What's your job? Kristi Birnie, colourist at Arc'teryx

For Kristi Birnie, choosing a colour is not something that is an easy process. But rather one that is deeply creative and merges science, art and heart, says the manager of colour design at Vancouver-based outdoor gear and clothing maker Arc'teryx Equipment Inc.

Birnie and her team of eight are in charge of deciphering the clothing maker's colour scheme. It can take as many as five months to get colours right, from conceptualizing the palette to approving the final lab dips and completing the colourway. Then there's another five-month wait to see those colours on the roughly 320 products offered by Arc'teryx, widely known for its high-quality Gore-Tex jackets that can cost upwards of $650.

Birnie, 35, was destined to be in fashion. While most of us were sewing imperfect, ugly sweat tops in home ec, Birnie was mapping out her future. After high school, she promptly left her home near Vancouver, British Columbia to attend Ryerson University's School of Fashion. Recruited by Arc'teryx before she graduated, she has spent more than a decade mulling fashion and colour design, and above all, how it fits and reflects our lives.

Who knew fashion and colour could be so technical?

My team and I talk about this a lot. We joke about putting together a presentation that's called 'How hard can it be?' Because we get that all the time. How hard can our jobs be to pick a red or a blue, and we're done. We spend our work lives and, for a lot of us, our personal lives being somewhat tortured by our own perfectionist tendencies in trying to find that beautiful balance between what we're trying to achieve from a vision or theoretical perspective and reality.

How does colour theory fit into your work?

Colour theory is a really beautiful collision between art and science. Ultimately, colour is an illusion. It can be really challenging to get your head around. Those of us who study it really deeply get fascinated and then kind of confused by it because it doesn't really exist. It's truly just the way something is reflected when there's an illuminant, some kind of light shining on it. It's a really interesting way of exploring the world that we live in.

How did you get into this?

I knew exactly what I wanted to do by the time I was in grade 10. I knew I wanted to go to Ryerson and get a bachelor of arts in apparel design. I had a guidance counselor challenge me on the fact. She was like, 'are you sure sewing isn't just a hobby?' I was so offended and wondering why she would be questioning a student that has such firm direction?

Was fashion a part of your upbringing?

No. I grew up on a hobby farm as a daughter of two vets so I was surrounded by animals constantly. When I was really little we had chickens, pigs and goats, cows, horses and dogs. We took in a lot of stray cats and we had an owl for 10 years. My brother and I were forever asked are you going to grow up and be vets like your parents.

When did you know you'd get into outdoor wear?

I travelled in Thailand backpacking when I was 20 and I realized I didn't like any of the clothes I was wearing in that hot, humid climate. I bought them in Australia. I went to the outdoor stores in Melbourne and I got the ugly nylon zip off pants, some tech Ts, a back pack. But actually wearing the pants I felt really uncomfortable. They were high-waisted and cinched, itchy and binding. They didn't fit well, they didn't breathe well. I didn't feel young and pretty.

So what next?

For school, I knew exactly what I was going to do in my collection. I was really trying to make practical, beautiful, sexy, versatile clothing for women's adventure travel. It was very specific. I wanted them to be beautifully fit and elegantly designed. I paid attention to a lot of detail.

You started pretty quickly doing colour at Arc'teryx

My first month, I was asked if I wanted to be on the colour committee and then they gave me a big portion of the line to colour. My instinct was really strong for a red. That red ended up being sangria. That's the name I gave it. It was really, really successful. It was in our line for at least three years and was well-known in the industry. I was inspired and excited to keep doing that.

Why do you love this job?

There was an interesting intersection in my life between my health journey (suffering from migraines) and my empowerment as a woman, and my instinct and talent as a creative person that kind of all came together as a person who was expressing colour. I was able to be feminine, very empowered, express emotion, I was able to channel intuition, and always remained connected and inspired by nature.

Is there a downside?

I can look back and see that my workaholic tendencies have compromised aspects of my life. On the flip side, I'm proud to say I live for what I do. I spend all my time and energy doing it. It's been an incredible decade of so much creativity.

What's the pay like?

The pay for me has always been quite good. As a pioneering woman here, I've always had the power to say I need more. But generally, the entry level is roughly $30,000.
Back to colour, is there anything surprising about it?
The perception of colour is very personal. I think everybody's eyes are programmed a little differently. That's fairly fascinating; the fact that people will look at the same colour and look at it differently.

How do you set trends and remain respectful of the past?

There is an urban myth that colour trends are a conspiracy to get consumers to buy more. Perhaps there’s an element of truth to it. Trends happen quite naturally with highly creative people working in seasonal cycles, influenced by similar sociological trends, sources of inspiration and with a common goal of colouring products precisely for an end-use environment. As colour designers applying a palette to a collection, we aim for it to look fresh from previous seasons and keep the results concise, sensible, timeless and lustful. 

What's an example?

Without giving away my secrets, I encourage my team to pick colours that have a real depth and a soul to them, and that could be placed in nature. If you're going to do red, don't do a wimpy, washed-out red. Do an empowering red that is going to make the person who buys it and wears it, feel empowered and perform better in whatever sport or activity they're doing because that colour emotionally empowers and inspires and gives them confidence to be the best they can be.

*Interview has been edited and condensed