40 Years In, This Swedish Brand Continues Innovating

The world has changed a lot since the 1980s, and one thing has perhaps changed the most is how we dress while skiing. Gone are the days of neon one-piece skis suits, for better or for worse, but certain trends do still live on. 40 years after getting their start in Åre, Sweden, outerwear maker Peak Performance is bringing it back to where it all started with the release of a limited-edition capsule collection that combines modern tech with some serious old-school swag.

The centerpiece is the 40Y R&D GORE-TEX® Kit—a set of men’s and women’s jackets and pants, a direct evolution of the original R&D set first introduced in 1993. The then-cutting edge design brought something genuinely new to alpine skiing: a modular 3-in-1 insulation/outerwear system at a time where tight-fit fashions reigned supreme. The parka-style silhouette was at odds with the design thinking of the time.

40 years later, the principle remains unchanged—only the tools and materials have evolved. The newly-released 40Y R&D kit is built around a 3-layer GORE-TEX® C-KNIT Stretch shell. As should be expected from any ski outerwear in 2027, the shell delivers full windproof and waterproof protection while feeling softer, quieter and more mobile than its predecessor.

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Inside, the kit features a new generation of insulation technologies. Replacing the original fleece liner, modern Polartec® AlphaTM active insulation delivers lightweight, highly breathable warmth that adapts to changing levels of exertion. There’s also strategic use of Solarcore® insulation, an aerogel technology developed by NASA that retains its standout insulating properties, even under compression.

We caught up with Peak Performance’s VP of Design and Creative, Sofia Gromark, to get the details on the new kit, which is available on their website.

POWDER: What are the biggest developments you’ve seen in outerwear design, materials, etc. In your experience, which ones do you think have truly changed the game, vs. are just fads?

Sofia Gromark: Over the last 40 years, the biggest game changers have been developments that genuinely improve the experience on the mountain. Materials have become lighter, more breathable, more protective and more comfortable, while advances in stretch, insulation and construction have given us much more freedom in how we design. Performance no longer has to look purely technical, we can bring performance and style much closer together.

I also think we’re entering another important shift, moving from sustainability towards circularity. It’s no longer only about reducing the impact of how we make a product, but thinking about its entire life, durability, repairability, longevity, and ultimately what happens to it after use.

For me, the difference between real innovation and a fad is whether it solves a genuine problem. Technology for technology’s sake rarely lasts. The innovations that endure are the ones that make a product perform better, last longer, or simply make the experience of skiing better.

POWDER: What’s the benefit of a 3-in-1 system from a design perspective? It seems like we’ve moved away integrating insulation with waterproofing for most high-performance gear, so why have it here?

SG: I actually think that is what makes the 3-in-1 interesting today. It isn’t really about integrating everything into one garment,  it is about creating a system.

Conditions in the mountains change constantly, and a modular construction gives the skier the freedom to adapt. You can use the shell on its own, the insulation independently, or combine the two when you need maximum protection and warmth.

From a design perspective, that versatility is very appealing. Instead of designing one product for one very specific condition, you’re creating several possibilities within the same piece. For the R&D Long, it also felt like a very relevant way to reinterpret the original idea: respecting its functionality without simply reproducing the past.

POWDER: Tell us about the legacy of a brand like Peak Performance. How does it fit into the wider world of outerwear and what sets it apart?

SG: Peak Performance was born in Åre 40 years ago, created by people who wanted ski clothing that worked technically but also reflected how they wanted to live and look.

I think that tension between performance and style has always been important to us. We are a Swedish mountain brand rooted in skiing, but skiing has given us something bigger than a product category. It has given us an attitude, independence, curiosity and a willingness to challenge convention.

There is also something very Swedish in our approach to design: functionality, clarity and restraint, but with an unexpected edge. For me, Peak is at its best when those things meet, serious performance without looking overly technical, and strong design without compromising what the product needs to do on the mountain.

That intersection is where we have a very distinct point of view.

POWDER: What are your favorite details in the new 40th anniversary kit?

SG: What I love most is that you can recognize the original R&D Long, but it doesn’t feel nostalgic!

We went deep into the archive and looked at the proportions, construction and attitude of the original jacket, but we never wanted to make a replica. We wanted to understand what made it powerful and then ask what that idea could become today.

I especially love the longer silhouette and the way the technical construction is balanced by something quite graphic and bold. The details have been refined and the materials completely updated, but the confidence of the original is still there.

For me, that’s what good archive work should do. You shouldn’t preserve an icon in time, you should give it another life.

POWDER: What’s next for the brand from a design perspective? 

SG: We’re very focused on pushing further into the intersection of performance and style.

Performance is part of our foundation and something we have spent 40 years building expertise in. The opportunity now is to bring an equally strong point of view to style, not by becoming less technical, but by asking what technical outerwear can look and feel like in the future.

That means evolving familiar Peak icons, working with stronger silhouettes and proportions, becoming more sophisticated in materials and details, and continuing to explore what premium means for us.

But I also think the future is about being very clear about who we are. There is so much product and so much noise in the world. I don’t think we need more things simply for the sake of newness. We need products with purpose, character and longevity.

We were born in Åre because of skiing. Forty years later, that freeride spirit still gives us permission to keep moving forward!