If you’ve ever watched a show made by Taylor Sheridan, you’ve seen someone wearing Filson gear. The 129-year-old outdoor brand is known for its high-quality, American-made clothing and bags that make rugged look fancy and appealing. Ford, the also-pretty-old automaker (which recently released a Carhartt edition Super Duty truck), is known for making many, many Broncos. So many Broncos. You can guess what’s about to happen.
It’s a chocolate-and-peanut butter combination, if the peanut were a $700 wool jacket and the chocolate were a trail-crushing throwback SUV. The first-ever Ford Bronco Filson will debut at a big event in June 3rd, but today Ford gave some journalists a preview at the Filson flagship store in Manhattan.
In addition to the teaser above, Ford also provided one piece of the car inside the Filson store which, I’ve been told, was recreated from a 19th century barn. It’s the spare tire:
It looks good to me. I have no doubt the rest of the car will also look like a Bronco with especially nice touches. Again, I can’t show you the car, but I can show you the vibe:
Will the interior have any touches from the classic Filson Mackinaw Jacket? One can only hope.
Where Ford And Filson Come Together
Dave Rivers, who runs Bronco and Mustang for Ford (clearly, the toughest gig in the company), has been a Filson fan for years and immediately thought the two companies might work well together.
“It was my father-in-law who introduced me to the brand back of the ’90s,” said Rivers, who says he wears his Bronco Filson jacket everywhere. “I can tell you it’s been through the ringer, which is something that we call generational durability… this whole idea of being able to pass something onto generations.”
The first collaboration was for a concept wildland fighting fire truck, which was on display outside of Filson:
Ford donates money and vehicles to outdoor charities through its Bronco Wild Fund and this was meant to celebrate that, although this is just a concept vehicle and not being used (Ford has donated non-concept Broncos).
“Filson and Bronco share a history in the wildest parts of the American landscape, providing the gear and transportation necessary to explore, protect and earn a living from the country’s public lands for decades,” said Neil Morgan, VP of sales and brand partnerships at Filson. “This collaboration speaks to that shared history. We are building on a foundation of purpose-driven utility to bring a production vehicle to the public, offering that same level of field-tested dependability to everyday explorers.”
This experience started the gears moving and, lo and behold, out pops a Ford Bronco Filson that you’ll be able to buy later this year.
Ford Is Historically Good At Doing This
Ford has pretty much always had some sort of tie-up with various clothing and lifestyle brands, going way back to the Bill Blass Lincolns. The most successful iteration, probably, was the tie-up with slightly more proletariat outdoor retailer Eddie Bauer.
One day there were zero Eddie Bauer Ford Explorers in my suburban town, and then the next day there were 900,000 of them, approximately. Maybe 800,000. The iconic green-over-tan look would be used on numerous Fords, including the Aerostar, F-150, Expedition, Excursion, and even the Ford Taurus X.
That deal ended, and there’s been a bit of a lacuna in the Ford tie-up universe. The Filson is a perfect fit in that way.
A Fun Little Treat
As guests of Ford, we were given a chance to get custom coasters made and I got an AUTOPN one for a lucky member! If you get a random coaster in your mailbox that’s what happened.
We have a Filson store where I live, its across the street from a Nordstrom a block up from Restoration hardware. They are as much an outdoor company as Abercrombie these days. Not to say the stuff is low quality, they are just real proud of it. Its the outdoor gear you wear to survive your walk to the coffee shop/cat cafe when you find yourself in an only partially gentrified neighborhood.
Does the Filson Bronco come with patchouli and the sweet aroma of stale PBR instead new car smell?
I hope they knock this out of the park. And by knock it out of the park I mean make meaningful, well thought out changes to the interior and exterior (not just some sticker package with special wheels).
Of course what Ford probably will do is only offer it in a 4-door and price it well north of what it’s worth.
