The countdown to the first OutDoor by ISPO in Munich is on!
The countdown to the first OutDoor by ISPO in Munich is on! Europe’s largest outdoor trade fair will take place in Munich Riem from 30 June to 3 July for the first time. Sustainability and new target groups are in the spotlight. Picture Organic Clothing presents
In 2019 we reported on the first OutDoor by ISPO in Munich. What remains? The trade fair was already a turning point: outdoor gear was no longer just about equipment, but a platform for sustainability, new target groups, and clothing that holds up in rain, wind, and everyday life.
- The OutDoor by ISPO took place from 30 June to 3 July 2019 for the first time at the exhibition grounds in Munich Riem.
- Under the motto “Ever New Horizons,” sustainability and new target groups were front and center.
- Picture Organic Clothing showcased its SS20 collection featuring outdoor jackets, backpacks, board shorts, springsuits, and wetsuits.
- The Faroe Islands served as the inspiration for the Summer Expedition Line.
- Materials such as recycled polyester, PFC-free finishes, and EicoPrene took center stage.
An exhibition that reimagined the great outdoors
The countdown to the first OutDoor by ISPO in Munich in 2019 was more than just a calendar reminder. Europe’s leading outdoor trade fair moved from 30 June to 3 July to Munich Riem with a concept designed to broaden the industry’s horizons. Climbing, bouldering, hiking, camping, water sports and yoga were not lined up like catalogue departments; instead they reflected a new understanding of what “outdoor” could mean.
The theme “Ever New Horizons” matched the shift. It wasn’t only about new products; it asked how an industry can reach more people without abandoning its responsibilities. The original article captured that tension: brands, retailers and visitors were invited to exchange ideas, discover fresh perspectives and see outdoor not as a closed niche but as a living culture. By then, outdoor had already moved far beyond peaks, ropes and backpacks; it had become everyday life, travel, sport, urban spaces and material awareness.
What’s striking is how relevant that reading remains today. When shoppers buy a lightweight jacket, a wetsuit or a backpack, they ask not only “Does it work?” but also “Where did it come from, how was it made, what’s it made of, and does it look good?” It was precisely this blend that the archive piece highlighted, especially through the lens of Picture Organic Clothing.
Outdoor was not made smaller here; it was opened wider to better materials, clearer values and clothing that can do more than just look the part.
Picture Organic Clothing: style with a conscience
Picture Organic Clothing was described in the original article as an “Environmental Action Outdoor Brand.” From day one the French label embedded ecology not as an add-on but as a founding principle. That’s the difference between a green sticker and a genuine design decision: when an outdoor jacket is cut from recycled polyester, when a finish is PFC-free, when a wetsuit rethinks petroleum-based neoprene, sustainability touches the product itself.
The SS20 collection Picture presented at OutDoor by ISPO spanned wetsuits, board shorts, outdoor jackets and backpacks. That breadth is no accident. Outdoor rarely lives in a single garment; it is a system of layers, materials and situations. A jacket must keep rain out yet breathe; board shorts must survive the surf yet still look like real shorts once you leave the beach; a backpack must carry without feeling like a burden.
The archive text makes one point that still holds: sustainability need not mean sacrificing design. Picture aimed to meet ecological standards while still delivering colour, pattern and a clear voice in its line-up. That tension is where the magic happens.
The Faroe Islands woven into every fibre
The Summer Expedition Line drew inspiration from the Faroe Islands. The article evoked jagged glaciers, fjords, cliffs, the aurora borealis, racing clouds and a population of 50,000 people living alongside 80,000 sheep. It’s a powerful image because it frames the collection less by function and more by feeling. A landscape like this demands clothing that protects yet never feels heavy; colours that can weather any sky; patterns that avoid artificial outdoor romance.
Take the Abstral 2.5L Jacket: packable, versatile, built with a DryPlay membrane, breathable construction and a 2.5-layer stretch shell. A 5K water column, recycled polyester and Teflon Eco Elite proved the piece was engineered both functionally and ecologically. Reflective patches added visibility when light failed. Technical specs aside, the real story is trust-you want a jacket that doesn’t need explaining when the weather turns.
The Abstral print then brought the visual dimension to life: bold yet understated, colourful yet restrained. Balancing those qualities in the outdoor context is harder than it sounds.
Mosaics, Wetsuits, and the Question of Quality Materials
For women, Picture showcased Terrazzo prints and an ultralight windbreaker. The original text mentions 100 percent recycled polyester, a PFC-free DWR treatment, and the Lea Vest as the brand’s first outdoor jacket. This is a great example of how outdoor fashion was already breaking free from its purely functional niche. The pieces were meant to protect-but they also had to be something people actually wanted to wear.
In the surf range, the focus was even closer to the materials themselves. Picture developed wetsuits, boardshorts, and springsuits, turning to alternatives to conventional neoprene. EicoPrene was described in the archived text as a foam with similar technical properties and profile to neoprene, but made from a blend of limestone and recycled tires. The inner lining of the wetsuits provided warmth, while the outer fabric ensured water resistance.
These kinds of details still make the piece valuable today. They show what sustainability in outdoor gear is really about: not grand statements, but material choices. Anyone serious about outdoor gear needs to know what things are made of.
The OutDoor by ISPO in this archived piece wasn’t just a trade-show mention. It was a look at an industry positioning itself more broadly, more consciously, and more stylishly. Picture Organic Clothing was a fitting example, because the brand didn’t separate function, ecology, and visual identity-they wove them together.
Quick Answers
▸When did the first OutDoor by ISPO take place in Munich?
From 30 June to 3 July 2019 at the Messe München exhibition grounds in Riem. The piece presented it as a new trade-show format with a stronger focus on sustainability and new target audiences.
▸Which areas did the trade show cover?
It included mountaineering, climbing, bouldering, hiking, camping, watersports, yoga, and other outdoor disciplines. The event aimed to position outdoor as a broader platform for the industry.
▸What did Picture Organic Clothing present there?
A Spring/Summer 2020 collection featuring outdoor jackets, backpacks, wetsuits, boardshorts, and springsuits. The focus was on recycled materials, PFC-free treatments, and functional details.
▸What is EicoPrene?
The archived article describes EicoPrene as an alternative to conventional neoprene. It’s made from a blend of limestone and recycled tires and was used in wetsuits.
