Descente To Close North American Skiwear Subsidiary

[Lvovsky /Pasha/Pavel]

I was talking to staff at Ski Santa Fe shop and they said they will not be able to order more Descente gear for next (2020/2021) season. They did not know details of why but also said that it may comeback for the 21/22 season. Little bit of searching uncovered that "The company decided to suspend its business by around the end of fiscal year 2020 because it reached to the conclusion that a fundamental restructuring is needed for redevelopment of its brand strategy in North America and Canada"
here is link with more:
https://sgbonline.com/descente-to-close-north-american-skiwear-subsidiary/

mods: please move it to industry news if it belongs there more than here.

 

[BMC]

Interesting.

I perceive them to be very much in-bounds expensive Euro resort but functional wear. Maybe popular with racers? I really associate them, perhaps unfairly (?) with those awful Star Trek style things they did in the nineties eek

Perhaps there’s not much appeal in NA for ski wear with that association?

 

[Philpug]

There has been a hostile takeover at the company. We hope to see Descente back in the US market for 21/22.

 

[tube77]

That’s good news

 

[Lvovsky /Pasha/Pavel]

That’s good news

Why?

 

[Lvovsky /Pasha/Pavel]

There has been a hostile takeover at the company. We hope to see Descente back in the US market for 21/22.

Very interesting... googling/reading about it right now... So the member of the founding family has been ousted.

 

[Lvovsky /Pasha/Pavel]

Interesting.

I perceive them to be very much in-bounds expensive Euro resort but functional wear. Maybe popular with racers? I really associate them, perhaps unfairly (?) with those awful Star Trek style things they did in the nineties eek

Perhaps there’s not much appeal in NA for ski wear with that association?

Retail price is on par with other brands or so it seems. They could benefit from better marketing. FFS they could have more than one image for a $500+ jacket with some close ups highlighting all the features that (supposedly) drive the price.

 

[Brian Finch]

FWIW, I’ve found their stuff to be the best in the industry- yes that’s a bold statement, but I have 200 days on a jacket & it looks brand new; can’t say that about any other brand.

 

[Noodler]

FWIW, I’ve found their stuff to be the best in the industry- yes that’s a bold statement, but I have 200 days on a jacket & it looks brand new; can’t say that about any other brand.

I have to agree. Best quality and functionality I've ever owned (and I've had a lot of gear). I'm disappointed to learn of this. Would someone post the links to the back story on what's happening?

 

[Jilly]

I had a one piece years ago and my red ski school uniform was the warmest suit I've ever worn. I heard something about this last weekend at Tremblant. Their snow school uniforms are Descente.

 

[mdf]

My current and all-time favorite ski pants are Descente. I have held off on buying a new o e because i dont like the current colors as much. I was hoping they would change again to something i like better. Guess that isnt going to happen.

 

[cantunamunch]

FWIW, I’ve found their stuff to be the best in the industry- yes that’s a bold statement, but I have 200 days on a jacket & it looks brand new; can’t say that about any other brand.

Yup. Never really got into the DNA subsidiary tho. The one with the Placoderm fossil/skeleton.

I had a one piece years ago and my red ski school uniform was the warmest suit I've ever worn. I heard something about this last weekend at Tremblant. Their snow school uniforms are Descente.

Anyone else here also use their bike gear?

 

[trailtrimmer]

I certainly hope they come back and keep the current size patterns. I have a hard time getting a proper fit with half the brands out there. Descente and the more euro brands actually fit. North face, Patagonia, etc, are either too short in the sleeves or hang like a bed sheet.

 

[Rudi Riet]

I certainly hope they come back and keep the current size patterns. I have a hard time getting a proper fit with half the brands out there. Descente and the more euro brands actually fit. North face, Patagonia, etc, are either too short in the sleeves or hang like a bed sheet.

Same here! I'm a tall, slim cyclist build. My DNA shell has lasted me over 10 years and still works well. Yes, some features look weathered, but where it counts - fabric durability, water resistance, fixtures - it's still rock solid. And the cut is perfect for me: slim in the torso, long in the arms.

I can't say that about many other things in my wardrobe. So many other brands just aren't cut properly for my build, and those that are often have so-so build quality.

 

[James]

A few years ago shopping for a jacket, Descente had the most innovative wrist cuff closure I’ve seen. Good product. Sizing was off for Norrh America. A XXL was like a L in some brands.
One prob they’ve had is it can be hard to tell if they’re an upscale brand or a discount brand. The jackets I saw were upscale, but I’ve seen cheap stuff.

 

[Rudi Riet]

Yes, they've had a lot of lower-end stuff on the market in recent years. It doesn't help the brand image. The same can be said of other manufacturers (e.g. Spyder).

Their sizing can be on the smaller side, for sure. I've seen some stuff in a more Asian size run, others in a more Euro size run (and I love Euro sizing - again, the cyclist build). But for a standard U.S. build, they can be a tougher fit - thus why the DNA stuff was a godsend to many.