At Wallpaper*, we champion the design-led, forward-thinking and impeccably executed. We’re always on the lookout for compelling creations – from objects and accessories to jewellery, fashion and tech – and aim to bring you pieces that subvert, surprise and delight.

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Read on to discover May's standout pieces from our favourite brands and studios.

This past April, at Milan Design Week 2026, onlookers hovered outside of 10 Corso Como, where an enormous octopus – reminiscent of blow-up pool toys – had stretched its tentacles around the façade of the Carla Sozzani-founded concept store.

One of the week’s more memorable sights, it heralded the arrival of Moncler’s summer collection, which runs with the tagline ‘Have a Puffy Summer’. Indeed, these inflatable animals (in various sizes) popped up across the world, from London’s Bond Street store to a pop-up in Seoul.

Moncler is making its move on summer

The idea was to communicate that, despite its synonymy with winter and winter sports – it was founded to outfit climbers in the Alpine village of Monestier-de-Clermont, France, in 1952 – that Moncler is also adept at creating summertime attire, albeit in lighter layers.

Taking the ‘puffiness’ which defines Moncler’s signature quilted and down jackets, the collection reimagines these protective layers in new featherweight iterations – whether ‘pillowy, multi-dimensional, light-as-air outerwear’ or pieces designed to be layered (or, in some cases, pre-layered, like one top that gives the illusion of wearing a T-shirt over a shirt).

As seen in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper* – a paean to summertime escapes – photographer David Gomez Maestre and stylist Brillant Nyansago capture the summer collection amid the bucolic landscapes of Richmond Park, west London.

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Models: Nazarit Machin and Xu Meen at IMG Models. Casting: Suun Consultancy. Hair: Yumi Nakada Dingle using Oribe Make-up: Laura Dominique at Liberte Productions using MAC Cosmetics. Digi tech: Miguel Benajes. Photography assistants: Tom Porter, Tommy Francis. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Production assistants: Indy Davy, Danielle Quigley, Ella Souzan, Archie Thomson. Retouching: Arena Retouch. Photographed on location in Richmond Park, London TW10, with thanks to the Royal Parks, royalparks.org.uk

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Typically, Italian outerwear brand Moncler might be most associated with windswept peaks and powdered slopes – after all, it has outfitted mountain climbers and Winter Olympians, and hosted vertiginous runway shows at ski resorts St Moritz, Aspen and Courchevel (the latter was staged amid a flurry of snow at Europe’s highest airport).

But, launching this week, Moncler wants to turn all this on its head with a new campaign titled ‘Have a Puffy Summer’, reimagining its signature quilted puffers as a series of colourful inflatables which will be arriving at Moncler stores around the world (there will also be a special pop-up at 10 Corso Como in Milan next week, coinciding with the arrival of Salone del Mobile 2026, 20-26 April, seeing oversized tentacles emerge from its well-known façade).

These ‘puffy mascots’ span a variety of underwater creatures, from lobsters and seahorses to whales and octopi (joining them is a pink flamingo as the sole land-dweller). Arriving in a variety of bold hues, they recall the brand’s signature outerwear, featuring a ‘pocket’ and signature Moncler badge. They even serve as protagonists of a new campaign, starring the Irish actor Jamie Dornan, alongside a cast of models, and were created by set designer Andy Hillman.

The summer collection itself takes Moncler’s signature ‘puffiness’ and reimagines it in ultra-lightweight iterations, from ‘pillowy, multi-dimensional, light-as-air outerwear’ to layers designed to be added or removed as the weather changes (as such, it seems befitting for summertime hikes and outdoor pursuits – a nod towards Moncler’s adventurous roots). Meanwhile, floral motifs and a bold palette – matching the colours of the mascots – add to the collection’s uplifting mood.

Alongside the pop-up at 10 Corso Como, the inflatables will appear in Seoul (another giant octopus will take over the exterior of a special space in the city’s Seongsu district), while further installations will take place across China, as well as in Tokyo, Miami, Paris and London (the last takes over Moncler’s Bond Street address). ‘Familiar seaside creatures, they embody the seasonal mood: bold, buoyant and beautifully puffy,’ say Moncler.

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Fashion was always set to be a protagonist at the 2026 Winter Olympics: Milan is, after all, one of the world’s major style capitals, home to a slew of houses which double as household names (Giorgio Armani, Prada, Bottega Veneta, to name a handful).

At Friday evening’s opening ceremony at the city’s San Siro stadium, fashion did indeed come to the fore, from a tribute to the late Giorgio Armani (his sporting line EA7 Emporio Armani will outfit Team Italy) to Ralph Lauren’s nostalgia-tinged uniforms for Team USA (underneath: Kim Kardashian’s Skims, which is providing base layers and underwear for the American team).

Moncler for Team Brazil at the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

Though perhaps the most intriguing – and indeed unexpected – looks of the opening weekend came courtesy of Moncler, who outfitted Team Brazil for the opening ceremony. The reason? Norwegian-born, Brazilian alpine ski racer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who is one of the brand ambassadors for Moncler Grenoble, the house’s technically focused skiwear line. He seeks a historic first at the games: a medal for South America at the Winter Olympics.

It is a milestone which is on the cards: having won the World Cup men’s slalom race in Levi, Finland, late last year – a first major alpine skiing win for Brazil – Pinheiro Braathen is one of the favourites for the competition, which begins on 16 February. Indeed, his charismatic off-slope persona (samba dancing on the podium has become a signature) and a much-publicised switch from Norway to Brazil, after a brief retirement, have made him one of these Olympics’ most talked-about figures.

It was little surprise, then, that Pinheiro Braathen was chosen to be the flagbearer for Brazil at Friday’s opening ceremony, wearing a uniform co-designed in collaboration between Moncler – under the creative direction of CEO Remo Ruffini – and Oskar Metsavaht, a multi-hyphenate Brazilian artist and designer. A former snowboarder and sports physician, he rose to prominence in the 1990s by founding Osklen, a fashion label which began by selling winter sportswear and would later become synonymous with Brazil’s burgeoning luxury market in the early 2000s. In the time since, Metsavaht has become a prominent environmentalist (he is a current UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador) alongside various other pursuits, from filmmaking to photography.

‘Oskar is widely recognised as one of the leading references in design and art in Brazil,’ Ruffini told Wallpaper*. ‘That’s why, when Lucas and I first began envisioning this project, his name immediately came to mind. Beyond his creative vision, Oskar brings a deep understanding of life in the mountains and the demands of performance, learned from his own experience as a snowboarder. The natural connection between Oskar and Lucas made the difference. [It’s how a] project becomes authentic.’

