Today we are humbled and excited to announce the launch of The North Face’s first Himalayan Suit designed specifically for women. Frankly, it is long overdue. 

The original Himalayan Suit was designed to protect high-altitude climbers on expeditions to the world’s highest peaks and most extreme environments. This technology quickly became the industry standard and has been an iconic offering from The North Face since 1994. 

The North Face Women’s Himalayan Suit Photo courtesy of The North Face

The women on The North Face Athlete Team have pushed the boundaries of human potential and achieved incredible feats in the world’s most challenging environments – and they’ve done it all in a Himalayan Suit that wasn’t designed specifically for them. 

Today, that changes. 

The new 2023 The North Face Women’s Himalayan Suit was designed for women athletes by a team of women athletes, designers, and product experts, to ensure that the women who wear it can trust they are protected and expedition-ready in the harshest weather conditions. 

Dawa Yangzum Sherpa is one of our esteemed athletes who has climbed Everest, Mt. Checki, and Mt. Langdung among countless other peaks. Dawa worked closely alongside The North Face product designers to share her feedback on the original Himalayan Suit so that all updates could be made with her lived experiences in mind. Dawa was integral to the suit’s testing process, and she validated our prototype by wearing it to complete five 8,000 meter climbs. 

The intentionality and nuances behind this product design took years to achieve, and we are grateful to Dawa and to the other women athletes who contributed to its design and development. 

While this is just one step towards a more equitable outdoor industry – we’re proud it’s [finally] here. The North Face is committed to continually expanding our range of women’s gear for extreme mountain and everyday adventures. 

To all the women out there, we cannot wait to see what you accomplish in this Himalayan Suit. 

Nicole Otto, Global Brand President
Jennifer Ingraffea, Chief Product & Merchandising Officer Sophie Bambuck, Chief Marketing Officer