Filson used to be the hardcore old school stuff of legends. Now it’s more of a hipster western wannabe charging very high prices for products made overseas. But, I do think as a brand they do actively support outdoors conservation in a meaningful way so I’m cool with this.
Look at what happened to Abercrombie & Fitch. Per Wikipedia, this is its history: “The company was an elite outfitter of sporting and excursion goods, particularly noted for its expensive shotguns, fishing rods, fishing boats, and tents. It outfitted Theodore Roosevelt‘s safari and Admiral Richard E. Byrd‘s expedition to Antarctica. Ernest Hemingway was also a regular customer; the gun with which he committed suicide in 1961 was purchased from Abercrombie & Fitch. Following Hemingway’s death, his wife placed several of his guns on consignment with the company.“
I hadn’t heard of Filson until this article.
I remember seeing the Eddie Bauer Explorers everywhere. (The L.L.Bean Subarus were somewhat more rare, and the Orvis ZJs even more so.) In that era, I don’t remember Eddie Bauer having such an exclusive aura about it; I was also familiar with their mail order catalog long before they ever opened a store at the nearby mall.
IIRC Jeep had a similar marketing deal with Orvis in the ’90s as well. The Eddie Bauer Explorers were iconic and ubuquitous in my teens.
I’m currently waiting by my mailbox. Nothing yet, but I should be able to survive out here for quite a while by foraging in the garden.
My letterbox drops straight into my kitchen/front room, so I’m ok.
Kinda odd that this event was held in NYC instead of Seattle where Filson was founded and is headquartered. Or rather, I guess it’s odd that the Filson flagship store is not in Seattle, which is also way more outdoorsy. Eddie Bauer is/was also a Seattle based company.
Regardless, Filson produces are very nice, but they’re also the kind of stuff worn by guys who put shovels, traction boards, and water/fuel jugs on the side of their “rigs” that never see dirt. Rustic chic, so hot right now.
LOL, my bird hunting vest and chaps are Filson along with several hats ( tin packer hat is my fly fishing hat and a red plaid winter hat that the wife says looks something Elmer Fudd wears along with some orange ones), a Mackinaw coat that was a gift, and a leather wallet that I have had forever. I have had this stuff for years tho. No shovels, traction boards and jugs on the side of my Subaru Ascent, lol. I do have full skid plate set underneath, for our trip we did on the Dempster Highway in Northern Canada to the Arctic Ocean and because I live in Northern Michigan and run down a lot of trails/back roads. Do carry a folding shovel and tow strap.
I have some old Filson bags, a briefcase and a travel bag. They are indestructible. I beat the everloving shit out of both for the past 14 or so years and they are still going strong. I’ve heard they’ve starting cheaping out now, but they had some margin so maybe their stuff is till durable.
More luxury tie-ins…..will this make the vehicle more affordable? More capable?
I’m just here to say I miss Eddie Bauer lol. They had an “outlet” store here (just a regular ass store really but in an outlet mall) and it just shut down and their stuff was a nice middle-grade option. We don’t have a ton of options for men’s clothing in general around here (I absolutely hate buying clothes online for a number of reasons) and that one closing basically leaves me with Target for cheaper crap, and local outfitter store for eye-wateringly expensive stuff. As usual, the middle getting gutted for only cheap shit and luxury shit.
Same, dad started shopping there in the late ’80s. Most of my good clothing in high school and college came from there. I bet I still have a few pieces from back then. The stuff wore like iron and was made to last. Kohl’s sells Eddie Bauer branded merchandise now. Still seems to be a step or two up from their house brands.
Yeah I’m not sure if they’re going that way permanently, or if Kohls and JCPenney are simply selling the inventory that Eddie Bauer had planned to sell at their stores this year. If that works out and the clothing remains the quality (decent) it was then that’s fine I guess.
Interesting that Filson has no stores or authorized dealers in Nevada. I guess the working cowboys here wear other brands.
I’ve always seen Filson as more lumberjack than cowboy
We’ve got few trees and few lumberjacks. This makes sense.
