Normally, when stars at red-carpet events get asked what they鈥檙e wearing, we tune out. Gucci? I鈥檓 sorry, did you mean聽Patagucci?聽But at Sunday night鈥檚 Oscars, there was one name we did recognize: The North Face (TNF).聽Alex Honnold took to the red carpet alongside Jimmy Chin, Chai Vasarhelyi, and the rest of the Free Solo team to claim an Oscar for best documentary. He was wearing a tuxedo designed specially for him by TNF.聽
Seeing Alex Honnold in a tuxedo is an odd enough sight. Most of the time he looks like he came straight from a rock gym鈥攂ecause he probably did. But we can get behind a tux designed by the same company that makes puffy jackets and backpacks (and sponsors Honnold).
Mona Al-Shaalan, a designer for the brand鈥檚 Black Series fashion and lifestyle line, made the suit to combine modern styling with technical fabrics. The pants and single-button jacket were made of 100 percent wool and paired with a stretch-cotton tuxedo shirt, while the pocket square and bow tie were adorned with The North Face logos. Al-Shaalan has a background in fashion, having designed for McQ by Alexander McQueen, Versace, and Givenchy.
Seeing Alex Honnold in a tuxedo is a unique enough sight鈥攎ost of the time he looks like he came straight from a rock gym.
She and tailor Devon Scott traveled to meet Honnold three times to measure and fit the tux. Scott has made custom outfits for professional athletes and Oscar attendees several times before, but Honnold was the first climber she鈥檚 worked with. 鈥淗e has these really broad shoulders similar to a swimmer,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hen a very narrow waist, long arms, and a developed chest and calves, which gives you a great canvas to drape the cloth on.鈥 Al-Shaalan says she went for a slim fit to highlight Honnold鈥檚 athletic physique.
It seems strange to hear a designer from one of the world鈥檚 preeminent technical outdoor brands talking about peak lapels and jacquard pocket squares, and even stranger that Alex Honnold鈥攖he man who climbs in cut-off pants鈥攊s at the center of it all. Don鈥檛 worry, though: The North Face says this suit was a one-time thing for the Oscars. Don鈥檛 expect to see performance-stretch tuxedos in your local gear shop any time soon.