‘My personal history is deeply connected to technical clothing,’ adds Metsavaht. ‘In the late 1980s, whenI was still a young sports medicine and orthopaedic doctor, I was already designing jackets and pants for my own snowboard trips and high-mountain expeditions. My genesis as a designer was not tropical luxury – which I later became known for – but performance wear for extreme environments.’

Indeed, Metsavaht characterises the uniform – which features bold Brazilian flag motifs and a striking use of colour, marrying optic white and navy with verdant green accents – as encapsulating a clash between ‘tropical culture and alpine tradition’. ‘My personal work has always lived in this space of contrasts, between art and science, fashion and medicine, city and nature, performance and lifestyle,’ he says. ‘I see design as a cultural language – not just about objects, but about ways of living. Fashion, for me, is a tool to express identity, environment, and values.’

The various pieces take inspiration from Moncler’s Karakorum jacket, which was created for Italian mountaineers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli for their 1954 ascent of K2, a historic first. Here, its signature quilted exterior inspires voluminous shorts and skirts, as well as a cape, inlaid with an intarsia Brazilian flag and worn by Pinheiro Braathen on Friday night.

‘The central piece is the white cape for the flag bearers,’ says Metsavaht. ‘It’s a sculptural garment that represents snow – the essential element of the Winter Olympics – and carries a sense of ceremony and majesty. From the outside, it’s completely white, almost monastic. Inside, the Brazilian flag appears in intarsia, revealed only through movement.’

The Winter Olympics is a key moment for Moncler, says Ruffini, who has also spearheaded ‘The Beyond Performance Exhibit’ which runs in the courtyard of the Portrait Milano hotel until the end of the month to coincide with the games. Tracking the history of Moncler Grenoble – which just last week hosted a blockbuster runway show on the slopes of Aspen, Colorado – it promises to evoke the brand’s beginnings in Monestier-de-Clermont, close to Grenoble, France, with a ‘lush forest trail’ that leads guests through various immersive exhibits.

‘The Olympics carry a powerful symbolic meaning for our brand,’ says Ruffini. ‘We have always been deeply connected to sport and to the mountains. This return with Lucas and Team Brazil, nearly 60 years after the Grenoble Games in 1968, is not about doing something obvious. It is a deliberate choice – one that feels right, distinctive, and fully aligned with who we are.’

‘It is also a return shaped by people: by a talent like Lucas, with whom we have built an authentic relationship over time,’ he continues. ‘[It’s] why returning today feels like the right move for Moncler – a turning point in our history.’

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Before it was a luxurious global ski destination, Aspen, Colorado was a cowboy town – a place where ranchers would drive cattle through mountain terrain and where horsemen could put their skills to the test astride a bucking bronco.

That’s the unbridled spirit that Moncler aimed to capture with its A/W 2026 Moncler Grenoble collection, the Italian outerwear brand’s high-performance ski-wear arm. The collection, unveiled Saturday evening with a runway presentation set in a snowy mountain basin just outside Aspen, married technical expertise, alpine heritage and Western swagger.

Moncler takes over Aspen for latest Moncler Grenoble show

Though Moncler was founded outside Grenoble, France and is now based in Italy, it shares a few intriguing commonalities with Aspen. Moncler was founded in 1952, just as the small Colorado town was evolving into a world-class ski resort. Aspen, meanwhile, was settled by immigrants from the Aosta Valley in Northern Italy, just two hours north of Moncler’s Milan headquarters. As Moncler CEO and chairman Remo Ruffini put it, the pairing was a ‘match made in the mountains’.

No surprise, the majesty of the Colorado Rockies was the protagonist in both the collection and a weekend of festivities. Moncler is known for its spectacular en plein air shows (last year, models navigated an impromptu snowstorm while walking down a landing strip in Courchevel, France) but the Aspen edition seemingly upped the ante. After a day of skiing, some 350 guests – which consisted of international editors, friends of the brand and celebrities like Adrian Brody, Emily Ratajkowski, Jennie Kim and Sean White – were whisked by snowmobile up to snowy clearing, facing a grove of the region’s namesake Aspen trees.

Under the glow of a nearly-full moon and ethereal projections, models emerged from the forest and navigated an undulating landscape of moguls. The 95 looks encompassed both high-performance apparel as well as sophisticated après-ski ensembles, but, from the first swell of Ennio Morricone’s ‘The Ecstasy of Gold,’ there was no mistake that this collection was firmly rooted in the mystique of the Wild West.

There were swingy fringe skirts, calico frocks and coats, traditional plaids, cozy shearling collars and, of course, plenty of cowboy hats. Even technical fabrics, meant for speeding down vertiginous slopes, got on-the-ranch touches like Western-style piping. There were more literal nods to the setting too, as with a cape featuring an abstract Aspen map or snowboarding jackets depicting whimsical mountain scenes. Most pleasing were the elegant jacquards, found in skirts and jackets, featuring the raised heart-shaped silhouettes of Aspen leaves.

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After the presentation’s finale, illuminated by beams of light pointed skyward, guests were escorted to the T-Lazy-7 Ranch lodge, a rustic pile decked out with exposed timber beams, fieldstone and plenty of taxidermy, to dance the night away to a live bluegrass band and a DJ set.

The decision to hold the Moncler Grenoble A/W 2026 presentation stateside is a savvy one; according to one analysis, the US ski apparel market is projected to double by 2033 and capture the largest chunk of the global ski market. Moncler is more than poised to meet the surge in demand; the weekend also saw the opening of a dedicated Moncler Grenoble store in Aspen, one of just two brick-and-mortar locations in the world.

The collection also spoke to an aesthetic popularised by Yellowstone, the wildly popular neo-Western TV series. (Kevin Costner – who owns a ranch in the area – was also fittingly among the A-listers). Clearly Moncler, to borrow a cowboy phrase, is out to make hay while the sun shines.

This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

Have you ever wondered where the powerful scions of the fashion world reside? Now, you don’t have to – step inside the distinguished Milan apartment of Pietro Ruffini, entrepreneur, investor and son of Remo Ruffini, CEO of Moncler. This 325 sq m residence, a former family office, has recently been redesigned by French interior architecture studio Gilles & Boissier. The transformation is impressive and imposing in equal measure, embodying the glamour and grandeur of Italian luxury with a sharp modernist edge.

