THEWALL STREET JOURNAL. * * * * Saturday/Sunday, January 2 - 3, 2021 | D1

NOT QUITEMEATLESSWant to cut back but not go

full-vegetarian? Try these recipes D5

WHERE DÉCOR TRENDS ARE HEADINGWe asked over 200 design proswhat’s in and out for 2021 D7

NEWBORN BOTTLESLettie Teague investigates the curiousphenomenon of ‘baby wines’ D4

SNOWCONDITIONSEscape to Vermont—if you’re willing totake a few Covid precautions D6

Inside

You, Sir, AreNo MustangFord’s cynicallynamed newelectric car

D8

Why ClogsAre Clicking

The newvogue for anage-old shoe

D3

GORPCORE, namedfor the trail-mixacronym that’sshort for “goodol’ raisins andpeanuts,” repre-sents the conver-

gence of outdoorsy gear and morequotidian men’s fashion. Think ofthe technical parkas and backpacksyou’d wear while nibbling on nutsand dried fruit during a hike up amountain. Now transfer that samegear to city streets, maybe pairedwith your prosaic sneakers.

The term “gorpcore”—coined byNew York Magazine’s style site theCut in 2017—has been bubbling upin men’s fashion for a few years. Itemerged as an outdoor-specific off-shoot of the 2010s’ normcoretrend, which recontextualized hum-ble, pragmatic clothes as lust-wor-thy fashion. The defining gorpianimage might be a photo (see D2) oftaciturn singer Frank Ocean trek-king to a Paris fashion show in2019 wearing a fitted, clementine-orange jacket by 159-year-old Swissmountaineering brand Mammutand a greenish beanie from 32-year-old North Vancouver outdoorbrand Arc’teryx, with bluejeans andhiking boots. He looks as if he’swandered off the Pacific Crest Trailand into the Tuileries.

That Mr. Ocean wore Arc’teryxand Mammut during fashion weekand not, say, Prada is telling. Gorp-core is not about designer labelscynically co-opting the outdoor look,creating fragile mountaineeringboots that look the part but wouldfalter on the trail. It’s about a deepappreciation of genuine, all-weatherbrands stretching from Japan’s AndWander to California’s Patagonia.

Those two brands represent twodistinct classes of gorpcore. AndWander, a Tokyo-based labelfounded in 2011, is one of severalrelatively new brands that sellhigh-design gear that could never-theless withstand a toe-tinglingwinter squall. Think fleeces withreflective details and sturdypocket-packed poly pants. Also inthis category: fellow Japanese la-bels Snow Peak and F/CE, theSwedish cold-weather brand Houd-ini, and Gyakusou, a Nike offshootfocused on running garb.

The other class of gorpcorebrands—including REI, Marmot andPatagonia—are long-established stal-warts traditionally valued for placingfunction over design. Freshly covetedby young gorpcore fanatics, thisgroup includes seasoned globalbrands like Helly Hansen (Norway)and Goldwin (Japan), and cultier,trail-rooted labels such as Gramicci,Manastash and La Sportiva.

The events of the past year haveturbocharged the gorpcore trend. AsTristin Dorsey, a 22-year-old gorpzealot, said, when gyms closed dueto Covid lockdowns, more peoplestarted exercising outside and iden-tifying with that lifestyle. “I findmyself outdoors most days, whetherit’s hiking or climbing or stuff likethat,” said Mr. Dorsey, a student inFort Collins, Colo. On the trail andin his everyday life he wears go-anywhere water-resistant Helly Han-sen nylon pants and thick-soled yethandsome hiking boots from Italianlabel Roa.

Gorp fans worship practicality,but they also cherish the hints ofhigh design that brands lace intotheir outdoor gear. La Sportiva’strail shoes offer traction but aren’tjust functional black blobs. Theycome in enticing yellow and olivecolor schemes. Snow Peak’s MM FRRiders Down Jacket isn’t just water-proof and wind-resistant, it also hasan intriguing asymmetrical zip de-sign. And while Patagonia wouldnever be mistaken for a Parisianfashion label, its plush fleeces boast

PleaseturntopageD2

BY JACOB GALLAGHER

JASO

NRA

ISH

OFF DUTYFASHION | FOOD | DESIGN | TRAVEL | GEAR

OutdoorGear Is In

Why urbanites are adoptingEverest-worthy ‘gorpcore’

wear for the everyday

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THEWALL STREET JOURNAL. * * * * Saturday/Sunday, January 2 - 3, 2021 | D7

We asked 200 design pros which trends feel fresh vs. finished as we enter a new year. They forecast a hunger forhushed, murky rooms and hardware-less kitchen cupboards—and a quick fade for farmhouse white and open shelving.

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Lab-Like BathroomsWhile we still need me-time in the bath tomaintain our sanity, the white-on-white loohas lost its allure. “Bathrooms have becomeless austere, less like operating theaters,”said Boston designer Mally Skok. Once-

popular materials are faltering.“Bookmatched marble is so beautiful, but it’salmost echo-y white. It feels cold,” said Ms.

