The Rebirth of Holden, Snowboarding's Original Lifestyle Brand

Holden goes deep in snowboarding. Founded in 2002 by pro-snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc and friends, the outerwear and lifestyle brand for men and women was a breath of fresh air during a time in action sports where every snowboard shop was filled with Johnny Tsunami-esq gear. When baggy was trending, Holden was tailored. When neon colors and bright designs were hillside, Holden had the antidote in neutrals, camo, and mellow hues.

Even though most brands have taken a street-style approach by now (seriously, a decade ago finding simple "tan pants" that weren't hugely oversized was next to impossible), Holden has always been a snowboard company designing for the riders who wanted to still feel good when they grabbed a beer after boarding. It wouldn't be a stretch to say they pushed the lifestyle movement in snowboarding mainstream.

That's why the recent re-brand—which launched this past Fall 2018—was something the Holden team wanted to do to bring the company into a larger competitive set. The rebrand, as told by Holden's President and Partner Adam Shiffman, "has helped elevate and modernize the entire brand presentation. We've really begun diversifying our product offerings and are no longer such a strictly dedicated snow brand."

"Our Fall 2019 collection," Shiffman continues, "which will hit stores in September 2019, includes a variety of authentic, performance-oriented technical outerwear pieces, as well as ready-to-wear sportswear... speaking to new customers and crossing into a new realm of retailers."

With a new mission statement and logo to match, Holden 2.0 is coined as "a spirit-science hybrid; an artistic proposition with a technical mindset," merging functional and fashionable outerwear with an eco-friendlier approach. With trackable down fill, Polartec Power Stretch Pro fabric, and a new refreshed color palate across the product line, pieces like the Down Shorts(a particular favorite at Field Mag HQ), classic Down Hoodie, and M-51 fishtail coat (built with premium Japanese Fabric) stand out as updated yet still timelessly Holden.

Shiffman explains, "for each garment, we put a lot of attention on designing for both sides of the equation, for men and women. We want people to look sharp and feel good in our clothes. Equally so, we want people to feel confident that our products can and will work for them on a technical level—come snow, wind, rain, or shine."

As a brand that has always kept riders in mind, the values of Holden continue to stay true to the mission from 2002, creating "iconic and versatile pieces of unrivaled quality, for life on and beyond the mountains."

And if there's any worry of another shift, Shiffman reassures, "The future of Holden is to stick to what we do best."