Tour a Milanese gem owned by Pietro Ruffini

At first glance, the apartment appears to be an endless sea of marble in graduated earthy tones. Yet subtle architectural and decorative transitions have created distinct zones. The living area, which spans the building’s full width, integrates a lounge, dining space and a zinc-topped bar framed by glass display cabinets, all while maintaining a sense of openness and flow.

If there is one word to describe this apartment, it’s ‘dramatic’ – achieved through Gilles & Boissier’s signature use of mirrored surfaces and strategic lighting. The central room stands out with its soaring ceilings that evoke a sense of immense volume, a nod to its past life as a commercial space.

The material palette is consistent: dark-stained wood, glossy black finishes and brass accents combine to form a highly polished environment. Stone is a key element, especially in the entryway, where crosshatched marble and travertine floors pay homage to Piero Portaluppi’s iconic Villa Necchi.

Ascending the black steel spiral staircase reveals a loft repurposed as a private gym (luxurious amenities are in no short supply here, including a private terrace and a well-appointed wine cellar). Ruffini’s private quarters continue the theatrical yet refined aesthetic – the primary bedroom, with its checkered floor and monochromatic scheme, is reached via a long, dark corridor that builds anticipation before unveiling the light-filled sanctuary.

The hallway offers a brief 1970s-inspired interlude, while the ‘den’ is wrapped in serene tree-patterned wallpaper. Noteworthy design elements include a bronze-toned mirror by acclaimed Milanese architect Vincenzo de Cotiis, personally selected by Ruffini, and an artwork by Julian Schnabel composed of broken black pottery shards, placed against dark wood panelling.

Pietro Ruffini’s Milan apartment reflects not only the legacy of a fashion dynasty but also the distinctive sensibility of its inhabitant – a space that refuses to bow to minimalism or neutrality and instead makes a bold, unapologetic splash.

At 2,008 metres above sea level, the vertiginous Courchevel Altiport is home to the highest runway in Europe – a mountain-top dropping off point for the one per centers who want to disembark their private jets straight onto the slopes (literally – the airport sits directly next to one of the French ski resort’s main runs).

On Saturday evening, Moncler turned the landing strip into a runway of an altogether different kind, presenting its latest Grenoble collection – the Italian outerwear brand’s technically-focussed offshoot – in a blockbuster show which was no doubt an appeal to the Altiport’s exclusive passenger list, should they be in the market for new skiwear. Indeed, the high-altitude runway show attracted a starry guest list of Anne Hathaway, Adrien Brody, Jessica Chastain and Brooklyn Beckham, among others.

Moncler hosts A/W 2025 Grenoble show at Courchevel Altiport

It was yet another show of strength from the Remo Ruffini-led brand, which as the leading name in the Moncler group was responsible for the conglomerate’s impressive year-on-year revenue growth of 7 per cent in 2024, bucking the market downturn. Ruffini, who is Moncler’s chairman and CEO, credited it to ‘our business model and operational discipline... [doubling] down on what makes our brands truly distinctive.’

This time last year, Moncler hosted a similarly high-profile Grenoble show in St Moritz – a home from home for Ruffini, who has holidayed at the Swiss ski resort since he was a child – while in October, the latest chapter of its collaborative ‘Genius’ collection unfolded at a mammoth event in Shanghai. A roster of ‘co-creators’ included A$AP Rocky, Nigo and Donald Glover, with Rick Owens and Jil Sander also showing collections at the event.

Like in St Moritz, the runway show was the culmination of a long weekend of activities for the guest list, who spent Saturday morning in Courchevel’s Trois Vallées, whether skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing their way up or down the slopes (alongside the celebrity clientele, attendees included friends of the label and a handful of international press flown in from around the world). Later that evening – after the requisite aprés-ski – guests were driven up to the Altiport for the show itself, which, befitting the Grenoble line’s mountaintop roots, took place amid an impromptu flurry of snow.

Set to a live orchestral soundtrack and shimmering light show – the effect was as if attendees were in an ethereal dome which hovered over the runway – models were dropped off on snow buggies before navigating the icy runway (guests were wrapped up in specially designed ‘duvet capes’ and wooly beanie hats). The collection itself, which spanned a vast 140 looks, mined ski- and winter wear tropes. Moncler said the collection’s motto was ‘altitude as attitude’.

The snow itself was a protagonist: the enveloping looks more than stood up to the elements, spanning technical apparel (sharply-cut technical ski suits, parka jackets, padded trousers, helmets, skis and poles) and those primed for aprés ski (Shetland-style padded sweaters, checkered shirts and skirts cut from soft, warm bouclé). Meanwhile a series of brilliant shaggy shearlings reflected the prevalence of the material throughout the A/W 2025 season.

After stops in New York, London, Milan and Paris, it made for a spectacular crescendo to a month of runway shows – a statement of intent from the ever-ambitious Ruffini, who, having transformed the fortunes of Moncler to make it one of fashion’s major players, looks to still have plenty more tricks up his sleeve.

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How best to define a year in style? Here, we look back over a series of illuminating conversations Wallpaper* has had with fashion’s leading figures in 2024 – whether those helming vaunted maisons, or an energetic new vanguard of designers shaping the industry’s future.

There are threads that link these conversations: both Demna and Kim Jones talk about modernising the historic art of haute couture, at Balenciaga and Dior Men respectively, while Nadège Vanhée also talks about her quietly rebellious revolution of Hermès’ womenswear collections. Meanwhile, renegade British designer Martine Rose talks about bringing her disruptive vision to the usually polite Milan Fashion Week. America – perhaps down to its shifting political landscape – is also a thematic thread, explored in conversations with Tory Burch, Willy Chavarria, and a new generation of New York-based designers who consider the future of New York Fashion Week.

Selected by Wallpaper* fashion features editor Jack Moss, these wide-ranging fashion interviews tell the intriguing stories behind the designers who’ve shaped 2024.

Nadège Vanhée on a decade of womenswear at Hermès

In the September Style Issue of Wallpaper*, Nadège Vanhée – the artistic director of Hermès’ womenswear collections – opened up about her past ten years at the venerable French Maison. ‘It’s a balance between what I love and what I want to explore – my obsessions, my feelings. What I want to wear, yes, but also pieces that go out of my comfort zone,’ she says of her quietly rebellious design philosophy, which contemplates ideas of female liberation and sensuality. Or in her words: ‘What is the life of a woman today?’

