I am a huge believer in both functionality and style. When it comes to outerwear, its hard to get more functional or stylish than Burton’s [ak] series. That functionality and style comes from Burton’s long-term partnership with the little-known design house FYI Design Department. FYI specializes in product development of technical outerwear that includes apparel, gloves, bags and backpacks. After a 5 year stint at Arctyeryx (including developing their revolutionary zipper technology), FYI founder, Tom Routh decided to set up his own design shop to capitalize on his knowledge and experience and apply it to projects he was passionate about. One thing that comes across about Tom in interviews is that he knows his stuff. He lives technical outerwear and pushes both fabrics and manufacturing processes to the next level.
I just picked up my second pair of Burton [ak] pants for the upcoming winter and I am positive it wont be the last time I buy an FYI designed product.