Skok. And Sara Hillery, a designer inRichmond, Va., finds fabricated quartz lookstoo manufactured: “Design trends are

headed toward a softer, more natural look,and these man-made options fall short.”

Glitzy TextilesMiami designer Allen Saunders, amongothers, foresees a rejection of slick

surfaces in general. Mr. Jeffers zeroed inon shiny fabrics, a played-out way tobestow a design scheme with glossy

glamour. “They give this connotation of adressier room, which people are just not asexcited about these days,” he said. As

pillows or upholstery, these light-catchinglamés and shimmery satins not only lookchilly, they skimp on tactile comfort.

“They’re a little harder in terms of theirtouch and hand,” he said.

Matte Black FixturesIndustrial and farmhouse trends ushered inflat black faucets, but they’re now headingout. “Black is one-dimensional...really

visually bold and heavy,” said Indianapolisdesigner Whittney Parkinson. The color“immediately draws your eye to anelement that shouldn’t have much

relevance.” Ms. Parkinson also noted thatsome manufacturers spray on the blackfinish, which means it will eventually

scratch off. “People want pieces they feelwill age really well,” she said, versus onesthat must be replaced in a few years.

Chaos-Courting Open ShelvingSure, floating shelves look great in photos

when styled by a pro or even by alayperson with a good eye. The rest of usstruggle to keep exposed tableware lookingorganized and pretty, which has scuttledthis “deconstructed kitchen” trend. “Forsome, open shelving always felt too

cluttered,” said Kobi Karp, principal of theeponymous architecture and interior-designfirm, in Miami. Another reason to shelfopen shelving: Dishes end up covered in

(unappetizing, time-consuming)dust and grease.

Modern FarmhouseWith apologies to Chip and Joanna Gaines,who popularized the farmhouse look onHGTV’s “Fixer Upper,” its white shiplapwalls, fauxtiques and dark metal detailsare being sent to pasture. “People wanthome to represent who they are and thelife they’ve led,” said Dallas designer

Michelle Nussbaumer. “Farmhouse is tooquiet, too not-real.” Another agri-featuregetting the ax: sliding barn doors. Evenclosed they leave gaps, so they only workin places where sound and privacy are notan issue, said Mr. Karp. Places like a barn.

Open-Air ShowersMeanwhile, the al fresco shower hasacquired powerful appeal, part of the

continuing push to “make the outdoor aswell-designed and comfortable as the

indoor,” as New York architect West Chinput it. San Francisco designer Jay Jeffers,

who often installs showers like theone at right on clients’ properties in

Napa Valley, points to the dreamy senseof escape they conjure. “You’re almostin a different world—Mexico or the

Cayman Islands or Anguilla—somewhereelse that’s not your home.”

Fabrics That Feel GoodWe’re gravitating to touchable textiles likevelvet, mohair and soft bouclé, said RobbieMcMillan, co-owner and lead designer ofAubreyMaxwell in San Francisco. “Bouclé iseverywhere,” concurred Andrew Kline, designdirector at New York’s Workshop/APD. “Wehave nowhere to go in our Chanel blazers, sowe’re translating the look to sofas,” he said.Elizabeth Cooper, another Bay Area designer,highlighted furry alternatives such as alpaca

(see the Arhaus pillow at right), whileBethesda, Md., designer Marika Meyer likes

the tactility of crewel embroidery.

Faucets You Can Talk ToWant to minimize contact with germy

handles and taps? Just connect Siri or Alexato a voice-activated fixture. “You can say,‘Faucet, two cups of water.’ You put the panunder and it dispenses two cups!” said

Sacramento, Calif., designer Kerrie Kelly. Youcan also program the flow’s temperature

and duration for, say, rinsing dishes. DesignerDennese Guadeloupe Rojas, in Silver Lake,Md., points out that touchless faucets don’tget dirty in the first place, so finishes likematte white, as on the version at right byJason Wu for Brizo, stay looking clean.

Neat Cabinets Sans Hardware“Since cabinetry usually takes up most ofthe space in kitchens, a ton of exposedhardware can create an eyesore,” saidHouston designer Nina Magon. For aserenely seamless facade and an open-sesame effect, look for push latches. Alsogood: drawers with grabbable undersideslike the ones at right, made by Londonkitchen company Lanserring. The result isa decidedly more tidy kitchen. “It expressesthe less-is-more approach and helps focus

on the beauty of the cabinetry andsurfaces,” said Ms. Magon.

Dusky RoomsDesign pros are noting a shift to darker,

moodier spaces, like this emerald-envelopedbar at right, by Atlanta designer MelanieTurner. Ms. Kelly noted that in kitchens,warm woods are being mixed with deepgreen or blue paint. Mr. Jeffers predicts

those colors, plus dark gray, will also surfacein bedrooms: “Deep tones evoke calm andmake the perfect sleeping atmosphere.”

Andrea Goldman’s team, in Chicago, createsat least one cozy, relaxing space per project:“We start with wall color, using darker jewel

hues.” —Kathryn O’Shea-Evans

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