READ: ‘What is the life of a woman?’: Nadège Vanhée on a decade of womenswear at Hermès

The story behind Kim Jones’ first Dior Men couture collection

In June, Kim Jones presented his first couture collection for Dior Men, a virtuosic expression of savoir-faire that drew on the on-stage uniforms of the ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev (the designer’s uncle, Colin Jones, was a former dancer who photographed Nureyev in 1966 for Time magazine). Speaking to Wallpaper* in Paris a few months later – amid preparations for his S/S 2025 show – Jones said the impetus for the collection was a growing desire from consumers for the unique and precious. ‘People want something that nobody else has,’ he told us.

READ: The story behind Kim Jones’ showstopping first couture collection for Dior Men

Willy Chavarria on rewriting American fashion

Ahead of a standout show at New York Fashion Week in September, Willy Chavarria – one of American fashion’s most distinct new voices – sat down with Ann Binlot to discuss the collection, which was titled ‘América’ and paid homage to immigrants’ contribution to the country’s infrastructure (Chavarria is of Mexican-American descent). ‘The community that I grew up in as a kid had a tremendous influence on not only my aesthetic and my work ethic, but also my view of what the country is that we live in, what it means to be American,’ he said. 'I wanted to shine a light on the people who make this country work.’

READ: How Willy Chavarria is rewriting American fashion

The renaissance of Tory Burch

‘I feel like a new designer,’ Tory Burch told us in the August issue of Wallpaper*, a celebration of creative America. A perennial fixture on the New York design scene – her eponymous label began in 2004 – recent seasons have seen something of a renaissance for Burch, who is flexing her creative muscle with experimental and unexpected collections that have garnered her a whole new generation of fans. ‘The only regret I have is that I didn’t do all of this sooner,’ she says.

READ: Inside the renaissance of Tory Burch

A rare conversation with Jil Sander

The occasion of a new Irma Boom-designed monograph led to a rare conversation with seminal German designer Jil Sander this November, seeing the designer reminisce on a career in fashion that began in 1968. ‘I was surprised by the strong feminine side of my work,’ she told Wallpaper*. ‘Some voices categorised me as a designer for business wear. But I was always interested in changing the general performance of men and women... I looked for a more intellectual sensuality.’

READ: A rare conversation with Jil Sander as she releases a career-spanning monograph

Demna’s thoroughly modern haute couture for Balenciaga

Speaking to Dal Chodha in the March Style Issue of Wallpaper*, Demna opened up about his distinctly contemporary vision for the Balenciaga’s haute couture line – a pitch for the historic medium’s relevancy today. ‘I always knew that couture had this kind of magic to it, of being an experiential way of wearing clothes,’ he said. ‘I just wondered if it would still be like that. The world we live in is so oversaturated with information, colour, visuals. We’ve become numb to the beauty of the world. Why don’t we see the beauty anymore? We need it to survive as a human race.’

READ: Balenciaga’s Demna on creating thoroughly modern haute couture

Martine Rose on bringing her disruptive vision to Milan

‘You have to do what you believe in,’ renegade British designer Martine Rose told Joe Bobowicz as she brought her disruptive, subculture-infused vision to Milan Fashion Week (in a particularly enjoyable contrast, it took place just after Prada and a few hundred yards away). Cue plastic noses, trailing wigs, and influences from kink, clubland and street culture: ‘I trust that people will come with me, that people are curious enough,’ she said.

READ: Martine Rose on her disruptive Milan Fashion Week debut

Molly Goddard on creating a community of brides

‘It was really something that I resisted for a while. Partly, it was because people often chose to wear pieces from our ready-to-wear collections and that felt enough,’ said Molly Goddard of her foray into bridal wear, which has been adopted by a community of brides seeking something more unexpected for their nuptials. Sharing her tips on how to approach bridal attire – ‘my main tip is not to suddenly become a totally different person’ – we also catch up with three Molly Goddard brides on wearing the designer for their big day.

READ: Molly Goddard on creating a community of contemporary brides

New York’s next generation designers weigh in on the future of fashion week

‘Beneath the glamorous surface, a new generation of independent designers have been increasingly vocal about how difficult it is to not only launch, but maintain, a successful brand in New York City,’ wrote Nicole DeMarco her introduction to a series of interviews with the city’s rising talent, ahead of the September edition of New York Fashion Week. Talking to the designers behind Diotima, Willy Chavarria, Collina Strada, Meruert Tolegen, Theophilio and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen, she asked: what is the future of New York Fashion Week? And: can you still ‘make it’ in New York City?

READ: What is the future of New York Fashion Week? The city’s independent designers weigh in

Jony Ive on collaborating with Moncler

‘If you’re a proper designer, you can design many different forms,’ said Jony Ive about a foray into fashion, a collaboration between LoveFrom – Ive’s design agency – and outerwear behemoth Moncler. Catching up with Laura May Todd in Milan, Ive unpacks the unique collaboration, a shape-shifting, modular collection five years in the making. ‘I love the rigour of this kind of research,’ says Ive.

READ: Jony Ive unpacks his modular LoveFrom, Moncler outerwear collection

The American fashion designer Rick Owens is known for operating at the extremes. Obsessed with the dark and the monolithic, his distinct aesthetic often sees the body distorted, turned upside down, sprouted with prosthetics, or strapped with wadded structures he calls ‘duvet donuts’. And earlier this summer he hosted perhaps the blockbuster runway show of the year: his take on a Hollywood epic, complete with a hundreds-strong ‘white satin army of love’ which marched around the forecourt of the Palais de Tokyo, some hanging from enormous scaffolding structures, amid plumes of smoke.

Revealed today, on Halloween – a date no doubt noted by fashion’s so-called prince of darkness – Owens explores the idea of ‘extremes’ in his latest collaboration with outerwear behemoth Moncler. Titled by the designer as ‘another Moncler + Rick Owens living project’, it follows a customised bus (designed for touring Land Art installations) and an isolation sleeping chamber (‘it ended up in my house,’ says Owens), which both came complete with matching wardrobes to wear in these ‘personal environments’. The latest edition is a ‘mountain refuge’, created alongside Hugh Broughton Architects, a London-based agency known for its extreme-condition structures (they include the Halley VI British Antarctic Research Station on the Brunt Ice Shelf and the redevelopment of the Scott Base in Antarctica).

