It’s not every day that I receive a call inviting The North Face Leeds to take part in an exhibition, so when I received a call from Leeds City Museum in February, I was intrigued to find out more. I was told that Lotherton Hall in Leeds is running various exhibitions throughout 2010 showing how birds have been used in design and decoration through the ages.

What have birds got to do with The North Face you might ask? Well, Lotherton Hall was looking for a company that sells outdoor products made of down feathers. Get the connection yet? After a little thought, I found that I had the perfect down product that we could lend them – the North Face Himalayan suit. This is a full-body suit that is filled with 800 goose down and has Gore Windstopper 100% nylon ripstop outer shell. Weighing 1,905g and suitable for climbing 8,000 peaks, this suit has been the choice of many climbers in their expeditions across the world.

Once I confirmed with the organisers that this would be a suitable product to exhibit, I then had to set about the task of creating a poster describing the suit and its features. The Marketing team at Cotswold did a great job of turning my brief into an exciting poster that would also raise awareness of The North Face brand.

Finally, I was all set for the big day. The exhibition opened on 11^th March, and I attended the opening event with the Manager of the North Face Leeds store, Lou Smith. The suit looked great on display, and the invited guests were very interested in the heritage of the suit.

Lotherton Hall is a fantastic setting for this exhibition because it has a Bird Sanctuary that attracts thousands of visitors throughout the year. I am sure that this exhibition will really raise the awareness of The North Face brand and store in Leeds.

For more information about the Flock Together exhibition, visit http://www.leeds.gov.uk/lothertonhall/Lotherton_Hall/Exhibitions/Flock_Together.aspx