The North Face Collaborations That Shaped Streetwear: Supreme, Gucci, KAWS and Beyond

The North Face started in 1966 as an outdoor equipment company in San Francisco. Almost sixty years later, it has become one of the most influential names in streetwear, not because it chased the trend, but because the right partners found it. What made TNF attractive to designers, artists, and fashion houses was always the same thing: genuine performance heritage, iconic silhouettes like the Nuptse puffer and the Mountain Jacket, and a deep connection to New York street culture that stretches back to the 1990s. Every collaboration since has built on that foundation, turning technical outerwear into collectible fashion.

For sneakerheads and streetwear collectors in the UAE and across the Gulf, TNF collabs represent a category that sits alongside sneakers and streetwear apparel as essential wardrobe pieces. They hold resale value, carry cultural weight, and look just as good layered over a pair of Air Jordan 4s as they do on a winter trip. This guide breaks down the collaborations that defined The North Face as a streetwear powerhouse and what makes each one worth knowing about.

Supreme x The North Face: The Partnership That Started It All

The relationship between Supreme and The North Face is the longest running and most prolific collaboration in outdoor streetwear history. It began in Fall/Winter 2007 and has produced more than 20 capsule collections across nearly two decades. The formula has stayed consistent: take classic TNF silhouettes like the Nuptse, the Mountain Parka, the Expedition Jacket, and the Baltoro, then apply Supreme's design language through bold prints, unexpected materials, and limited production runs.

Some of the most memorable drops include the 2014 Bandana Print series, the 2019 Statue of Liberty Baltoro, and the S Logo Expedition collection from 2020 that featured co-branded backpacks and outerwear. What makes the Supreme x TNF partnership different from most collaborations is its consistency. It is not a one-off marketing moment. It is a relationship that has survived ownership changes (VF Corporation now owns both brands), shifting trends, and an entire generation of streetwear evolution. The pieces produced across these collections have become some of the most sought after items on resale platforms worldwide.

At Mad Kicks, we carry authenticated Supreme x The North Face pieces including the S Logo Expedition Backpack. These are items that sit at the intersection of utility and collectibility, equally at home in a curated display or worn on the streets of Dubai.

Gucci x The North Face: When Luxury Met the Mountain

When The North Face and Gucci announced their first collaboration in late 2020, it divided opinion immediately. Outdoor purists questioned why a luxury Italian fashion house would touch technical gear. Streetwear enthusiasts saw it as the natural next step. Looking back, the partnership made perfect sense. Under Alessandro Michele, Gucci had already built a reputation for mining heritage references and remixing them through a maximalist lens. The North Face, with over fifty years of outdoor credibility, was exactly the kind of brand that Michele's Gucci gravitated toward.

The first collection dropped in January 2021 and was promoted through a creative Pokémon Go activation, a genuinely unconventional rollout for a luxury collaboration. The product range included monogrammed parkas, hiking boots, backpacks, and ready-to-wear essentials, all wrapped in Gucci's signature GG print overlaid on TNF silhouettes. A second collection followed later that year, expanding the material palette and introducing new colorways. The Gucci x TNF partnership proved that technical outerwear could function in the luxury space without losing its identity, and it opened the door for more high fashion crossovers with outdoor brands.

Mad Kicks carries authentic Gucci x The North Face pieces including t-shirts from the collaboration. These are items that bridge the gap between luxury fashion and outdoor heritage in a way that very few collaborations have achieved.

KAWS x The North Face: Art Meets Outerwear

KAWS, the Brooklyn-based artist whose "XX" motif has become one of the most recognizable symbols in contemporary art, brought his visual language to The North Face in February 2022. It was a natural fit. KAWS had already proven his ability to translate gallery-level artistry into wearable fashion through projects with Uniqlo, Dior, and his own OriginalFake label. The North Face gave him a canvas of iconic outerwear silhouettes to work with.

The collection reinterpreted some of TNF's most recognizable pieces. The 1986 Mountain Jacket and the Nuptse puffer both received the KAWS treatment, featuring bold colors, camo patterns, and the signature XX motif across the fabric. Beyond outerwear, the collaboration extended to fleece jackets, hoodies, t-shirts, sweatpants, beanies, balaclavas, mittens, and Basecamp Duffle Bags. The color palette leaned into vivid blues, purples, and earth tones that made each piece instantly identifiable as part of the KAWS universe.