The idea for the project came from a home in the French Alps owned by the family of Owens’ wife, Michèle Lamy, ‘the Hun’ (‘I call her “the Hun” because she is a beautiful marauder, taking what she wants and leaving wreckage behind her,’ says Owens). Designed by French architect Charlotte Perriand, the Lamy family lodging is here transformed into a surreal demountable refuge in stainless steel, which looks to have emerged from the set of a science-fiction movie (or, indeed, from the landscapes of outer space). Balanced atop legs which can be adjusted for uneven terrain, the sharp, brutalist design features a series of dramatic treadplate steps (angled upwards at each side), while the door doubles as a protective airlock.

Indeed, the refuge is not simply for show: fully functional, it features a monocoque shell with 20 thermally insulated panels, photovoltaic roof panels, ground-based solar arrays and a roof panel, allowing for what Owens calls ‘complete energy autonomy’ (meanwhile on-board battery arrays allow power to be stored for ‘long-term use in remote locations’). A sustainable water system filters snow, while also reclaiming waste ‘greywater’. Heating comes from both a log-burning stove and electric heaters. In short, it offers everything you need for shelter in even the most extreme of surroundings.

It is an approach no doubt inspired by Moncler’s 70-year history, which began in Monestier-de-Clermont, a commune in the French Alps. There, founders André Vincent and René Ramillon sought to create a quilted sleeping bag to protect mountaineers against the elements while climbing up the area’s snowy peaks. Owens’ mountain refuge is the latest evolution of this project, which despite its high-tech specifications remains rooted in the idea of personal protection and warmth. As such, the interior features Moncler duvet nylon and felted wool blankets ‘a nod to Joseph Beuys, who was my first art hero 50 years ago’.

The accompanying clothing collection follows a similar vein, comprising dramatic quilted jackets and trousers, alongside cotton underlayers which sit flush to the body. ‘It’s based on soft cotton longjohns layered under duvet bodysuits that zip into sleeping cocoons for hibernating in a felt and duvet-lined cave,’ says Owens.

Moncler + Rick Owens clothing collection launches today (31 October 2024) in stores and online.

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This past weekend, Moncler brought its distinct brand of showmanship to Shanghai, China, erecting what it called ‘The City of Genius’ in which a slew of big-name collaborators – among them the fashion designer Rick Owens, former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, and the musicians A$AP Rocky and Willow Smith – presented collections which riffed on the Italian outerwear brand’s history of adventure and innovation.

Part of the ‘Genius’ arm of Moncler, which has drafted numerous co-collaborators to create collections for the label since its advent in February 2018, the accompanying events are akin to enormous immersive exhibitions whereby participants create cinematic ‘worlds’ to display their collections, from foam parties to Space Odyssey-style corridors. In 2023, 10,000 people attended the road-block event at London’s Olympia Exhibition Centre, which included a series of vast installations and a performance from Alicia Keys; this year, 8,000 attended in Shanghai, with an estimated global viewership of 57 million people, according to the brand (helped, no doubt, by a much-reposted appearance from Rihanna, there to support partner A$AP Rocky, who presented a collection at the event).

Future nostalgia: Mercedes-Benz x Moncler by Nigo

One of this year’s more intriguing projects saw Moncler team up in a three-way collaboration with the Japanese fashion designer Nigo and German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. Nigo, who is currently the creative director of Kenzo and something of a legend in the streetwear realm having founded A Bathing Ape (Bape) in 1993, created not just a fashion collection for the project, but also an ‘art-piece’ version of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class, reworked from a 1990s model of the distinctive car. Known colloquially as the ‘G-Wagon’ and designed in the 1970s, it is perhaps one of the world’s best-known and culturally ubiquitous vehicles, having appeared in numerous movies, TV shows and music videos (in 1980, it even served as the Popemobile for a time). This launch follows a 2023 collaboration between Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which debuted at the London ‘Art of Genius’ event and was inspired by the quilted exterior of one of the brand’s puffer jackets.

‘For me, the 1990s were among the most influential decades from a cultural and creative standpoint,’ explains Nigo of the nexus of the design, which is titled ‘Project G-Class Past II Future’. ‘Electronic music and the hip-hop scene arose as a new expression of urban character. I wanted to integrate that vibe and energy into the design by interpreting that legacy for a new contemporary era.’ As such, it features a sound system installation from audio engineer and G-Class enthusiast Devon Turnbull, whereby boom box-style controls and speakers can, like the roof, be removed. Meanwhile, a sharp, minimalistic design is at once nostalgic and futuristic, arriving in a cool palette of silver and olive green, with orange and gold accents, including a golden fuel can. It will not be available for purchase, though it serves as the inspiration for a limited-edition new G-Class model called the ‘Past II Future’, which will be available from April 2025 in a run of just 20.

Revealed against dramatic views of the Shanghai skyline on a rotating platform, ‘Project G-Class Past II Future’ – which also features a quilted roof cover, recalling the first collaboration between Moncler and Mercedes-Benz – was debuted alongside an accompanying fashion collection, which is also rooted in 1990s style (released in April 2025, it will coincide with the release of the G-Class Past II Future model). Taking Nigo’s design signatures – namely playful motifs and badges across varsity silhouettes – the Mercedes-Benz three-pointed star emblem becomes a logo repeated throughout, while vintage Moncler advertising is blown up into the collection’s prints. ‘From the very beginning of the project, we envisioned a three-way collaboration, and I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands – Moncler and Mercedes-Benz – into a cohesive collection,’ Nigo tells Wallpaper*.

Nigo, who likens creating the collection to ‘painting on a canvas’, says that much of the inspiration from the pieces came from Moncler’s ‘rich history’ of the ’outdoors and exploration’. It lends the collection a nostalgic mood, recalling vintage camping and hiking wear in windbreaker and field jackets, checkered shirts and baggy Bermuda shorts, alongside beanie hats and topstitched, workwear-inspired denim. As with all of Nigo’s collections, the result is purposefully eclectic, with the designer hoping that the pieces encourage the wearer to mix and match, and experiment. ‘The pieces are designed to allow the wearer to interpret it in their own way, so they can project their personal style and identity,’ he says. ‘It’s about giving people the freedom to express who they are through the collection, rather than dictating a specific feeling.’

A prolific collaborator – notable partnerships have included a decade-spanning relationship with Pharrell Williams, as well as the late Virgil Abloh – Nigo says that projects like these continue to challenge him over three decades since his career began with the founding of A Bathing Ape. ‘Collaborations are incredibly important [to my work],’ he says. ‘They allow a chance for creative growth and exploration, which [nowadays] can be rare. This one was a chance to step outside my usual boundaries, to experiment with a different side of myself.’

