Unless you have an aversion to great outerwear, it's likely you've stumbled across Hiking Patrol, the IG account opened by Oslo-based creative Wai Tsui that spotlights the best parts of a stylish outdoors-y lifestyle.
Founded in 2019, Hiking Patrol’s goal is a simple one: to host a platform that celebrates an outdoor lifestyle, but also promotes creativity and collaboration among those with a profound appreciation for it too.
In layman's terms: Hiking Patrol is an IG account for outerwear-obsessed men to gawp over, and if its 205,000 followers are anything to go by, it's working.
For 2024, though, Tsui is taken Hiking Patrol to the next level by launching a self-titled outerwear line for Fall/Winter, the first products of which were previewed during last month’s Paris Fashion Week.
“Our deepened understanding of our audience’s needs revealed the chance to offer something simple in the space of quiet outdoors," Tsui tells Highsnobiety.
“We aimed to create apparel that embodies a lifestyle many aspire to one that merges the dynamism of the city with the inspiration from the outdoors.
"It’s designed for the modern individual who navigates the intersection of city life and the outdoors.”
Despite this being Hiking Patrol’s first standalone collection, the world of fashion isn’t an entirely new one for Tsui.
Last year Hiking Patrol teamed up with famed outerwear labels KEEN and MAMMUT for two separate footwear releases, while in Paris Tsui also confirmed that he’s working on projects with Diemme and Reebok for later this year.
Creating and designing clothing though? That’s new to both Tsui and Hiking Patrol, although the designer is clear to point out that this expansion is more than just another brand entering an already-busy market, but a way of Hiking Patrol really making a statement.
“This isn’t just us offering apparel,” he says. “We’re providing a statement of identity that is independent of visible branding. Our offerings are distinctive for their unbranded, affordable, high-quality technical apparel designed to let the product itself make the statement.”
This subtle and unbranded approach Tsui describes certainly nods to the quiet outdoor trend, which is, for want of a better phrase, an outside version of 2023's quiet luxury movement.
“We believe that true quality doesn’t need to be shouted about: it’s felt in the materials and experienced in the product’s durability and functionality,” says Tsui.
“By forgoing overt logos and branding, we ensure that the spotlight remains on the individuality of the wearer and the versatility of the apparel.”
Although Hiking Patrol can now consider itself a fully-fledged fashion brand with presumably many more plates to spin, Tsui is adamant that he will continue to run the brand’s Instagram account as he has done since day dot.
“We plan to keep it as a curated digital space dedicated to lifestyle and outdoor exploration. We’re committed to continuing the good work we’ve been doing since the start. Nothing will change that.”
Hiking Patrol’s first collection — which features everything from outerwear and leg wear to headwear and backpacks — is expected to land later this year by way of a currently-offline webstore.
With Hiking Patrol, Tsui has already proven he has an eye for objectively stylish and functional designs, but now, thanks to the launch of Hiking Patrol’s clothing line, he can show us exactly how he’s interpreting it, too.
