30 years ago, an icon was born. Named after a remote peak in the Himalayas, the Nuptse was built with extreme warmth at the time and relied upon in high alpine environments and on the streets around the world. Now, the original '92 Nuptse is reborn for 2022, sporting the original blue and red colourways, plus a new black and white print to commemorate the 30th anniversary.
"The North Face origin and designs have always prioritised construction for the most extreme conditions with functional style, creating a unique ability to be trusted by all explorers for more than 55 years", says Tim Hamilton, Global Creative Vice President at The North Face, "The Nuptse embodies these design principles with its timelessness and is proud to commemorate its 30th Anniversary with a design that perfectly celebrates where it started and where it is today."
Not to be confused with The North Face Icons RMST Nuptse, which married classic silhouettes with modern technologies, the '92 Nuptse Collection is a stitch-for-stitch replica of its 1992 counterpart, emblazoned with commemorative patches to mark the big date. If you happen to be too young to buy the jacket in the early 90s, now is your chance to relive the glory days of fashion.
The North Face Nuptse Jacket: A short history
In 1987, Director of Equipment at The North Face Sally McCoy was part of the Snowbird Everest Expedition, inspiring the creation of perennial outwear classics named after the peaks and glaciers in the area. Five years later, in 1992, The North Face introduced the original Nuptse Jacket, incorporating an innovative new baffle construction that minimises shifting of the down and increases warmth. Some milestones in the history of the Nuptse jacket:
- 1992: The Nuptse debuts as part of the Expedition System, designed by Ingrid Harshbarger.
- 1996: The Nupste is slightly updated to stay with jacket trends while honouring much of its iconic and nostalgic silhouette.
- 2011: The first brand collaboration to feature a Nuptse release (Supreme x The North Face Nuptse Jacket), which continues to be iterated and reimagined. Prominent celebrities, musicians, creatives and cultural figures are seen wearing them.
- 2016: All down used in the Nuptse is certified to the Responsible Down Standard. A significant step towards sustainability for the brand.
- 2017: With the '96 Nuptse re-release, TNF "threw back the design to celebrate the jacket's origins and begin the conversation of how their iconic jackets evolved throughout history."
- 2019: The North Face launched the first 100% recycled Nuptse.
- 2020: The North Face launches its first collaboration with Gucci, which features the 1992 Nuptse
Since its inception, the Nuptse Jacket has become the iconic puffy jacket that thrives in cold weather conditions, as well as a cultural symbol showcased in music videos and as much as home in Berlin as a Himalayan base camp. And although it's likely you won't be wearing the `92 Nuptse on your next South Pole expedition, wherever you are, rest assured this jacket will keep you toasty (physically) and cool (metaphorically) simultaneously.
The ’92 Nuptse is available in the iconic TNF Red, TNF Blue, and a special Retro Anniversary black and white pattern. It's available from 30 November 2022 at The North Face and in select The North Face stores for a recommended retail price of £310 (approx. $372/AU$552).