Nigo’s Genius collection will be available April 2025 in Moncler stores and online. The limited-edition Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future will be available the same month.

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It’s a gloomy day in April and the designer Jony Ive is in Milan. The former chief designer at Apple, dressed in a powder blue suit and aviator glasses, is discussing the upcoming release of his latest project with the Italian luxury outerwear brand Moncler. ‘A phone and a building are very different things,’ says the designer, who would know better than most: he has worked on our generation’s most era-defining objects, including the iPod, iPhone and MacBook, as well as Apple Park, the brand's Cupertino campus, with Foster + Partners. ‘But if you’re a proper designer, you can design many different forms. The important thing is the curiosity to go beyond what you’re used to. You need to be aware that you’ve got so much left to learn.’

Jony Ive on his LoveFrom, Moncler modular jacket collection

When Ive left Apple in 2019 after 27 years to found his creative collective, LoveFrom, alongside industrial designer Marc Newson, it gave him the opportunity to follow a range of new and different paths. Their first projects have included rethinking a turntable for audio brand Linn and the development of electric cars for Ferrari. But this latest collaboration with Moncler, a modular collection of jackets that can be mixed and matched with a single down-filled base layer, has allowed the London-born designer to explore a host of new fields: fashion design, textile development and even a reimagining of the humble button.

But how did Ive, a longtime California transplant, and Moncler’s CEO Remo Ruffini, who lives in Milan and hails from Lake Como, begin a conversation about coats? ‘We have a lot of friends in common,’ says Ruffini. ‘When we first started talking, it wasn’t about business, it was just about life. The collaboration, for us, is an opportunity to learn about another world.’

Though the endeavour marks LoveFrom’s first foray into fashion, Moncler has made a habit of teaming up with creatives of all disciplines. Recent collaborators have included rapper Jay-Z’s Roc Nation record label and high-end luggage brand Rimowa. But from the sounds of it, the partnership with Ive presented a new and exciting challenge for the brand. According to Ruffini, the collection’s four pieces took nearly five years to develop. ‘It was quite a long process, one that we’re not used to,’ says Ruffini. ‘Usually we release a collection every three months. But with this, we really allowed ourselves time to create something unique.’

The collection revolves around the Moncore base layer – a simple, collarless, waist-length jacket with a zip-up front – that can be worn by itself or beneath one of three outer layers: a slightly longer field jacket with four patch pockets and a raised neckline; a mid-thigh-length parka; and a poncho with a fixed hood that can be packed into a kangaroo pocket with snap closures.

And though the design may seem simple – the pieces have a distinctly minimal aesthetic – the complexity is in the details. Each coat is made using a single swathe of fabric that has been folded like a kimono to achieve its mostly seamless form. Ruffini’s fabric developers had to look outside their usual techniques to produce it: a typical bolt of fabric is made on a 1.5m loom, but the design required the fabric be woven on a 2.2m version. ‘It’s a much larger loom than we’re used to,’ explains Ruffini. ‘They’re not usually used for clothing, but rather curtains and furniture upholstery.’

Moncler and LoveFrom even developed proprietary textiles for the collection. The recycled nylon used for the shell and core has been produced without using water. Instead, compressed air creates an irregularly textured thread that looks and feels similar to a natural fibre. The fabric, which is yarn-dyed, will be available in a series of muted colours: a butter yellow base, a pale green field jacket, a baby blue parka and a light orange poncho – or universally in a baby powder white (a limited edition of each will also be available in navy). ‘Culturally, a parka, a field jacket and a poncho are all very functional, utilitarian pieces,’ says Ive. ‘But they’ve been made curiously gentle with these soft colours.’

However, the most technically advanced element of the collection is also its smallest. ‘I became obsessed with buttons,’ reveals Ive, who designed an entirely new kind for the project. ‘It’s an idea that is hundreds and hundreds of years old, and maybe it’s perfect, but as a designer, you want to challenge that assumption.’ So how does it work? The inner core and outer layers are connected via a system of five, double-sided magnetic discs on the front, back and sleeves of each garment. When worn separately, each side lays flush with the fabric, but when an outer layer is slipped over the core, they snap together easily via a central dowel that pops out to ensure the two sides don’t move or come loose. ‘I love the rigour of this kind of research,’ he continues. ‘I’ve tried to do new zips in the past, but it’s really hard.’

According to Ive, this won’t be the last we see from Moncler and LoveFrom. ‘This is just the first manifestation of this collaboration,’ he says. But he’s quick to clarify that the process resulted in more than just a cleverly designed line of coats. ‘When you make something, there are two products. There’s the thing you make and there’s what you learned. And what we learned together was, I would argue, more important than what we made.’

LoveFrom, Moncler arrives December at moncler.com and selected stores.

Models: Eduarda Muehlmann at PRM Agency, Tobias Gurd at The Squad Management. Casting: Ikki Casting at WSM. Hair: Tobia Bartolini. Make-up: Faye Bluff at Of Substance Agency using Westman Atelier and Elemis skincare. Set design: Tristan Tilagone at Canvas Represents. Set build: London Art Makers. Photography assistants: Sam Girdler, Pablo Gallegos. Fashion assistant: Lucy Proctor. Set/production assistant: Archie Thomson. Digi tech: Nico Barbieri. Post-production: Mia Gianini.

This article appears in the November 2024 issue of Wallpaper* , available in print on newsstands from 10 October, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Taking a hard turn from its traditional role as the custodian of mainly 19th-century French art, the Musée d’Orsay in Paris is staging the first contemporary exhibition in its central sculpture nave. ‘L’Addition’ is an exploration of depictions of masculinity by Elmgreen & Dragset that draws on the museum’s collection of figurative sculptures, reinterpreted in new work by the Berlin-based artists. As our newsstand cover suggests (and that’s a silicone model of a small boy, by the way), it’s an audacious and, at times, disorientating undertaking, one that profitably pits the present against the past – a process discernible in work created by other artists that feature in this month’s Art Issue.

Take Rachel Feinstein, for instance. For the Miami-raised, New York-based artist, capturing the wild extremes of her hometown involves creating vast panoramas that are rife with historical rococo and gothic influences. Or this month’s Dakar Biennale, where a new generation of designers in Africa and its diaspora are showing work that links old and new – like the Marrakech-based Younes Duret’s reinterpretation of a teapot that, he says, reflects a fusion between tradition and modernity.

