Since even before the brand existed, Klaus Obermeyer saw skiing as more than a hobby or a sport: to him, it’s always been a lifestyle. On August 10, he and the team at Obermeyer — the iconic ski and snowboard outfitter founded in Aspen — are bringing their 80 years of expertise to the Aspen Fashion Week Après runway.
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The History of Obermeyer: Persistence and Innovation
The story of Obermeyer is inseparable from the story of its founder Klaus Obermeyer, a man whose life has been defined by movement, adaptation and ingenuity. From his escape from Nazi Germany (that started on skis, of course) to his entrance to America with only a few dollars in his pocket, Obermeyer’s patriarch is about as adaptable as they come.
Klaus Obermeyer landed in Aspen, CO around 1947. Having skiied since his early childhood, he quickly found work as a ski instructor alongside his friend and Aspen Ski Corporation co-founder, Friedl Pfeifer. On the slopes in Aspen, Obermeyer quickly noticed that many skiiers’ gears lacked the quality they needed for high altitude Rocky Mountain terrain. In response, he built Obermeyer, a winter sports outerwear brand founded to increase safety and fun on the slopes. Over the past 80 years, the outfitter has grown into one of the most quietly influential outwear companies in American history.
Without Obermeyer, much of the ski gear we know today wouldn’t exist. Klaus Obermeyer made the first down ski jacket from his old down comforter. He introduced mirrored lenses into sunglass design, changing the accessory forever. Sport Obermeyer made the first ski brakes, double lens goggles and effective sunscreen for high altitude alpine environments; and (with the help of his wife Nome) Obermeyer has historically catered to the fashion-forward ski crowd with flattering silhouettes and playful colors.
Simultaneously adapting to trends and listening to real skiiers’ needs, Obermeyer is built on innovation, user experience and ski gear that looks as good as it feels. The result was outerwear that skiiers could trust for not only performance but longevity, centering sustainability and customer trust.
“Obermeyer was created to share the magic of winter and skiing, to enhance connectivity and to facilitate self-expression. So, those principles are constant and they’re guiding whatever evolution happens with the brand,” Klaus Obermeyer Jr. told Après, the storytelling publication for The Little Nell. “We’re using them to drive innovations that bring joy, that are functional, that are responsibly sourced and take into consideration sustainability. For instance, we work with high-tech fabrics and use the newest and latest technology to build things that last not just seasons, but generations.”
When customers purchase Obermeyer gear, they’re not only investing in quality products they can trust: they’re participating in living legacy and ski history in the making.
Obermeyer Will Show Collection At Aspen Fashion Week
Guided by Nome Obermeyer’s sharp eye for both classic fashion and trends, the family’s brand is well-loved for ski gear with both purpose and steeze. Obermeyer will bring its vision to the runway at Aspen Fashion Week’s Après runway on August 10, marking a new kind of debut for a brand more often seen on chairlifts than runways.
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This appearance feels like a natural extension of the brand’s roots. After all, Obermeyer was born in Aspen. Its first designs were tested on these slopes, its earliest catalog was shot just a few miles from where models will now walk. It’s presence on the AFW Après runway isn’t just a perfect fit: it’s practically a requirement.
It’s collection at Aspen Fashion Week will highlight the technical refinement, mountain heritage and playful purpose that have always defined the brand — with a little bit of the brand’s trademark innovation, of course. This season, they’re predicted to spotlight their women’s lifestyle pieces and outerwear, marking both a new chapter in Obermeyer history and a continuence of their reputation for helping all skiiers stay safe and have fun on the slopes.
With 80 years of experience and 105 years on this planet, Klaus Obermeyer knows his way around ski gear. And the brand he built remains committed to the core values of alpine utility, innovation, longevity and good clean fun.
As a brand that helped define the look and feel of winter sports, it’s only fitting that its next chapter begins right where it started: in Aspen.
Aspen Fashion Week will take place August 7-10 at Aspen Meadows Walter Paepcke Memorial Building’s East Lawn, 1000 N 3rd St. Aspen, CO 81611. Tickets and event line-up can be found here.
