Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, 7L has navigated its way through adverse challenges, reigniting its spark to deliver a technical showcase. Now, as the dust begins to settle, it looks forward to delivering its biggest gear selection thus far with the arrival of its FW22 collection.
Those tapped into the UK's technical brand offering may well be familiar with 7L (SEVENLAYER), though you'd be forgiven if it's not yet crossed your radar. Not because its offering is lacking; far from it; but as the brand hit a point of fast acceleration, a devastating event stalled its momentum.
As 7L's apparel offering continued to deliver on growth without any compromise on the quality of its technical prowess, amidst and beyond the peak of the pandemic, no less, a fire ripped through its warehouse, destroying its existing and archival stock.
An incredible challenge to overcome by any stretch of the imagination, the event pushed the brand and its founder Jamie Lundy to operate in the same manner as its garment – to overcome and adapt.
Clearly, everybody involved has met the challenges presented to them with great passion, dedication, and determination, as the first products of FW22 have rolled onto the new 7L site.
Before digging into the new product selection, for those unfamiliar, what exactly is 7L?
Inspired by military function and rooted in high performance and style, 7L is an exploration of archetype vintage military and modern-day technical layering systems (Extreme Cold Weather Clothing System); hence its name, SEVENLAYER.
With a close focus on the ECWCS concept as a means of developing individual, cross-functional layers, 7L has crafted a selection of top-tier outerwear technologies and fashionable apparel without any sacrifice on material or performance.
The layering system is formed of the base, which focuses on moisture management; the mid layer, which is the first level of insulation; an insulating thermal layer; and Field, which offers wind and rain protection. For layers five through seven, the focus is wind, rain, and, finally, protection from extreme cold.
Throughout the brand's life so far, an intense focus on the qualities required of each of these layers and how they can be produced stylistically has remained the focal point of design. FW22 is no different.
The collection's initial drop, available online now with select pieces available for pre-order, delivers on L1, L2, L3, L4, and L7.
A series of oversized lifestyle t-shirts with slick graphic applications make up a majority of the offering, with these attention-grabbing designs also interpreted across a selection of hoodies.
Where 7L flexes its muscles, however, is with layers 4 and 7. For layer 4, the Recon Parka steals the show thanks to its functional zipper pocket details, archetypical military silhouette, and seemingly adaptable hood.
The same level of adoration is certainly afforded to layer 7's Apollo Parka, which sports luxury Italian fabrics and a waterproof ripstop to ensure each element of the jacket's design is as high performing as it is aesthetic.
Despite setbacks, 7L's first delivery has shown that it's focused on making its way back up toward its peak, and with several drops scheduled to bring 2022 to a close while bringing 2023 to a grand opening, there's a lot to be excited about.
