Few brands wear their home country on their sleeve quite like 66°North does. The brand’s identity is intrinsically linked to Iceland, and a little piece of the nation is woven into every garment they produce. When you pull on a Hornstrandir, local or not, you’re representing Iceland.
This idea of representing Iceland is something 66°North has taken even further at key moments in its history -first by outfitting the Icelandic team for the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in 1994, then again at Nagano in 1998. Now, after a 28-year hiatus, the brand is back to complete the trifecta, kitting out both the Icelandic Olympic and Paralympic teams for the Milan – Cortina 2026 Winter Games.
Over that 28-year period, very little has changed about 66°North itself, but the gear they produce has had to adapt massively. Archive images from late-20th-century Olympic Games show teams wrapped in bulky, colour-blocked shell jackets, finished with fur linings and generous hits of reflective detailing. Pieces that more than satisfy our ’90s outerwear cravings, but ones that would struggle to meet the demands of the modern Olympic Games.
Instead, the outerwear has been refined and updated massively. The fur trims are gone, the bulk has been cut, and what’s left feels fit for purpose in 2026 rather than 1996. At the heart of the collection are 66°North staples like the Hornstrandir jacket and trousers – pieces designed for skiing, hiking and everyday wear in Iceland, now ready to step up for their home country.
The Opening Ceremony looks are also set to be handled by the brand, and will appear more modern rather than ceremonial, steering clear of gimmicks. Footwear comes via HOKA, with athletes wearing the Kaha 2 Frost Moc GORE-TEX – a practical choice, and one that lines up perfectly with 66°North becoming a HOKA stockist in Iceland.
Alongside the team kit, 66°North will also release a small Olympic merch capsule – a beanie, T-shirt and hoodie – sold exclusively in Iceland.
And finally, we’ve got to talk about the campaign visuals – they look as if they were shot on another planet, but of course, it’s just Iceland. The team trekked out to the Hoffellsjökull Glacier, sporting the new gear against some of the maddest landscapes to ever be photographed.
In a year that marks the brand’s 100th anniversary, the long-awaited return to the Winter Olympics for 66°North feels apt. It’s a brand that has taken so much inspiration from its homecountry, and once again, it’s time to give back.
Find out more about 66°North here.
