Brand
From oil-borne canvas anoraks to award winning jackets
In 1928 the company began to supply Icelandic search and rescue teams, and they still do a century on.
Today we bring the power and beauty of the North to the world through our products. This means comfortable, warm & durable clothes that make life and activity possible on any occasion, in any climate.
Challenging the weather for nine decades
Winter is never very far away at 66°North. The Icelandic weather is infamous for being extremely unpredictable, offering different combinations of rain, wind, snow and sun every day. We’ve been challenging it for over nine decades; so we know a thing or two about versatility.
Our philosophy has always been that weather shouldn’t be an obstacle when it comes to going places. Our clothing is designed to be comfortable in everyday life but at the same time keep you prepared for the worst.
A valuable ally in the great outdoors
Since 1926, 66°North has operated their own factories. Today, majority of the production takes place in Europe. We work closely with high quality fabric manufacturers to offer the most innovative and versatile materials available. Trained mountaineers, outdoor professionals and rescue team members test our products before they are manufactured in our own factories under close supervision.
This is how we know that clothing from 66°North will keep you sheltered and comfortable during the cold and wet winter days in the city and serve as a valuable ally when you decide to push your own limits in the great outdoors.
We exist because we must
When 66°North was founded, Iceland was poor, and most of us earned our living from the ocean. As a small island nation where everyone knows everyone, our customers were our friends, family, and colleagues. Our DNA began here, making high-quality outerwear that was durable and repairable, to protect our community from risking their lives at sea.
While we’re still a small population at just under 400,000 people, we receive over 2 million visitors each year to experience Iceland’s wild beauty and unique landscape shaped by its volcanic past. As a country abundant with geothermal and hydroelectric energy, we’re incredibly fortunate to be naturally equipped for a low-emission future. This sets the business on strong foundations - we are certified carbon offset and run our headquarters and the majority of our stores on clean energy. Outside of Iceland, we use renewable energy in 78.9% of our operations and we are working hard to increase this.
Today, the livelihoods of many Icelanders are threatened by warming seas, and we see the impact of global warming first-hand in the glaciers that dominate our landscape. While our role as a manufacturer is to protect our customers, our responsibility as a business is to lessen our impact on the environment that we are so much a part of. Unlike many other brands, we make the majority of our clothes in factories that we own - this gives us far greater control over our footprint.
In our recent past, simply staying alive was a struggle, and resourcefulness (using what you have and making it last) is ingrained in our culture. In fashion, we call this our úlpa - a special Icelandic word to describe a single multipurpose jacket - that makes you ready for anything, and we rely on it for everyday life.
We are constantly reviewing and adjusting the range of styles to avoid excess production and in the past four years, we have successfully reduced the number by half. Everything we make is approached with a circular mindset - designing and making products that are fit for purpose, made to last, repairable, and create minimal waste - with end-of-life considered at the beginning.
In 2021 we became a certified B Corp, joining a global community of brands meeting high standards of environmental and social impact. Icelandic values are the values of our business; we are very proud to be acknowledged as one of the world’s most gender-equal countries. This is reflected in the joint ownership of 66 North by husband and wife team Helgi Oskarrson and Bjarney Harðardóttir who have been brand guardians since 2011.