50th Anniversary Commemorative Products Released in Succession
50th Anniversary Commemorative Exhibition to be Held from the End of This Month
Kolon Industries FnC division (Kolon FnC) outdoor brand Kolon Sports is celebrating its 50th anniversary since its brand launch.
Kolon Sports announced on the 17th that it will continue the fall/winter (FW) season with limited edition product releases and the opening of a microsite to commemorate the brand's 50th anniversary.
Kolon Sports is Korea's first outdoor brand, launched in 1973. It opened the era of leisure culture in Korea and has been part of every stage of its growth and maturity.
In 2020, Kolon Sports announced an eco-friendly policy through media reports, aiming to produce 50% of all Kolon Sports products using eco-friendly materials and processes by 2023, the brand's 50th anniversary. This season, the goal was achieved.
So far, Kolon Sports has produced collections using 100% eco-friendly materials and healthy processes through the 'Noah Project,' a campaign to protect endangered flora and fauna. It released vegan leather made from discarded apples and hiking shoes called 'MOVE EARTH' made from recycled firefighting suits.
A microsite called 'Kolon Sports Archive,' where visitors can view the 50-year history of Kolon Sports, which has shared the trajectory of Korea's leisure culture, will also be launched. It will introduce the development stories of key products that marked important milestones for the Kolon Sports brand, as well as patented technologies held by Kolon Sports through research and development (R&D).
The sponsorship history that accompanied Korea's high-altitude mountaineering history, as well as clothing sponsorships for national athletes at events such as the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, will also be showcased. The history shared with customers can also be explored. Kolon Sports' foundation and heritage will be introduced through Kolon Mountaineering School, Smart Mountaineering Class, and the Korea Youth Wilderness Exploration Team, which have cultivated Korean mountaineering culture over the past 50 years.
This heritage also strengthened the release of the 50th anniversary commemorative products. Among them, the most eye-catching is the hiking shoe named 2744, after the elevation of Baekdu Mountain at 2,744 meters. Kolon Sports is launching the 2744 Special Edition to celebrate the brand's 50th anniversary. The upper uses TerraCare Pure leather from Tannerline Heinen, a premium German leather. The outsole features an exclusive sole developed in collaboration with Vibram specifically for the 2744. The shoe case, insole, and inner paper are designed using graphics of Daedongyeojido, a historic Korean map that shows all mountains in Korea, reviving the significance of the 50th anniversary.
A 50th anniversary camouflage graphic was developed and applied to various products. It expresses the tree rings of a tree that has experienced 50 seasons, granite which covers more than two-thirds of the Korean Peninsula, and Kolon Sports' evergreen BI. It was applied to down products like Hestia, Moment Chair, caps, backpacks, and more, further emphasizing Kolon Sports' heritage.
Han Kyung-ae, Vice President of Kolon FnC, who oversees Kolon Sports, said, "Since 1973 until now, Kolon Sports has breathed alongside Korea's leisure culture," adding, "To look back on the past 50 years and look forward to the next 50 years, Kolon Sports will continue to move forward."
Kolon Sports plans to hold an exhibition themed 'EVERGREEN ENERGY' from the end of this month to commemorate the brand's 50th anniversary.
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