Allied Feather + Down, a Montebello, Calif.-based manufacturer of ethically sourced down for the outdoor, fashion and bedding markets, has introduced Zero Degrees North (غN), a creative innovation lab that showcases boundary-pushing artists, designers and products.
Allied has long worked with innovative, fashion-forward and technical brands to help create luxurious and high performing down products. غN will be a curatorial outlet for what the company feels are among the most interesting products, designs and artists that imbue its concept of “#coldculture” and use down and feather in ways that continually push boundaries.
“Down is one of the world’s oldest insulations, and has been instrumental in some of the most significant explorations, discoveries and scientific advances,” said Matthew Betcher, creative and marketing director for Allied. “Zero Degrees North looks at this material in a markedly new way through the lens of the future to explore what is new, interesting and relevant.”
غN is designed to be a multichannel experience combining social media, physical experiential events and popups. It will also feature a place where those interested in personal exploration and DIYers can purchase Allied down by the pound.
The first product to be introduced on the new غN website will be Allied’s new down jacket collaboration. Originally released exclusively to the Japanese market, the four jackets blur the line between outdoor performance and fashion-forward aesthetics, bringing together the high quality ethically sourced down from Allied, garment manufacturing from MN Inter-fashion Ltd. from Japan and textiles from Pertex.
غN can be experienced at zeronrth.com or on Instagram @zeronrth.
By helping to create programs such as the Responsible Down Standard and Track My Down, Allied is committed to safeguarding the welfare of animals while protecting the environment. The proprietary TrackMyDown.com education and supply-chain transparency tool has grown to include 100 partner brands.
In addition to traditional down, Allied offers RENU:Performance Recycled Down, an insulation with a positive impact on the environment by helping to recycle over 1 million pounds of textile waste annually, and BioDown, which incorporates anti-bacterial agents and is 99.9 percent effective in inhibiting the growth of mold and bacteria, among its numerous innovative iterations.