Why is Picture switching to GORE?

November 17, 2025

2025 marks Picture's first winter with GORE-TEX products, which raises some legitimate questions. Why integrate this membrane now? The answer may seem obvious with the new PFAS-free Epe membrane, reduced carbon membrane, and use of recycled fabrics. But at Picture, we like to dig deeper and explain, so follow us behind the scenes!

Our co-founder Julien is definitely the best person to explain it: “At the time, Gore was full of PFCs with PTFE membranes. When we banned PFAs at Picture in 2016, we couldn't work with Gore.”

The best in outdoor protection

In our vision of the mountains and the elements that can protect nature adventurers, it is essential to offer the best, with the best durability/performance ratio. Picture is therefore committed to a brand that offers more than just a membrane, a real “guarantee to keep you dry,” which involves rigorous quality controls, a unique manufacturing process, and genuine ecological vigilance in its design.

Conversely, Gore-Tex supports each partner brand with requirements that push them to be better, and which allow the GORE-TEX logo to be displayed on products that have all been tested and approved by the brand's laboratories, located in Europe, Asia, and North America, as close as possible to the production sites.

Clémence, our product development and technical lines manager, explains: "Working with Gore as a product developer is both a constraint and, above all, a great opportunity. We have access to online and in-person resources that enable us to work together on technical products. "

“Gore controls the entire value chain,” explains Willy Fugain of GORE-TEX France. "We offer more than 150 laminate options, all tested in our laboratories for abrasion, tear resistance, and other properties. “ Every GORE-TEX Picture jacket goes through the same steps as all GORE-TEX certified products: systematic verification and testing of prototypes, validation, and then testing of 10% of production. ”All of this has a cost, which is reflected in our price per square meter, and therefore in the final price of the products," explains Willy Fugain.

At a certain price point, it's either luxury or Gore

One thing is certain: while there are many options available today in the membrane market (Xpore, Dermizax, and Event, to name just the main ones), having the Gore logo is a guarantee of quality, and outdoor enthusiasts are well aware of this. They love it and have been asking us for a long time when we were going to start using it.

Julien Durant: "That logo on the sleeve is really important. If you're selling a jacket for €450 and it doesn't have the GORE-TEX logo, it's hard for customers to understand what justifies such a high price. At that price point, it's either luxury or Gore.“ Clémence even tested this with a representative panel: ”Most outdoor experts know Vibram and GORE-TEX, but they had never heard of Xpore, for example."

However, in line with our goal of making quality available to as many people as possible, we are pushing Gore to offer us the best prices on recycled textiles in its extensive catalog. “They are pushing the mega high-end, we are challenging them on entry-level laminates,” Clémence jokes.

For the first year, Picture is offering two complete outfits (overalls and jackets, for men and women) in Gore Performance (formerly Gore Active), the best solution for active and demanding mountain sports, Picture style.

Reduced carbon footprint, PFAS-free, and made with recycled fabrics.

Under European law (No. 2025-188 of February 27, 2025), the ban on PFAS in clothing (manufacturing, import, export) will come into effect on January 1, 2026. Picture has not used PFAS for years, but “this regulation has forced Gore to change, and they now offer a more environmentally friendly ePE membrane,” says Julien Durant.

According to Willy Fugain, "Gore's ePE is a highly sophisticated two-component blend. It is a very special type of polyethylene that is microporous and stretchable, mixed with polyurethane and combined with carefully selected fabrics, such as recycled fabrics. Thanks to the innovative membrane and the textiles selected for the laminate, the membrane's footprint is reduced. The teams worked really hard to develop it and achieve something stable that is resistant to cold and heat.

Julien Durant concludes: “Picture has incorporated GORE-TEX to offer the highest level of performance in its highly technical products without, on the contrary, impacting its environmental footprint.”

Discover our certified products featuring the new responsible ePE Gore-Tex membrane: