The North Face

The North Face was founded in 1966 by Doug Tompkins and Susie Tompkins, a pair of climbers and backpackers, who decided to open a high-performance equipment store in San Francisco.

The North Face, named after the coldest, harshest side of any mountain, was started with the intent of making the outdoors accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, to do away with "gimmicks and gadgetry" and instead focus on practicality; it was an early awakening of function over fashion.

The North Face now offer jackets bearing their sought after logo, rock climbing and mountaineering clothing for every situation and every person, from the rolling hills of the Peak District to the biting snowstorms of the poles.