Everybody stay calm; this is not a drill – BEAMS x Arc'teryx is back for FW22, and not only that, it's bringing its cherished patchworks to the global stage with an international release.
If you've ever lurked the Arc'teryx Talk UK/EU Facebook page or flicked through a thread or two on the Arc' subreddit, you'll have spotted a healthy handful of patchwork jackets on wishlists or occasionally up for grabs.
These special edition pieces are the handiwork of BEAMS, and you don't have to be an expert on the brand to know that they're hot.
A partnership that for many is the holy grail of Arc'teryx, the BEAMS collaborations began rolling out back in 2001 as part of its 25th anniversary celebrations.
An instant success, the collaboration has continued as the duo maintained their relationship for over two decades. Each year, they offer up a series of jackets (typically Beta SLs) or bags usually region-locked to Japan, each unique and instantly recognizable due to the stylish colorways or high-contrast color-blocking.
Many have fought tooth and nail trying to secure their favorites — mine has to be the SS14 Beta SL — while others (looking at you, Drake) have tapped in with ease, despite many Arc fans residing overseas.
Well, with the arrival of BEAMS & Arc'teryx's FW22 collection, "DIMENSIONS," regional restrictions are a thing of the past.
Promised to arrive outside of Japan for the first time — through Arc'teryx's web store and physical retailers in the US, UK, Canada, and China — BEAMS x Arc'teryx FW22 dials up the patchwork aesthetic up a notch with a blend of white, black, beige, and grey, as jackets are emblazoned with an oversized Arc' bird logo at the sleeve.
Alongside the GORE-TEX Beta jacket (¥56,100, about $420) — itself the crown jewel of so many previous BEAMS x Arc'teryx drops — is a Mantis 26 Backpack (¥22,000, about $165), the Mantis 2 waist pack (¥6,600, about $50), and Mantis 1 waist pack (¥6,050, about $45) in matching color schemes.
While the collection touches down in Japan via BEAMS' web store on August 26, we'll need to wait a little longer to find out when we can get our fix in the west.
