As Yvon Chouinard Is Honoured At The Fashion Awards, Here Are The Best Things To Buy From Patagonia

Earlier this year, Patagonia took an unprecedented step towards saving our planet. Yvon Chouinard, the brand's founder, effectively gave away the company he started in 1973. According to his open letter on the website, 'Earth is now our shareholder.' What they're doing is 'going purpose' instead of 'going public': '100% of the company’s voting stock transfers to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values; and 100% of the nonvoting stock had been given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature.' It's an incredible move towards safeguarding the interests of the planet for future generations.

At The Fashion Awards, Chouinard received the Outstanding Achievement Award, which was presented by Elizabeth Debicki. Chouinard never actually intended to be a businessman. As he writes in his letter, he started off as more of a craftsman and climbing enthusiast who made gear for himself and his friends. Nevertheless, Patagonia has become synonymous with the kind of sturdy yet subtly stylish outdoor clothing that will stand the test of time. It also, inadvertently perhaps, has become the de facto uniform of certain Silicon Valley Tech Bros, who tend to wear its lightweight fleece jackets or vests with their button-down shirts and chinos.

If you're in the market for either, there's even more reason to shop at Patagonia. 'If we have any hope of a thriving planet - much less a thriving business - 50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have.'