I grew up with a vast appreciation for outerwear and that's what led me to want to own products that serve a purpose with functionality. I define comfort in clothing by participating and wearing garments that serve purpose and go the extra mile as opposed to something that will just end up in a landfill.
GORE-TEX Studio: This one is getting harder and harder these days - but how would you describe yourself in 1 sentence max?
Avi Gold: The way I would describe myself in one sentence is: Neurotic Jewish man, almost like Larry David but drenched in GORE-TEX.
GORE-TEX Studio: Tell us a bit about your city’s climate. What are your three favorite spots - in the summer, in the winter (outside)? What is your favorite method of transportation and why? How do you prep for bad weather if you spend time outside?
Avi Gold: I reside in the great white north where the winters are solid brick but the summers are humid as ever! It’s kinda perfect because being that I'm into outerwear I've been able to get great use out of new and vintage shells for 6 months of the year. My three favourite spots: Definitely in the summer – hanging on the stoop outside of my retail store Better Gift Shop. In the winter – I love going to this local Japanese restaurant called Imanishi, seriously the best vibe! I always manage to stay warm over there… And then of course outdoors I love hiking in Hamilton, Ontario there’s some great spots to venture off into the Canadian wilderness. My favourite method of transportation is driving because it allows me to be on my own time and time is money. The key to preparing for bad weather outside is layering. It's mandatory to wear lots of layers and invest in well made products that will keep you warm.
GORE-TEX Studio: Tell us a bit about your professional life and do you draw a hard line between private/professional? What were your most memorable moments professionally, your biggest achievements?
Avi Gold: My professional life is a literal twenty four hour thing, having my own shop and lifestyle brand is way more than I ever imagined not to mention all the work I do for other people. With that being said I try to keep my private life very private yet still strive to remain engaged in the passion for my career. My most memorable moments professionally to date are working with brands that I love and grew up really consuming heavily. Most recently doing an artist series project with Arc’teryx. Also can’t forget designing MLB hats with New Era and most of the other special projects I’ve worked on with my amazing team! Which reminds me how incredible it was to do a Salomon GORE-TEX boot (Ultra 3 GTX) special thanks to Oliver & Jordan for bringing that to life, the list is so extensive and these have become such memorable moments within my career, I’m glad to be able to look back at everything and be extremely proud!
GORE-TEX Studio: What are you wearing today, why are you wearing it, did you have a particular weather scenario in mind when choosing this piece? What do you love most about your GORE-TEX product?
Avi Gold: Today I'm wearing an artist series Arc’teryx GORE-TEX Pro jacket that I worked on with AOI Industry, Better Gift Shop, in special collaboration with Arc’teryx, Arc’teryx LEAF Multi Cam Cold WX LT Gen 2 Puffer, Gemini pants courtesy of my friend Mike, Supreme GORE-TEX Clarks, and a custom Better Gift Shop New Era beanie also embroidered by AOI Industry out of Tokyo, Japan. I’m wearing it because it's frozen outside and the key to staying warm is layers and high quality products that will be extremely warm because of the functionality of the product. The thing I love most about GORE-TEX is its a name I can trust and I know that when I purchase and or wear their product it will never ever let me down and that's definitely something I'm willing to invest in. Their product and craftsmanship has held weight for many years and will continue to thrive in achieving that superior quality that I personally strive for.
GORE-TEX Studio: Where and when did you get this… Do you have any special memories connected to this item? If you could go anywhere, where would you like to take this piece?
Avi Gold: The Artist Series Arc’teryx jacket I received when I worked on this specific project. A very special memory that is connected to this item is when Virgil Abloh (RIP) reached out to me for a jacket and proceeded to go on a snowboarding trip with some crazy legends (Russel Winfield + others), which was such a crazy form of validation because prior to sending him the jacket he told me he was saving it for a very special moment. It just meant a lot to me to see our hard work get appreciated in that capacity and for someone like Virgil to go on a snowboarding trip as opposed to wearing it on a runway was really surreal. He pushed the product to be used for its ultimate purpose which is ‘all weather conditions’ and it looked really good! If I could take this piece anywhere I'd probably take it to Tokyo so I could get my friends at AOI to embroider it some more (laughs).
GORE-TEX Studio: How do you define the term “comfort” in clothing, in particular technical apparel?
Avi Gold: I grew up with a vast appreciation for outerwear and that's what led me to want to own products that serve a purpose with functionality. I define comfort in clothing by participating and wearing garments that serve purpose and go the extra mile as opposed to something that will just end up in a landfill. Technical apparel with a purpose not cheaply made junk. That's why I love brands like GORE-TEX, Marmot, Arc’teryx, and the list goes on!
GORE-TEX Studio: Tell us about your current and upcoming projects… what are you looking for in the next six months and what challenges do you see that you’re excited about?
Avi Gold: Currently I have some very exciting upcoming projects which include special projects with New Era and the MLB, one of my favourite rap groups out of Buffalo, NY; Griselda Records with Westside Gunn, Vans, Salomon, Motown Records, Roots Canada, Stussy and the list goes on! The challenging part is trying to push the needle in a digital age with a marketplace that is highly saturated. It's important to make special projects that stand the test of time, engage with artists and have a really powerful impact, always got to be ten steps ahead!
Photos by: Aaron Wynia
