Founded in 1966 in San Francisco and named after the most unforgiving side of a mountain, The North Face began as a hiking and mountaineering shop before becoming one of the world's leading outerwear brands. They continue to develop their performance apparel and alongside the mainline have launched several sub-brands including the Black Series. Merging functionality with streamlined urban design, the line includes sleek ripstop jackets, cargo pants, quilted vests and down jackets.