SEATTLE - For more than a century, Mother Nature hasn't stood a chance against gear bearing the Filson label.
In 1897, Pioneer Square was filled with shops outfitting prospectors for the Klondike Gold Rush.
That's where C.C. Filson opened his own dry goods store - featuring rugged, weather-resistant clothing.
"These people had to live outside," said Gray Madden, President of Filson. "So this product, even though it's now fashionable, is made to function as well as it had to 118 years ago."
That legacy of catering to adventurous spirits is on display at the new flagship store in SODO, showcasing everything the company sells.
Just downstairs from shoppers, dozens of employees manufacture Filson bags that stock the shelves.
"We really believe in manufacturing in the Pacific Northwest," Madden said.
The company also believes in manufacturing things that last. The prices are premium (button-up shirts sell for $100 and more,) but everything is guaranteed for life.
And when bags are too worn to repair, the Filson Restoration Department gets to work. Artisans deconstruct the original designs and use the materials to create new, one-of-a-kind bags.
"Whether it's the guy here on Chinook Pass, or the guy in Manhattan who has to take the train to work, he wants really durable products, but he also wants this idea of living outside," Madden said. "So to have a little piece of that with the Filson brand, it's pretty incredible."