Our limited-edition cover features the first foray into fashion by Jony Ive’s design studio LoveFrom, which has collaborated with Moncler on a collection of jackets that can be mixed and matched with a single down-filled base layer. Here, too, the designer wrestles with the past. Ive tells our Milan editor Laura May Todd that, during the five-year development process, he ‘became obsessed with buttons. It’s an idea that is hundreds and hundreds of years old, and maybe it’s perfect, but as a designer, you want to challenge that assumption.’

Buttons; a thread: finding connections is at the beating heart of this issue, an idea brought vividly to life by the collaboration between composer Max Richter and choreographer Wayne McGregor, whom you can find in conversation in our article, and the union forged between fashion designer Jonathan Anderson and artist Christiane Kubrick (wife of the late master of modern cinema), whose work we are honoured to document in a series of unforgettable images shot at the Kubricks’ Hertfordshire manor house. Eyes wide open? Good. Enjoy the issue.

Bill Prince
Editor-in-Chief

The November 2024 issue of Wallpaper* is available in print on newsstands from 10 October, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Workwear has long been the bedrock of men’s fashion, endlessly riffed upon, honed and upgraded – from the classic denim shirt and jeans, adopted by cowboys and miners in the American West, to chore jackets, cargo pants, and hi-vis jackets. This sense of utility was seen throughout the S/S 2024 collections – from Prada’s danger-red pocket-covered gilet, a play on the uniforms of security details, to Givenchy’s khaki bombers, Celine’s camo-adorned pants and hardy suede jackets at Miu Miu.

Utilitarian men’s fashion gets an upgrade for S/S 2024

The season’s functional mood is captured in a series of carefree combinations by Italy-born, London-based stylist Nicola Neri and photographer Luca Strano, who is based between London and Milan. As seen in the May 2024 Milan Preview Issue of Wallpaper* (on international newsstands now), this series of portraits puts the utilitarian aesthetic in the hot seat – leaving you with a blueprint of how to upgrade the everyday this spring and summer.

Models: Tom Davison and Milo Boaten-Rolfe at Xdirectn, Oscar Young at Premier, Rea at Milk Management, Zakaria Dau at PRM, Mason Marchetti and Yertai Abdibekov at Next London. Casting: Miro Raynov. Hair: Kanae Kikuchi at Haco+ using Instant Icon. Make-up/grooming: Jo Banach using Chanel Les Beiges Summer Spirit and Hydra Beauty Micro Serum Lip. Interiors: Olly Mason. Photography assistants: Domizia Salusest, Farid Ghimas. Fashion assistant: Hope Palmer. Hair assistants: Takuro Watanabe, Rio Shimmaki. Interiors assistant: Archie Thomson.

A version of this article appears in the May 2024 Milan Preview Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Moncler is well-versed in the power of spectacle: in 2022, to celebrate 70 years in business, it transformed Milan’s Duomo square into a vast public stage, complete with 1,952 white-clad performers – a reference to the brand’s year of founding – while earlier this year the brand hosted a high-altitude runway show on the snow-covered slopes of St Moritz. Other blockbuster happenings have seen intricate set pieces – from foam-filled dancefloors to gleaming Space Odyssey-style corridors – constructed in Milan and Paris to house collections from Moncler Genius, an ongoing project which has featured collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Rick Owens and Adidas, among several others.

Moncler ’An Invitation to Dream’ at Milan Central Station

Opening this week in Milan, Moncler’s latest project sees the brand take over another Milanese landmark, the monolithic Central Station, which was first opened in 1931 and remains a buzzing transport hub today. Titled ‘An Invitation to Dream’, Moncler has collaborated with Jefferson Hack, the co-founder and CEO of Dazed Media, on a new exhibition which transforms the station’s vast interior into what the brand promises to be ‘one of the world’s largest public galleries’.

Uniting with London-based photographer Jack Davison, the exhibition centres around a series of portraits and accompanying short film of an eclectic cast of international creatives, gathered from Hack’s inner circle and spanning numerous disciplines, from music and art to food. There is Deepak Chopra, the Indian-American author and alternative health advocate, artist Daniel Arsham, playwright Jeremy O Harris, musician Rina Sawayama and Ruth Rogers, the chef behind London’s River Café restaurant. Other names include food artist and designer Laila Gohar, poet, artist and filmmaker Julianknxx, ballet dancer Francesca Hayward, architect Sumayya Vally, make-up artist Isamaya Ffrench and model Zaya. Each is captured in Davison’s intimate, painterly style.

’The curated community represent some of the finest creative visionaries across culture who dare to dream for us,’ explains Hack of the line-up. 'They are today’s reality-shapers and they were invited to participate as their work carries with it new hopes and possibilities. It’s the deeply transformative aspects in their work and practice that makes them essential artists of our time and essential for us to bring into this project.’

Indeed, Remo Ruffini – the brand’s CEO and chairman, who is also photographed by Davison for the project – says that the inspiration behind the exhibition is ‘dreaming’, something which he believes has been at the heart of Moncler since it was founded in the French village of Monestier-de-Clermont in 1952. Then, the dream was to outfit those scaling the surrounding Alpine peaks, now, Ruffini says, it is about dreaming of ‘what is possible, and how we can inspire and be inspired by others around the world... always aiming to not only do new, but to do better.’

In the exhibition itself, Davison’s photographs will be blown up into enormous billboards in the station’s main hall – a space which sees over 300,000 visitors daily – while all the screens usually reserved for advertising will be taken over by video portraits of the various participants. The idea, following in the tradition of Hack’s ’hacking’ of international public spaces, is to feel like you are stepping into a Moncler ‘dreamscape'. Meanwhile, a series of hand-painted lithographic prints by Davison will also be on display in a more traditional gallery-like setting, an attempt to ground the project in a mood of intimacy, ’the idea of slowing down time, and conveying the humanity of the subject’.

Moncler’s ’An Invitation to Dream’ runs at Milan Central Station from 15 – 21 April 2024.

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If some far-flung locations chosen for destination runway shows are often only tenuously linked to the brand on show, Moncler’s latest Grenoble presentation – held on the snow-capped Alpine peaks of historic Swiss ski resort St Moritz this past weekend – was a trip which made perfect sense.

And this is not simply because Moncler itself was born in the Alps just over 70 years ago in France’s Monestier-de-Clermont, with founders René Ramillon and André Vincent seeking to create a quilted sleeping bag for mountaineers scaling the heights of the locale. Rather, take even the briefest of wanders around downtown St Moritz – long known as a bolthole for royalty and the super-rich when they wish to hit the slopes – and you will see just how omnipresent Moncler’s outerwear is among the resort’s clientele (one can surmise that this is down to the sweet spot the brand hits in its outerwear between exclusivity, functionality and style). 

