The Aspen Fashion Week team had the unique opportunity to get the inside scoop on what’s ahead for, and what’s behind AFW foundation partner, the Marmot brand.  We asked all the questions you wanted to know about what matters most – fashion AND function. Check out what the Marmot team had to say:

What does the Marmot brand mean today?
We’ve operated on three guiding principles since 1974: innovation, durability and authenticity. That triumvirate still holds true today for Marmot—not just for our products, but for the company as a whole.

What can guests expect from Marmot at Aspen Fashion Week?
For The Snowstage, we have an excellent Fall 2012 showcase of fresh, bold styles for both men and women in vibrant, saturated and clear colors. Our 40 looks are going to dazzle après-ski champagne swillers… We’re also hosting another “Tequila & Tacos” party at our Marmot retail store location which was a huge success a couple of years ago.

What is the inspiration for Marmot products?
Our design ethos is clean, modern, sophisticated—and understated. We have an in-house design team that assimilates outdoor, ski and fashion sensibilities on a global scale; Marmot is distributed in 56 countries throughout Europe, Asia and North America.

We got a preview at the SIA Show, and loved the bright colors of next year’s collection. How does the design team choose their new shades each year?
We take color-cues from the outdoor and ski, as well as, the fashion world. It’s a lengthy process that evolves from various starting points….we have several color ‘oracles’ at Marmot that launch the process, but it is really a team effort.

How would you layer for a powder day?
For Aspen (in March on a powder day—and we hope we get one during Aspen Fashion Week!) We’d wear Marmot’s mid-weight base layer and then our award-winning Variant Jacket as a mid-layer, which is constructed with a light layer of synthetic insulation on the core area. We’d cover up with our Freerider Shell Jacket, made with Gore-Tex® and finished with a durable face fabric so you could poach some tree skiing with a little added abrasion protection.

Which lightweight jacket would you recommend for bluebird skiing?
We would recommend Marmot’s Silverton Jacket made with Gore-Tex^® Pro Shell. It’s super light—about a pound—but it’s a fully-featured shell, perfect for Highlands Bowl when the wind kicks up.

Marmot offers such incredible performance gear. Is there anything cutting-edge we can anticipate for the 2012 season?
Check out the Dawn Patrol Jacket for women and the LZ Jacket for men on the Aspen Fashion Week Snowstage—both designs were created with serious freeride skiers in mind—they’re podium-finishers, for sure.

Tell me a little bit about your global message of People/Product/Planet.
That’s our top-line brand message to our customers and a commitment to ourselves: At Marmot we value our customers, partner organizations and our employees. We’re committed to building the best possible ski and outdoor clothing and equipment anywhere. We’re distributed world-wide, with a focus on conservation, sustainability and global stewardship. It’s what we mean by “Marmot For Life.”

The AFW team is definitely “Marmot for Life;”  the quality, performance, style, and commitment to our planet makes Marmot a company that is truly hard to beat. Come to Aspen Fashion Week, March 11-14, to be one of the first to see what this cutting-edge company will be offering for next ski season at The Snowstage on Monday, March 12 from 3-6 pm and at their store on Tuesday from 6-8 pm. Get your tickets now to ensure your spot at all the runway shows. See you there!