I have a friend who used to be a manager at REI. I asked him if they had data on their customers separated by how many actually used the gear as intended for adventure and how many just wanted to look like they did.
He said it’s about 50/50.
I fall into the “use the gear” camp and could care less about how something looks. I think the only North Face stuff I have is a sweater and a pair of down booties (great for cold weather campouts)
I’ve got quite a bit of trendy branded clothing, all bought used or on extreme discounts.
I use my gear also. Don’t have any north face gear. Arcteryx and outdoor research.