Forty years in the mountains is a pretty good excuse for a celebration. Particularly when you’ve spent those four decades making some of the best-looking technical skiwear around. To mark the milestone, Swedish outdoor specialist Peak Performance has dipped into its archives, dusted off a few old favourites and given them a major technical overhaul. The result is the 40th Anniversary Collection – a limited-edition capsule that could comfortably take care of your entire kit list for the 2026/27 ski season.
From waterproof outerwear and insulating midlayers to backpacks and off-duty essentials, the collection covers just about everything you might need for a week in the snow. There’s a deliberately retro feel to the whole thing too, with bold colour blocking, oversized silhouettes and even a specially designed logo that blends old and new, but the technology beneath the surface is thoroughly modern.
A blast from the past
The headline act is the 40Y R&D GORE-TEX Jacket and Pants, a modern reinterpretation of Peak Performance's original R&D system from 1993. Back then, the brand was challenging the skin-tight skiwear conventions of the era with a relaxed, parka-inspired silhouette and an innovative modular construction. The idea was simple: a three-in-one system that allowed skiers to adapt their layers to changing conditions without sacrificing performance.
The anniversary version sticks to that formula but replaces the original materials with some of the most advanced fabrics and insulation technologies currently available. A custom-developed three-layer GORE-TEX C-KNIT Stretch shell provides waterproof and windproof protection while remaining soft, quiet and flexible enough for unrestricted movement.
Inside, Polartec Alpha active insulation takes the place of the original fleece liner, providing breathable warmth that helps regulate temperature during periods of high exertion. There's also Solarcore insulation, which uses NASA-developed aerogel technology to retain warmth even when compressed. It's strategically positioned in areas such as the knees, seat and phone pocket, where conventional insulation can struggle to do its job.
Other details include articulated construction, ventilation zips, water-resistant YKK AquaGuard fastenings and integrated RECCO reflectors to assist mountain rescue teams. The set comes in three colour combinations: Ice Peak/Island Blue, Alpine/Racing Red and Black.
Everything else you need for the mountain
The R&D set might be the star attraction, but there's plenty more going on here than just one jacket and a matching pair of trousers. Peak Performance has also revisited several of its best-known designs, bringing back the Alpine Jacket and Pants in striking red-and-blue colour blocking, alongside updated versions of the women's Anima and men's Maroon ski sets.
For insulation, there's a reversible Frost Jacket in red, black and blue, plus a Helium Down Jacket in a more restrained white-and-black colour scheme. Both offer options for layering when temperatures drop, while a Vertical Ski Backpack takes care of carrying the essentials.
And because a ski trip involves at least some downtime away from the slopes, the capsule also includes hoodies, T-shirts and accessories. In other words, you could theoretically turn up with an empty suitcase, shop the collection and emerge fully equipped for a week of skiing, chairlift rides and overpriced mountain beers.
Four decades of mountain style
Founded in Åre, Sweden, in 1986, Peak Performance has always occupied an interesting position between serious technical outerwear and everyday clothing. Its early designs helped establish a more relaxed approach to alpine dressing, and that influence is particularly evident in this anniversary collection.
What makes the capsule appealing is that it doesn't just regurgitate old designs for nostalgia's sake. The proportions, colours and styling might hark back to the brand's early years, but the materials and construction are very much of the here and now.
