The North Face Brings Back 1990s Red Box Line With 25 New Streetwear Pieces

The North Face is bringing back its Red Box label for Spring/Summer 2026 with a 25 piece collection that repositions the 1990s era streetwear line as a space for creative expression and experimentation. The range blends technical fabrics and outdoor functionality with fashion forward silhouettes and bold color palettes, bridging performance heritage with modern streetwear codes.

Red Box returns as a creative platform

The Red Box SS26 collection revives a label originally established in the 1990s as a symbol of freedom and exploration within The North Face’s lineup. First relaunched in 2025, Red Box is now framed as a creative outlet where the brand can test more expressive, fashion led designs without losing its performance foundation.

The North Face describes the label as ‘more than just a collection,’ positioning it as a platform for creators, curators, and performers who want to express themselves without traditional constraints. That framing aligns Red Box with both outdoor explorers and cultural tastemakers who value original design over purely functional gear.

Product range and design details

The 25 piece lineup spans outerwear, fleece jackets, bags, hats, and lightweight apparel, all built around relaxed cuts, textured fabrics, and bold color blocking. Highlights include a reversible jacket that pairs a water repellent nylon shell with a retro styled fleece lining, decorated with Red Box patches.

One standout piece is a mesh T shirt, positioned as a standalone statement rather than a base layer, tapping into the wider sportswear meets streetwear trend visible across football jerseys and technical tops in 2026. Accessories such as carryalls and compact crossbody bags are built around utility first DNA, maintaining practical detailing while leaning into more fashion forward shapes.

Technical fabrics meet modern silhouettes

While the aesthetic leans streetwear, the collection still uses advanced technical fabrics and construction methods rooted in The North Face’s outdoor credentials. The brand highlights that vibrant colors, unique textures, and contemporary lines celebrate its heritage while offering durability and comfort suited for varied environments.

That balance between heritage and reinvention is central to the SS26 range, which references the label’s 1990s legacy without drifting into pure nostalgia. The technical foundation ensures each piece performs in real world conditions, even as the design codes shift toward expressive, everyday wear.

Conclusion

For footwear and apparel watchers, Red Box’s expansion reflects a pattern across outdoor brands using heritage labels or sub lines to move into streetwear while maintaining technical credibility.

Salomon continued its Sportstyle strategy through 2025, showing at Paris Fashion Week and opening its first U.S. Sportstyle concept store in New York in October 2024, blending trail running DNA with fashion collaborations including Sandy Liang and MM6 Maison Margiela. Arc’teryx’s Veilance imprint released its Summer 2025 collection in May, positioning minimalist technical pieces as ‘designed for the city, defined by its people’, targeting urban consumers rather than mountaineers.

Both approaches mirror The North Face’s Red Box revival, using functional fabrics and outdoor heritage as entry points into lifestyle and streetwear markets without abandoning performance roots.