Short answer: Veilance is Arc'teryx's design-led city line. Same Gore-Tex, same taped seams and articulated patterning as the mountain gear, applied to overcoats, blazers, trousers, and shirting instead of climbing shells, in a palette that rarely leaves black, graphite, and navy. It launched in fall 2009 as Arc'teryx Veilance, dropped the parent name in 2019, and is still designed and mostly built near Vancouver. It costs well above mainline Arc'teryx, and on the secondary market it holds its value better than almost any other technical clothing.
Here's where it came from, how it differs from the Arc'teryx most people know, the pieces worth knowing by name, and what to check if you're buying or selling it used.
The idea: mountain-grade construction, dressed for the city. Photo: Tom Pumford on Unsplash.
Where Veilance came from
Arc'teryx was founded in North Vancouver in 1989, originally as Rock Solid, and took the Arc'teryx name in 1991. It makes climbing and outdoor gear, and it runs three sub-divisions: LEAF for law enforcement and military, PRO for ski patrol and guides, and Veilance for the city.
Veilance's first season was fall 2009. It was built under designer Conroy Nachtigall, and the name itself came from Errolson Hugh, who had designed for Arc'teryx before founding Acronym. The idea was narrow and specific: take the fabrics and construction methods Arc'teryx had developed for the mountains and apply them to clothes you'd wear to work, with nothing left on the garment that didn't need to be there. Early Veilance was a matte-black field jacket, weatherproof trousers, and Gore Windstopper tailoring, and it landed in the same conversation as Acronym and visvim rather than with the rest of the outdoor industry.
Designer Lars McKinnon succeeded Nachtigall. In 2015 Taka Kasuga, trained at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo and formerly of Junya Watanabe's studio at Comme des Garçons and Cole Haan in New York, joined as design director. Under Kasuga the line opened its first standalone store in New York in 2016, pushed further into anatomical patterning and modular layering, and in 2019, on its tenth anniversary, rebranded from Arc'teryx Veilance to simply Veilance. Kasuga is now senior director of design at Arc'teryx and still oversees the line. Retailer histories also credit a first women's collection in 2021.
How Veilance differs from mainline Arc'teryx
- What's the same: the materials and the engineering. Gore-Tex and Gore Windstopper membranes, taped seams, laminated rather than sewn details where possible, articulated patterning cut for movement, and the small embroidered bird.
- Silhouettes. Mainline Arc'teryx is built around hooded shells, insulated jackets, and climbing pants. Veilance is built around the overcoat, the blazer, the field jacket, the trouser, and the shirt. The hood appears only where it earns its place.
- Color and branding. Veilance runs black, graphite, charcoal, navy, and the occasional earth tone. Logos are minimal. You will not find a bright colorway or a large wordmark.
- How it's made. Veilance is designed, patterned, prototyped, and mostly manufactured at Arc'One, the Arc'teryx facility near Vancouver. Pieces are built individually rather than on an assembly line, and the design team works three to four years ahead of release.
- Price. Well above comparable mainline pieces, for the reasons above: Canadian labor, individual construction, low volumes, and a fabric program developed closely with Gore.
The pieces to know
- Field Jacket. The M-65 reference that started the line and still the most searched Veilance piece. A Gore-Tex field jacket with the hardware and pockets reduced to what's useful.
- Monitor Coat. The long Gore-Tex coat, the one that reads as an overcoat from across the street and a shell up close.
- Isogon. A hooded jacket family that sits between a shell and an overcoat, often in a heavier face fabric.
- Conduct Anorak. The pullover shell, as pared down as Veilance gets.
- Node, Achrom, Align, Voronoi. Recent and current names across insulation, overcoats, and trousers. Veilance names change by season, so the model number on the inner label is the reliable identifier.
- Nomin pack. The daypack, designed and made in-house in Vancouver, and the piece that shows how far the line's standards extend past clothing.
Who Veilance is for
People who want technical performance without technical styling. Commuters in wet cities, which is why it has a following in Portland, Vancouver, Seattle, Tokyo, and London. Anyone who already owns mainline Arc'teryx and wants the same weatherproofing in something they can wear to dinner. It is not for people who want color, visible logos, or a bargain.
Veilance on the resale market
Veilance depreciates slowly. The pieces last, the brand almost never discounts at retail, production is limited, and discontinued colorways and early-era pieces have collector demand. Clean Veilance in a common size often resells for a large share of its original price, which has two practical consequences.
If you're buying used, check the inner label for the model and season code, the Gore-Tex hang tag or interior tag, the zipper pulls, and the condition of the membrane. Delamination or lifting seam tape means the piece is at the end of its life regardless of how it looks outside.
If you're selling, you have three routes. Arc'teryx's own ReBIRD trade-in accepts Veilance and pays 30 percent of original retail as a gift card. Marketplaces pay the most if you do the work. Or sell it outright for cash: Sabi buys Veilance and mainline Arc'teryx in Portland and by mail, and Veilance is one of the categories we pay the most for because it resells so close to retail. Terms are on our Arc'teryx sell page.
Frequently asked questions
Is Veilance made by Arc'teryx?
Yes. It's an Arc'teryx sub-brand, designed by the Arc'teryx team in North Vancouver and mostly produced at the Arc'One facility nearby. It was branded Arc'teryx Veilance from 2009 to 2019 and has gone by Veilance alone since.
Where is Veilance made?
Primarily in Canada, at Arc'One near Vancouver, where the pieces are patterned, prototyped, and built individually.
What's the difference between Veilance and Arc'teryx?
Same materials and construction standards, different clothes. Arc'teryx designs for the mountain; Veilance designs for the city, in tailored silhouettes, muted colors, and minimal branding, at a higher price.
Why is Veilance so expensive?
Canadian production, individual rather than line construction, small runs, fabrics developed with Gore, and a design cycle that runs years ahead of release. You're paying for the process as much as the garment.
Does Veilance go on sale?
Rarely at full-price retail. Arc'teryx outlets and the ReBIRD resale site carry it occasionally, and end-of-season markdowns happen at some stockists. The dependable route to a lower price is the used market.
Does Veilance hold its value?
Better than almost any technical clothing line. Which is why we buy it outright, and why it's worth checking the archive before you buy new.
Keep reading
- Where to sell Arc'teryx for cash, not store credit
- Where to sell designer clothes for cash: every option compared
- Our Legacy: the Swedish label that rewired menswear
Sources
- Highsnobiety, Exploring Performance and Evolution with Arc'teryx Veilance: 2009 launch under Conroy Nachtigall, Kasuga's background and 2015 arrival, 2016 New York store.
- Nuvo Magazine, The Technician: Taka Kasuga on Arc'teryx and Veilance: Errolson Hugh naming the line, Kasuga's current role.
- Carryology, 2 Years with the Arc'teryx Veilance Nomin: in-house Vancouver production, pieces built individually.
- Wikipedia, Arc'teryx: founding, 1991 rename, the three divisions.
- Arc'teryx, ReBIRD Trade-In: 30 percent credit terms, Veilance eligibility.
- Harresoe, About Veilance: 2019 rebrand, 2021 women's collection (retailer history).
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