Mention the brand Kathmandu and you don’t naturally make the leap in your mind to ‘wedding dresses’.
Tramping socks, yes. Puffer jackets, yes. But, bridalwear… that would be a no.
However, the popular outdoor adventure-wear brand has released its first all-weather wedding dress, and it’s white and flowy and everything.
The one-of-a-kind dress was created as an April Fool’s Day joke but it is both gorgeous and functional, and is being auctioned off on Trademe with the proceeds going to charity.
The Kathmandu All-Weather-Wedding-Dress is a collaboration between Kiwi fashion designer Tanya Carlson, Kathmandu, and GORE-TEX fabric, which is used extensively in the Kathmandu clothing range.
Designed by Carlson, the size eight creation is being auctioned on TradeMe with a start price of $1. The money raised will go to the New Zealand Himalayan Trust.
True to brand it is weather-proof, packs down into a travel-size bag and has many pockets and hidden zips.
The gown’s features include:
• Design engineered with GORE-TEX® product, enabling the dress to be waterproof yet functional
• A train that transforms into a cape with hood (take that, unexpected heavy rainfall)
• Large storage pockets inside the dress
• Internal zips that transform the length of the dress, taking the bride from altar to first waltz with ease and style
Inspired by Carlson’s Demi-Couture and wedding gown ranges, as well as the cleanly-angled mountains from the Kathmandu logo, the dress uses seven metres of GORE-TEX fabric cut and draped in a continuous line to create a classic Carlson silhouette with minimal seams.
Inside, the gown is lined in fine blue merino wool.
The lucky bride who wins the auction will “now have the chance to choose from the world’s most remote locations for their big day”, and “feel prepared to take on any adventure”, enthuses Kathmandu General Manager – Product , Ben Ryan.
And her wedding guests will just have to come, well, prepared for any weather.
