Drop Gloves
Gloves and mittens are an integral piece of maintaining comfort and warmth out on the mountain. Having a good pair of gloves can often mean the difference between having an awesome shred day and a lame one where you constantly are bumming hand warmers from your friends and sympathetic strangers. Boo!
.jpg)
One company, DROP MFG is designing gloves that are both functional and stylish. Lobster claw-looking hands, no more! DROP uses technical fabrics such as Gore-Tex® “Guaranteed To Keep You Dry,” DROP’s own Aquabloc® (ABK) Waterproof Breathability insert and Thinsulate® Supreme Insulation to help keep hands warm and dry and help snowboarders get the most out of their time on the mountain. There are also beanies, bandannas and riding socks available, all with great style and fabrics. Recent innovations include the Verde Series, which embraces using eco-friendly materials to make its gloves fashionable and reduce waste.
DROP MFG was founded in 1998, and today has offices ranging from Vermont to Quebec to California. Known for using advanced technology, smart design concepts and great product quality, DROP MFG has quickly become one of the top accessories brands in the market for snowboarders.
I had the opportunity to ask DROP’s senior designer, Chris Gougeon several questions about designing for DROP MFG.
What is your background?
On the personal side, I grew up snowboarding and skateboarding in Montreal, Canada. On the design side of things, I studied graphic design at Concordia University in Montreal.
What made you interested in design and led up to you becoming DROP’s head designer?
Growing up, I was always drawing/doodling, especially logos of some sort, whether I was coming up with logos for my own “some day” companies or copying the logos of my favorite brands at the time. Once I realized my aspirations of becoming a pro snowboarder were not going to come to fruition I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life. Graphics was an obvious answer to me and as a bonus was actually something really important within the skate/snow world I love so much. Although my background is graphic design, it’s what eventually led me to product development and design.
Do you think good design ability is something you learn over time, or is it instinctual?
I think creativity and a good sense of aesthetic are instinctual. Being able to use those things properly on any particular medium is something that’s learned over time. Gloves for example are quite a small canvas, and it took a while of working with them to find the balance of “too much” versus “too little.”
What are your inspirations as a designer, and what are some good traits a designer should have?
For some reason I’ve always taken a lot of inspiration from sneakers. As a teenager, alongside pages from the skate and snow mags, my walls were plastered with the latest “choose your weapon” or “it’s gotta be the shoes” campaigns. That’s actually worked out really well for my work with DROP as sneakers and gloves are a similarly small canvas.
Apart from that, I take inspiration from my world around me, whether it’s skate culture, music, art or fashion. I’ve always tended to live in a more city environment and had to travel to the mountains to ride, and I’d like to feel like that’s reflected in my style, whatever that may be. I think any designer’s personal surroundings are going to rub off on their designs, whether they like it or not.
I’m also lucky enough to design products that I, as a snowboarder, need! So a lot of ideas come from my own personal needs on the hill.
What do you struggle with the most as a designer?
I think the thing I struggle with the most is having the confidence that other people will be feelin’ what I’m feelin’ and just making yourself move forward with your instinct.
Do you have any advice or tips for those wanting to get started in design for snowboarding companies?
As with anything, work hard and inform yourself. Take some courses and educate yourself on the basics of design. I was lucky enough to get into this game before everyone with a Mac could call themselves a “designer.” But even in this day and age I think hard work, talent and knowledge will definitely shine through.
What are some design trends you foresee happening in the future of snowboarding?
I feel like, especially on the women’s side of things, we’ll continue to see a trend toward trims and details that don’t necessarily look like they belong on technical outdoor garments like fur trims, pea coat style buttons, buckles, etc.
What is your thought process when designing for women?
I tend to think our female customer is slightly more sophisticated (no offense guys), understated and more aware of what the fashion world is doing, so I try and use more “runway” influences on the women’s styles. I also tend to lean toward softer, rounded lines on our women’s product.
Are there any specific aspects in designing the women’s glove line that you must consider?
INSULATION! In general, whether it’s poorer circulation or the simple fact that smaller hands can’t hold as much blood, women’s hands need more help staying warm than men’s do. Style for style, our women’s line will always have at least 10% more insulation than its men’s counterpart.
Any standout styles, technologies, fabrics, etc in this year’s line that our readers should know about?
Definitely check out our women’s “Precious Verde” glove. Part of our new eco-friendly “Verde” collection, it’s made of recycled Thinsulate™ Insulation, recycled laminated soft-shell fabrics, and chrome-free leathers.
Who tests out and critiques your new glove designs each season?
A little bit of everyone; from our tight internal crew to our incredible team of athletes, our sales force, important retailers as well as industry friends and regular kids. We try and capture insight from wherever we can get it.
Final comments/advice/notes/etc for our readers?
Keep shredding!
Posted by freelance on 01/19
