Fleeces patterned with abstract, almost psychedelic details have been a staple for a long time. Patagonia’s infamous Snap-T fleece often featured colour blocking or patterns inspired by the Indigneous Chilean tribes such as the Mapuche, made of synthetic material named after the Andes native, the chinchilla: they dubbed the material ‘Synchilla’.
Similarly, Pendelton have been using designs influenced by the Southwest Native American tribes that the Pendleton Woolen Mill, the earliest manifestation of the Pendleton brand, used to trade with as early as 1900. Vivid colours and intricate patterns infused into their blankets – one of Pendelton’s first items – and eventually fleeces, as trade expanded from Pendleton, Oregon, to the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni nations.
Now, in 2021, brands are utilising the success of such patterns in a multitude of ways. Aries’ latest oversized hoodie fleece combination uses an Indonesian decorative design, traditionally made by the use of ikat dyeing techniques. Ikat is famous for the grainy, slightly blurred pattern that can be seen on the hoodies’ upper half.
The hoodie is finished on the arm with an Aries logo overlaid onto a mountain – a riff of Patagonia’s mountain-based logo.
