Inside an unassuming office park on the edge of Delaware you'll find the headquarters for W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc, known best as the maker of GORE-TEX fabrics. After a tour of the manufacturing plant where some of the most technical outerwear in the world is made we were led down a series of hallways and up stairs to the Gore History Archives.
Surrounded by vintage apparel, footwear, and other ephemera, curator Nedda Moqtaderi gave Field Mag an exclusive tour of the living archive, culminating with a deep dive into five of the most influential and important pieces of outerwear in the collection. From the actual expedition suit worn by Trans-Antarctic Expedition team leader Will Steger in 1990 to the earliest example of waterproof down by Marmmot, Pac-Lite by Mountain Hardwear, and a 1970s rain jacket by outerwear pioneer Early Winters, the collection did not disappoint.
Huge thank you to Nedda and the generous Gore team for offering this rare experience.
