Honouring a Legend: The Legacy Behind Atelier Olmsted

Honouring a Legend: The Legacy Behind Atelier Olmsted

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Atelier Olmsted draws inspiration from landscape visionary Frederick Law Olmsted—protector of natural beauty and champion of harmony through design. Discover how his legacy shapes our purpose.

A Name with Meaning: Inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted

Atelier Olmsted was founded with more than a design goal—it was built on a design philosophy. We take our name from Frederick Law Olmsted, the father of North American landscape architecture, who believed nature was essential not only to beauty, but to human well-being.

Olmsted was more than a designer. He was a protector of natural landscapes, an admirer of beautiful scenery, and a pioneer who believed that nature plays a vital role in cultivating happiness and harmony for individuals and communities alike.

This vision guides every aspect of what we do—from the materials we select to the way we craft outerwear that connects people to place.

More Than Just a Park: Olmsted’s Vision for Mount Royal

While his iconic work on New York’s Central Park and Boston’s Emerald Necklace is widely celebrated, it is his thoughtful design of Mount Royal in Montreal that most deeply resonates with our brand’s roots.

When he approached Mount Royal, Olmsted didn’t aim to reshape the land—he sought to reveal its inherent character. He designed winding paths that embraced the mountain’s contours, framed its natural vistas, and invited every visitor—regardless of status—to experience beauty and stillness in nature.

He called this the “genius of the place”—the idea that great design arises not from invention, but from listening to the land.

A Brand Shaped by Legacy

At Atelier Olmsted, we build outerwear guided by this same respect for natural rhythm and thoughtful design. Our materials—such as Canadian eiderdown and Re-Nylon—are selected not just for performance, but for their ethical and ecological integrity.

Our mountain logo symbolizes both the physical Mount Royal and the aspirational peaks Olmsted envisioned in his life’s work: a society in closer connection to nature, beauty made more accessible, and design as a bridge between humans and the land.

We don’t just wear Olmsted’s name. We embody his ideals.

Nature as Compass, Legacy as Guide

Frederick Law Olmsted taught us that landscapes shape lives, that beauty should be inclusive, and that design should be restorative. These beliefs form the core of our ethos at Atelier Olmsted.

To wear Olmsted is to align with a legacy of thoughtful stewardship, slow design, and deep reverence for the natural world.

Experience outerwear designed with purpose—and named with pride.