pieces from any time in its history repaired there. It’s a commitment to customers, but also to the environment—to the great outdoors that brought the brand into being. “We’re not only proud of it,” says Oskarrson. “It’s part of our DNA.”
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