What makes KAWS x TNF particularly appealing for collectors is the crossover audience. These pieces attract both art collectors who follow KAWS from gallery exhibitions to product releases and streetwear enthusiasts who recognize the quality of TNF construction. At Mad Kicks, our North Face collection includes multiple KAWS x TNF t-shirts in colorways like Ice Blue, Gravity Purple, and Bolt Blue. We also carry KAWS collaborations across other product categories for collectors who want to go deeper.

Why TNF Collaborations Hold Their Value

Unlike many hype-driven releases that spike in value and then crash, The North Face collaborations tend to hold steady or appreciate over time. There are a few reasons for this. First, production numbers are genuinely limited. Supreme drops sell out in minutes, Gucci collaborations are distributed through a controlled retail network, and KAWS pieces are produced in quantities that reflect the artist's own approach to scarcity. Second, TNF products are built to last. The materials, stitching, and construction quality mean that even years after release, a well-kept piece still looks and performs as intended.

Third, and this is often overlooked, The North Face is selective about its partners. The brand averages roughly two collaborations per year, sometimes fewer. Each partnership goes through a lead time of one to two years and is almost always manufactured by TNF itself, ensuring that the technical quality matches the brand's standards. This selectivity means that every collaboration carries weight. There is no fatigue from oversaturation, and each new drop feels like an event rather than a routine product cycle.

For buyers in the UAE and across the GCC, this combination of scarcity, quality, and cultural relevance makes TNF collabs a smart addition to any collection. They pair naturally with the Air Jordans, Nike Dunks, and Yeezys that make up the core of sneaker culture, extending your rotation from footwear into outerwear and accessories.

Other Notable TNF Collaborations Worth Knowing

Supreme, Gucci, and KAWS are the headliners, but The North Face has worked with an impressive list of partners over the years. Junya Watanabe, the Comme des Garcons protege known for deconstructing and reinventing existing garments, has collaborated with TNF multiple times, repurposing vintage archive fabrics into entirely new outerwear silhouettes. Maison Margiela's MM6 line brought its signature avant-garde aesthetic to TNF's technical pieces in 2021. Extra Butter, the New York City boutique, created the "Technical Difficulties" collection in 2017 featuring the retro television test pattern across Nuptse jackets and Denali fleeces.

More recently, TNF has partnered with SKIMS on a collection that blended TNF performance technology with Kim Kardashian's neutral-toned design sensibility. Cecilie Bahnsen, the Danish designer known for sculptural feminine silhouettes, reimagined TNF mountaineering staples through a couture lens with floral details and unexpected proportions. Each of these partnerships demonstrates the range that The North Face offers as a collaborator. Whether the partner comes from streetwear, high fashion, contemporary art, or athletic design, the result is always grounded in TNF's core identity of performance and durability.

How to Spot Authentic TNF Collaboration Pieces

With the resale value of TNF collabs climbing, counterfeit production has kept pace. Knowing how to verify authenticity matters, especially for high-value pieces from the Supreme and Gucci partnerships. Genuine TNF collaboration pieces will feature co-branding that is clean, evenly stitched, and correctly positioned. Tags should include specific collaboration identifiers, and materials should feel consistent with TNF's standard production quality. Holographic tags, serial numbers, and packaging details will vary by collaboration but should match known production standards for that specific release.

The safest approach is to buy from a trusted source that handles authentication in-house. At Mad Kicks, every North Face collaboration piece goes through our verification process before it is approved for sale. Our team inspects materials, construction, stitching, tags, and branding details against known references for each collaboration. Whether you are picking up a KAWS t-shirt or a Supreme expedition backpack, you can be confident it is genuine. Browse our full The North Face collection online, or visit us at Boxpark or Bluewaters Island in Dubai to see pieces in person.

Where to Buy Authentic North Face Collaborations in the UAE

Finding authentic TNF collaboration pieces in the UAE can be challenging. Most major retailers carry the mainline North Face collection, but collabs from Supreme, Gucci, and KAWS are not available through traditional retail channels. They sell out at release and move onto the resale market, where authenticity becomes the primary concern. That is where a curated, authentication-first retailer makes the difference.

Mad Kicks is the destination for authentic North Face collaborations in the Gulf region. We serve customers across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar with verified pieces, competitive pricing based on real market data, and fast regional delivery. Our collection sits alongside the best in sneakers, streetwear, and accessories, giving you a complete source for everything that defines modern sneaker and street culture. Check our new arrivals regularly as we add new TNF collab pieces to the collection.