Inside Gry x Colin Meredith, Experimental Trail Running Apparel by Ciele

Runners round the world recognize the hats made by Ciele Athletics. Like a secret handshake color blocked in performance fabric, they relay a commitment to running as more than exercise, as a lifestyle. Yet even among this group, few are familiar with gry© label, the conceptual design lab where Ciele experiments with unconventional techniques and materials. Product releases from gry© are notably few and far between. That, and the involvement of designer Colin Meredith, makes the new gry© x Colin Meredith collection, which includes hats and apparel inspired by trail running, worth knowing about.

Available today, 03 October 2024, the limited-edition gry© x Colin Meredith line consists of nearly a full kit—there's a cap, a beanie, shorts, a reversible shirt, and a vest. Holding fast to the innovative task of gry©, none are standard fare—and all have names that make writers and editors shake their damn heads.

Both the RDCap SC and the UHBeanie DIAMA feature temperature-regulating COOLmatic EXP micromesh. So does the OLVShort, which also has interior and exterior pockets for long trail runs. The M MRCVest has a shell exterior and a wool and silk interior for weightless warmth. And the UHTShirt is reversible with DIAMA fleece on one side and cooling fabric on the other.

Little was known about gry© to base expectations of the collection on, but the same can't be said of designer Meredith. Following stints with the design teams at Noah, Reigning Champ, Arc'teryx, and Rapha, Meredith established his own label—Colin Meredith Studio—through which he makes apparel largely characterized by DIY and technical outdoor aesthetics.

"Colin’s hands-on approach to crafting and testing pushes the boundaries of technical clothing, elevating it to new heights and bringing concepts to life, transforming the intangible into the tangible," said Ciele's apparel designer Catherine Langelier in press materials announcing the line's release.

Meredith and Ciele worked closely to create gry© x Colin Meredith, bringing together the Montreal-based brand's pre-established fabric and pattern language with the Vancouver-based designer's own inclinations, which include running and outdoor adventure.

"The range we’ve created is trail-run-inspired and features funky, innovative concepts—some of which I’ve made as one-off creations for myself in the past," Meredith said, referring to his history-making one-of-one pieces (including, a few years back, a full kit for backpacking Vancouver Island's North Coast Trail).

Luckily for anyone interested in experimental technical apparel, the gry© x Colin Meredith collection won't be as limited as that. The full line is now available at Ciele's Montreal brick and mortar store and on their website.

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