Across London, what began as a fashion trend has grown into a movement. Meet the women turning gorpcore into something real.
“I’m ready to move on from gorpcore,” Heikki Salonen, the first creative director of Salomon, told Drapers. We couldn’t disagree more. Though the fashion world may be done with gorp, the girls are only just getting started.
Gorpcore – named after the beloved hiking snack “good ol’ raisins and peanuts” – was first coined by The Cut writer Jason Chen in 2017. Chen was describing the rise of functional, often deliberately ‘ugly’ outdoor gear. From shell jackets to trail shoes, it was a way of borrowing the visual code of the outdoors without the inconvenience of going outside. Brands like The North Face became shorthand for urban fluency.
This appetite certainly hasn’t waned. In the UK, Google searches for ‘gorp core’ have risen by 200 per cent in the last year. Between lockdown walks and collective burnout, something shifted. What began as a runway flirtation with technical fabrics has rerouted onto actual terrain.
“Creating a space where women feel like they belong outdoors is a big part of what GorpGirls is about.”
The aesthetic is now playing out across the capital, from climbing walls in Hackney to damp trails in Richmond Park.
Enter GorpGirls, a London-based collective for women+ building community through climb clubs, urban hikes and more. The group has collaborated with brands including The Ordinary, Arc’teryx, and even Burberry.
Eliz Hussein, production assistant for GorpGirls LDN, joined the group in 2024. “I’m a bit of a ‘do-it-all’ girl, but not everyone has to be,” she says. “I climb, hike, run and recently started entering races because of GorpGirls.” You don’t need to be an expert to get involved. “Our climb club is for everyone. Most people who come along are beginners, so you definitely won’t be the only one figuring things out, and we are here to help with that.
“We’ve had people tell us it’s inspired them to try things they wouldn’t have before. Seeing people take that confidence and make the outdoors part of their lives is probably the best sign that the community is making a difference.”
Aya Lamaan Mahmudova, community manager for GorpGirls LDN, got involved after meeting one of the group’s leads in 2023. “I mentioned that I was a climber, and from there things really took off,” she says. “We realised there was an opportunity to collaborate and grow the GorpGirls climb club. It felt really exciting to be able to connect my love for climbing with a community that was already so passionate about women being outdoors together.”
For Mahmudova, being a gorp girl is about far more than just sport. “It’s about growth, friendship, and celebrating the joy of being outside,” she says.
Ultimately, the goal is simple. “Creating a space where women feel like they belong outdoors is a big part of what GorpGirls is about,” says Hussein. So take it from her: “If you’re on the fence, take the leap and come say hi. Some of our community have made great new friends by just taking that first step.” Mahmudova adds that newcomers will be welcomed into “a really supportive group of women who are all there to champion each other.”
For Hebe Hancock, 24, GorpGirls offers a welcome break from the routine of everyday life. Since starting a nine-to-five job, she spends most of her day sitting at a desk and looking for ways to be more active outdoors. “A lot of their events are in the evening or on the weekend, so they’re accessible for people with jobs,” she says.
“If you feel good, you turn up more. It’s a good excuse to get a new pair of trainers if you’re going to go out and use them.”
“It’s a woman that can do it all. It’s being adventurous, it’s trying new things,” says Hancock. The appeal of gorpcore reflects a wider movement to reject monotony. “You can get stuck in a loop of never trying anything new,” she says. “It’s great to have the opportunity to do things you wouldn’t normally do, especially in London.”
Much of outdoor culture has historically leaned male and competitive. “I wouldn’t normally do a lot of these activities because these spaces typically belong to men,” Hancock says. But GorpGirls reframes the outdoors as something women can step into confidently – stylishly, even. “These spaces aren’t exclusive, and women are just as capable of pushing themselves and achieving amazing things,” Mahmudova says.
“There can sometimes be a stigma around female outdoor communities – the idea that we’re just pretty women posing in sports we can’t actually do. But for me, it’s the opposite,” Hussein says.
The look is what started it all. “If you feel good, you turn up more. It’s a good excuse to get a new pair of trainers if you’re going to go out and use them,” says Hancock. That being said, the movement has grown beyond the kit with which it’s associated.
Having grown up in a hyper-digital world, Gen Z craves real experiences with real people. Whether through aching muscles or lungs full of cold air, there’s a need to feel something. Though every hike risks becoming a photo opportunity, at least a generation fluent in self-documentation is taking pride in doing something real.
Social media will inevitably find a new trend to circulate. But off screen, gorpcore has already evolved into something far more sincere. It’s become less a trend than a tribe – one that’s quietly redefining who outdoor spaces belong to.