In 1981, Rab Carrington began stitching sleeping bags in the loft of his Sheffield attic. A year later, on the other side of the Atlantic, Mike Graham started sewing climbing trousers from the trunk of his car. Separated by 5,000 miles, the two were united by one shared love. Climbing.
As far as we know, they never met face to face – but 23 years on, their legacies are making up for lost time. That’s right, Rab and Gramicci have crossed paths at long last, and all we can ask is: why hasn’t this happened sooner?
Both brands were born from the same vision – to make climbing easier. Gramicci did it through freedom of movement; Rab did it through warmth and protection. Since the ’80s, each has followed its own path, but that shared purpose has never wavered. This collaboration feels like a full-circle moment – a long-overdue meeting of minds. The colour and eccentricity of America merging with the grit and guile of Britain.
The collab itself beautifully marries Gramicci’s Stonemasters legacy with Rab’s expedition expertise – a celebration of climbing counterculture that transcends generations. Just as the campaign images set out, you’re as likely to see a 58-year-old Gritstone legend wearing this gear as you are a teenager who’s taping their fingers for the first time.
They’ve shot real climbers on real rock, in Rab’s native Peak District, doing what they do best. It’s honest, it’s grounded, and it’s exactly what we hoped the collaboration would look like.
But the gear itself doesn’t look exactly as we hoped. It looks even better. High fill power down items have been fused with Gramicci staples. A standout is the Kinder Smock – a Rab outerwear legend that has been in the brand’s line-up since the ’90s. It looked good back then, and it looks even better now. Two colours of the down-filled smock are up for grabs – dark black and deep ‘drift’ blue, both adorned with subtle Rab & Gramicci.
Accompanying the Kinder Smock is the Neutrino Pro Hoody, a far more recent Rab garment, but what it may lack in heritage it makes up for in insulation – 800FP down in stitch-through baffles makes this one of the warmest jackets in Rab’s lineup.
And completing the insulation ensemble is a pair of Argon Pants, a set of legwear that looks as if it could carry you halfway to the moon, and back. High fill power baffles have been combined with Gramicci’s signature belt, making these the perfect pants to throw on when the sun sinks below the boulders.
Lighter-weight bits like the Crimp Tee and G-Pants stand waiting for breezy days, while a 30L Expedition Kitbag and a couple of graphic beanies round off the collection nicely. It’s obvious neither brand has gone chasing hype – function’s front and centre, with logos kept subtle and branding dialled right down
To celebrate the launch, Rab hosted an activation at The Station Café in Grindleford, perched on the edge of the Peak District. It’s a spot etched into the fabric of British climbing culture – the kind of place where muddy approach shoes are welcome, the fire’s always on, and tea is served by the pints. Big portions and even bigger stories. It’s where gritstone legends have thawed out for decades, and the gear looked perfectly at home between guidebooks, bacon butties, and climbers with ketchup-stained fingers.
If you want our opinion, this is without a doubt a 10/10 collaboration. The partnership makes sense. The gear makes sense. And the launch made perfect sense, too. Identities could so easily have been watered down here, but we’re very relieved to say they haven’t. Both brands have brought the best out of each other, and produced a collection of gear that makes sense trudging through Hathersage or overlooking Half Dome.
No overthinking, no overdesigning, no nonsense. Just genuine gear from two brands that, despite the differing backgrounds, so obviously understand each other.
The Rab & Gramicci collection is available to be purchased now from Rab
