See the ORA in London + Munich

The Outdoor Recreation Archive is the hub for the history of the outdoor industry. We preserve catalogs, magazines, documents, photos, and more from brands, gear innovators, and enthusiasts. This newsletter is a glimpse into our collections and the stories we find. Pull up a chair and flip through the pages of the archive with us.

BEAMS presents EXPEDITION CLUB LONDON — an immersive event exploring the world of OUTDOOR EXPEDITION BOOK 99 by Shigeru Kaneko, Chief Buyer of BEAMS PLUS. Known for timeless style rooted in classic Americana, BEAMS PLUS celebrates clothing crafted to be worn, lived in, and cherished for years. The event will take place at Ambika P3, University of Westminster, from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 October 2025.

Launched from OUTDOOR EXPEDITION BOOK 99, the ninth volume of the I AM BEAMS series, EXPEDITION CLUB highlights Kaneko’s passion for collecting and reinterpreting rare outdoor gear. The first edition was held in Harajuku in May 2025; London now marks its international debut.

At EXPEDITION CLUB LONDON, visitors will encounter:

• A curated display of rare down parkas from Kaneko’s collection of more than 100 vintage outerwear pieces

• Access to historic outdoor catalogues from the Outdoor Recreation Archive at Utah State University, usually kept under strict storage conditions

• European alpine down garments presented in collaboration with Rag Parade, showing the roots of American alpine jackets, with select pieces available to purchase

This unique event offers an expedition through the history of down wear and the evolution of outdoor apparel across America and Europe. The exhibition is hosted by the Westminster Menswear Archive, the UK’s national menswear collection, which provides a wider context for exploring the histories and contemporary relevance of outdoor apparel.

EXPEDITION CLUB LONDON

Dates and Times

• Friday 24 October 2025: 11:00–19:00

• Saturday 25 October 2025: 11:00–19:00

• Sunday 26 October 2025: 11:00–17:00

  Location
  Ambika P3, University of Westminster
  35 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LS, United Kingdom

Following the event at Westminster, the Outdoor Recreation Archive, Beams, and Jaimus Tailor of Greater Goods will be at Outsiders on Monday, October 27, at 7 pm. Check out Shigeru’s collection, materials from the Outdoor Recreation Archive, and pick up some exclusive material from the mobile Greater Goods sewing CADDY.

Beams and the Outdoor Recreation Archive will also be displaying a special exhibit at Performance Days in Munich on October 29-30. Attend the show by getting tickets here!

Our friends at REI, including REI archivist Will Dunn, are doing incredible work not only to preserve the brand history but to ensure that lessons, designs, and insights from the company history live on in their products today. Learn more about how they developed the REI color story!

Thanks for reading! The archive is a collaboration between Special Collections & Archives at Utah State University and Outdoor Product Design & Development (@usuoutdoorproduct). It currently houses over 15k catalogs and magazines from 1000 brands with a growing manuscript and photo collection from outdoor brands and gear pioneers.

View an up-to-date list of our catalog, magazine, document collections

🌐 ORA Website 🎧 Interviews with gear pioneers (Apple / Spotify) ✉️ Substack 📍Pinterest 🕺🏼TikTok ❌ Twitter / X 🧵 Threads 📷 Instagram

We love visitors. If you want to visit the archive for research or if your brand / creative team wants to use the collection in person for a research trip or offsite, schedule a visit! ✈️

📖 We also have a book coming out with our friends at Thames & Hudson and Actual Source. Take the book home with you and order below!

US | Canada | International | Amazon

The collection is built by YOU. If you have materials you want to donate, a gear pioneer we should interview to preserve their story, or you’d like to give a monetary donation, please reach out!