I’m too terminally online to not call these the ‘FailSon’
The Filson factory in Seattle was a favorite dumpster dive for my group of friends in the 90’s. Often they would slash stuff with a box cutter before throwing it away (kind of a bummer). Much of it was still repairable, and you could get big enough pieces of their waxed cotton to make some good stuff on your own. One friend bought an industrial sewing machine expressly for that material. And there was an awesome old Triumph Motorcycle dealer down in that neighborhood that still had some NOS parts and bikes. Dewey Cycles? Something like that.
I once worked closely with Filson in a previous job. Their stuff is great.
That particular department was so difficult to work with, my company deemed them not worth the hassle and we dumped them as a client.
I hope the branding collaboration side of things is better!
Never heard of Filson until today. I hope Bronco owners have.
My brain keeps wanting to change it to the Failson.
Same lmao
I’m waiting for the Volvo X Fjallraven mash up
People will buy anything.
Filson store is a waste of a good barn.
Now I wonder if they’ll reintroduce Bill Blass, Hubert de Givenchy, Emilio Pucci or Cartier editions for various Lincoln models
And I have to say that Filson is probably a good fit for something like the Bronco.
But what I’d like to see is an automaker that has the guts to make a Harris Reed, Syndical Chamber or Johannes Warnke editions of their vehicles. Have a look at what I’m taking about here:
https://www.wonderlandmagazine.com/2021/11/25/ten-designers-2022/
Since you mentioned the Bill Blass edition, I saw a pristine example with Texas plates parked illegally in the 4th arrondissement in Paris last month. Clearly owned by a VIP, since there were 4 policemen keeping guard of the car and the fancy elementary school nearby.
As someone who loves Filson and respects the Bronco, I should be on board with this — yet the Ford + Filson pairing still feels off somehow. As another poster noted, Filson seems far more at home with Rivian. (Land Rover can keep Barbour and Holland & Holland.)
Ford will always be associated with Eddie Bauer. Attainable, affordable, quality goods meant to last. Not cosplay. The Carhart branding on the F-Series fits as well.
Or LL Bean. Filson is definitely more upscale than Ford.
I’m a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.
I’m a working vehicle disguised in gear for those who cosplay at real work.
“I’m a working vehicle disguised in gear for those who cosplay at real work.”
Yeah… we just want to look like we are hard working even though we’re actually lazy SOBs… LOL
More cowboy cosplay trims
This feels more cosplay lumberjack?
It would if it wasn’t for Taylor Sheridan.
Ah, I refuse to watch any of that that. But do recall someone telling me Filson was featured in it. King ranch will be dutton ranch before long. So this would be cosplaying a cosplaying cowboy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6mzobwTYyo
“I’m a lumberjack and I’m OK….”
I put on women’s clothing and hang around in bars.
So when is Chevy going to do a tie-in with Dick’s Sporting Goods?
That would make a big dick’s sporting goods grill in my rear view mirror.
Not RAM? So many possibilities, most of which the sporting goods store probably said “are you kidding?! That’s tasteless!”
Maybe Ram should get Cabela’s. Their firearms and veterans and military thing would go with the tough guy-hemi-‘murica thing.
Ford had a Cabela’s collaboration back in the late aughts, I think, but I suppose that means Ram could take advantage since that deal seems to be over.
Jeep once had a marketing partnership with Orvis.
I would drive a Chevy Silveradick
Dodge could hook up with Goodwill.
Hah, or Mitsubishi.
I didn’t see that coming. Not sure I see Filson with Ford, would have thought it would be something more unique. Like Volvo or Rivian, Volvo better run to helly hansen before Ford tries to mate with them too. I think Volvo marine already has a partnership. Ford is going to let brands get away that might have done something for them. While playing around. Like Ariat they sell just about everything now a Ariat bronco and trucks would fit that. They have all the horse names but no brands of people that ride horses. I guess Carhartt probably does but still a bit strange.