What Even is a Purple Mountain Observatory?
Founded in 2021 by Matt Braun, Purple Mountain Observatory or PMO for the sake of character counts and repetition, is redefining outdoor clothing for a new generation of consumers moving between outdoor and urban environments with intention. The brand rejects the idea that performance and aesthetics, or form and function, cannot exist together in one garment - an archaic belief upheld by select heritage brands. Functionality and versatility are constant throughout its designs, connecting outerwear, base-layers, legwear, and accessories.
So, we’ve answered, ‘What even is a Purple Mountain Observatory?’, which brings us to the why: Why are we launching a collaboration with them? Curiosity. To ordinary people, what ifs, buts, how abouts, and no’s are like a brick wall. But, for designers and creatives, these challenges present an opportunity to find a solution. It’s this rational that laid the foundations for early discussions. ‘What would happen if two outdoor-adjacent brands collaborated on a collection centered around fly-fishing?’ There was only way to find out.
Immediately, we discovered clear parallels in our communities, worlds, and design philosophies. That design can become more than just something you wear. It led us to the idea of creating a collaboration around apparel and luggage using ALUULA Graflyte™, a cutting-edge innovative material with an unparalleled strength-to-weight ratio. The basis of our Weigh Darker™ and Weigh Lighter™ collections.
In collaboration with Purple Mountain Observatory, we’ve created ‘GONE FISHING’, a capsule collection born from a common interest in fly-fishing and its associated uniform. For fly-fishermen, functionality isn’t an afterthought. It’s built into their equipment, clothing, and gear. Collectively, we design with function and purpose.
The collection explores what happens when you step into a world you know little about. Drawn to fly fishing through curiosity, we collectively approached the discipline with fresh eyes, questioning its tools, traditions and possibilities. It’s about enabling adventures on your doorstep and far-flung places. From Norway’s wilderness to the streets of East London and beyond. Getting out there, anywhere, regardless of your skill level.
GONE FISHING launches on our online store on Thursday, August 27th.