When I speak to Harry Lane over video call, there is something jarring I can’t help but comment on immediately. He is wearing a large brace around his shoulders and neck, which appears to be supporting a recent injury. “I was skiing”, he tells me. “And unfortunately, it was one of those things. It was the final day and I broke my neck. It was rather dramatic, but I'm fine and it could have been a lot worse.”

Lane is marketing director for Shackleton, a brand known for its expedition grade, luxuriously crafted parkas as well as its connection to the legendary explorer of the same name. “I've been in the brace for about three months now”, he continues. “I'm beginning to come out of it, and with the amount of snow certain regions have had in the last week or so, I'm always wondering whether I might be able to get out skiing again at the end of the season. It certainly hasn't put me off.”

An adventurous streak has always been a part of Lane’s make-up, which before skiing led him to try his hand at high level running. “I went to university at Loughborough and my background is in sports. I grew up competing internationally in a range of sports, and then I got into running. At uni it kind of took off a bit. I became very focused on it, chairing the athletics club there and entering the Olympic trials in 2016. I then moved on to marathons. I decided to make life a lot more miserable, but it is actually quite rewarding in itself. That combination of endurance, sports, and outdoor goods is one that led me to Shackleton.”

As marketing director, Harry is responsible for communicating the brand to the world, and he’s doing so at an interesting time. The last few years have seen a surge in popularity for outdoor gear, and in the post-pandemic world where healthy pursuits like hiking, camping and running are more popular than ever, Shackleton finds itself in a strong position.

According to Business of Fashion’s The State of Fashion 2024 report, “in the US, 82 percent of people said they had participated in such activities, compared to 60 percent in 2020, while nearly half of survey respondents in the UK report spending more time outdoors than prior to the pandemic.” This surge in popularity, combined with the ‘gorpcore’ trend that dominated fashion cycles for the last few seasons has resulted in outdoor clothing getting its moment. Luxury brands have even had their own piece of the action in the last couple of years, with Gucci collaborating with The North Face, and Moncler partnering with Adidas.

Many brands looking to get into the outdoor space don’t have the expertise of Shackleton though. Launched in 2016 by Ian Holdcroft and Martin Brooks, with the backing of Hon. Alexandra Shackleton, Sir Ernest’s granddaughter, the brand has slowly built its name around outstanding quality, high performing clothing designed to tackle the world’s harshest environments. Coupled with this, Shackleton runs a series of challenges and expeditions every year, from its Polar Skills Challenge in Finse, Norway, through to the Coast to Pole Challenge in Antarctica. These vary in skill level, inviting those who want to push themselves, and their outerwear, to levels they might not have thought possible. They also reinforce the brand’s values, which aim to ‘inspire, enable and equip people to live courageously’. Each challenge is led by experienced leaders who, naturally, put safety first. "Shackleton challenges are designed to be transformational experiences that expand guests' comfort zones”, says Lane. “They are mentally and physically challenging but with the expertise of record-breaking leaders to ensure absolute safety."

“Most brands fall one of two ways”, says Lane. “You have some brands that are similarly technical but that's it, they don't have that luxury refinement, or they're ones that do but they fall more into a fashion space. And so, being able to kind of strike that balance is key. It’s important we show that to the consumer by making sure that we're showing off the beautiful craftsmanship of our products while also doing it in a way that also feels authentic. There's a lot of brands that are doing very fashion-based shoots that feel inauthentic and lack credibility”.

How does Shackleton differ? “We want to make sure that we maintain our credibility by pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with our expeditions, while also ensuring that each piece is a truly beautifully made and well crafted item, whether that be a sweater, or a £1400 parka”. The challenges Shackleton organises around the world would no doubt make the brand’s namesake proud. But it’s the quality and versatility of each garment that truly sets it apart. Shackleton’s products take inspiration from history’s greatest explorer, and are regularly tested in the world’s toughest environments. But they are just as stylish as they are functional, with each piece working perfectly on the Himalayan mountains or on the streets of London. Not many brands can say that.