EXCLUSIVE: Dior Just Took an Outdoor Brand From Humble to Haute
Having devised collaborations with everyone from ERL and Denim Tears to Gran Turismo and Jordan Brand, Dior's collaborative streak leaves me less curious about whomever it's collaborating with next and more wondering who they won't team up with.
That being said, even I'm pleasantly bowled over by Dior's Mystery Ranch collaboration, which entirely slipped my mind since it debuted last summer as part of Dior's Summer 2023 menswear collection.
Given that this is the era of Way Too Many Collaborations, it's refreshing to see something that feels entirely organic and, frankly, that I'd actually wear myself, even as someone who tends to avoid obvious logos or big branding.
Part of the appeal, of course, is Mystery Ranch itself. Founded in 2000 by Dana Gleason, a Boston transplant in Montana, Mystery Ranch built a devoted following on the strength of its no-nonsense backpacks, beloved by everyone from Navy SEALS and firefighters to weekend hikers.
As Gleason himself once said, Mystery Ranch creates "tools, not sporting goods," so you'd think that this Dior collaboration is sort of outta left field.
Not so.
Mystery Ranch has a Japanese licensee, for instance — the heritage and outdoor-obsessed A&F Corporation — that sells the American brand's bags for trek and stylistic purposes alike.
That's how COMME des GARÇONS designer Junya Watanabe got in touch with the brand to create not one but TWO Mystery Ranch backpack bags for Spring/Summer 2021.
That being said, Dior x Mystery Ranch is by far the humble bagmaker's most opulent team-up ever, with prices ranging from $570 to $4,000.
Comprising three styles of bags, a belt, and wallet, the collaboration is a pretty organic intermingling of both brands' cues, thoughtfully hybridizing Mystery Ranch's utilitarian craft with Dior's opulent touch.
The Gallagator backpack, Saddle Bag, a belt bag, tactical belt, and zippered wallet are all offered in beige and black, fitted with co-branding and replete with functional details like technical nylon jacquard, magnetic buckles, and waterproof upcycled Cordura Re/Cor.
Dior's Summer 2023 collection is itself an ode to founder Christian Dior's love of gardening so what better for the indulgent gardener than truly functional luxury accessories?
There'd be an inherent appeal to the high-low mix of a conventional Mystery Ranch bag with a Dior logo or vice versa but that the two companies' branding shares space on the bags' leather patches is a testament to the collaboration's thoughtfulness.
It'd have been easy enough for Dior to make its own semi-functional packs but creative director Kim Jones, who truly gets the value of authenticity, wanted the real deal.
That makes Dior x Mystery Ranch special, in my book. We don't always get that with luxury collabs these days, so that something this sincere wrought accessories this cool is merely an added bonus.
