At The North Face Climbing Festival, hosted the same weekend, climbers can earn their clout by free-scaling a 50-ft wall suspended above the Thames. Like competitors in its space, The North Face has certainly benefitted from the performance wear-to-streetwear pipeline. Adapting to conditionsWhen The North Face was launched in 1966 by climber Doug Tompkins, there were four very distinct seasons. The North Face currently has over 30 UK stores, and sells through wholesale partners including John Lewis, Selfridges and Working Class Heroes. Six decades of The North FaceThis autumn, The North Face is celebrating six decades of business by reinventing its classic Nuptse puffer jacket.