High-fashion altitude: Moncler Grenoble hits St Moritz

The location is also a favourite of Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s chairman and CEO, whose tenure at the brand has transformed its fortunes, making it into a major fashion player, with blockbuster shows and collaborators to match. In 2022, Moncler hosted an 18,000-people-strong outdoor presentation in Milan’s Duomo square to celebrate 70 years, while a vast immersive happening in London’s Olympia last February featured collaborations with Pharrell Williams, Rick Owens and Adidas, among others. He has called St Moritz his spiritual ‘second home’, having wintered in the resort since childhood.

And so the weekend proved a whistle-stop tour of his beloved home from home – from Moncler’s first store (which opened this past December) to dinner at Langosteria, a chalet-like restaurant which teeters on one of the resort’s vertiginous peaks, with expansive views of the slopes beyond and a permanent Moncler-clad duck on its terrace. (Ruffini’s investment firm Archive acquired a stake in the Milan-based restaurant chain in 2018). Fittingly, the day of the show began with the offer of time to ski or snowshoe on the slopes of Corviglia, before fondue was served at Paradiso restaurant in the glaring winter sun. Guests, including the actress Anne Hathaway, mingled on the chalet’s deck, as a gleaming version of the Moncler logo asserted the brand’s dominance over the slopes.

Later that evening, in a phalanx of Moncler-branded black cars, and each clad in their specially provided white puffer cape, we were shuttled once again to the upper reaches of the resort, to the Alphütte Clavadatsch. This historic cabin provided basecamp for the blockbuster runway show (while we waited, hot mugs of mulled wine or sake were served, as guests huddled on benches decorated with faux fur). At around 7pm, we began the walk upwards to the show space itself, which was located in a snow-covered pine forest, through which a winding runway had been carved. Wrapped in blankets with thermos flasks of hot drinks, we were instructed to wear a pair of headphones playing the soundtrack of a soaring collection of Italian operatic greats, as the trees were projected with a series of lasers, and a mist of dry ice lent an atmospheric tinge to proceedings.

Watched on by Hathaway – who was joined by Kate Moss, musician Willow Smith, snowboarder Shaun White and skier Gus Kenworthy – the show itself was a vast demonstration of Moncler Grenoble, the technically focussed line from the brand which is largely designed for use on the slopes (as Moncler asserts, its history is rooted in this functionality having kitted out expeditions to K2, Makalu and Alaska, as well as becoming the official outfitter to the French national alpine skiing team during the Grenoble Winter Olympic Games in the late 1960s). Though the collection itself, which spanned over 90 looks – here worn by a slew of international models and personalities in the show, including Emily Ratajkowski, Irina Shayk and Mariacarla Boscono – straddled not only technical innovation but also creative flair.

So alongside enveloping outerwear (some with patchwork motifs recalling those found on Fair isle sweaters), sleek-lined ski suits, goggles, helmets and skis (naturally, all Moncler-adorned), were elements of style and play – whether enormous faux-fur yeti boots and jackets, intarsia-knit sweaters, or a beautiful series of shearling pieces, some in-set with knit panels which would look equally at home during cold spells at sea-level. Moncler likened the eclectic mood of the collection to the gathering of people in a St Moritz chalet – a combination of winter sun worshippers, hardcore winter sportspeople and aprés-ski revellers; ‘a gathering and mingling of different worlds’. As guests exited the show, a series of musicians played the elongated Alpine horn, a symbolic link between mountain dwellers old and new.

The night ended in one of Ruffini’s favourite haunts, Dracula’s, a storied St Moritz members club where aprés-ski often runs into the early hours (befitting its name, the red-tinged interior and vampiric logo recalls Bram Stoker’s most famous protagonist, while stickers are placed on phone cameras to preserve the club’s mystique). Willow Smith entertained on the piano as champagne-swilling guests mingled with St Moritz regulars – a high-altitude clientele who will no doubt be clad in full Moncler Grenoble, both on and off the slopes, when the collection arrives in stores later this year.

Moncler Grenoble is available from moncler.com.

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With fashion’s relentless pace and mercurial trends – which can change on the slightest whim – it takes a brave designer to imagine not only a wardrobe primed for 70 years in the future, but one which will also last for the 70 years between then and now. 

Step forward Chitose Abe, the endlessly imaginative designer behind the avant-garde Japanese label Sacai, founded after experience as a pattern cutter at Comme des Garçons under Rei Kawakubo, and later in the design team of Junya Watanabe. Revealed today, Abe has united with Moncler as part of its 70th anniversary year, creating a number of garments designed with longevity in mind – bridging the gap between the Italian outerwear brand’s first 70 years and the next. 

Moncler x Sacai: the wardrobe of the future

As ever, she does so through shapeshifting, hybrid garments, which contain a multitude of functional elements allowing them to be worn in several different ways. Comprising two full looks for men and two full looks for women, each one is made up of ‘multi-use’ garments – a jacket, for example, can be attached to a pair of trousers to create a boiler suit, while another down jacket has internal straps meaning that it can also be worn as a backpack. As such, pieces have a mood of both pragmatism and adventure – one which may prove fitting over the decades to come.

The collaboration continues both brands’ voracious appetite for collaboration: Moncler has created collections with Thom Browne, Rick Owens, Adidas and Pharrell Williams, among others, while Sacai has collaborated with Nike, Carhartt and, most recently, Mercedes-Benz AMG on a special collection and car wrap to celebrate the arrival of the F1 Grand Prix in Las Vegas.

The Moncler x Sacai pieces first appeared as part of Sacai’s A/W 2023 collection, shown in Paris as part of men’s fashion week this past January. There, Abe looked towards other time-travelling inspirations – notably, Christopher Nolan’s black hole space thriller Interstellar. ‘The importance of learning from the past and a future informed with what’s gone before,’ she said of the collection at the time.

Moncler x Sacai is available from moncler.com and selected Moncler boutiques now.

Mercedes-Benz is comfortable in its own skin. From the invention of the combustion engine at the tail end of the 19th century through to today’s focus on electrification, the German manufacturer has been at the heart of the changing look and feel of mobility. Gorden Wagener, who has led the company’s design team since 2008 and has been chief design officer since 2016, has stewarded its vast and diverse portfolio through fast-evolving consumer desires, legislative shifts and technological changes. At the same time, he has overseen the conceptual visions that drive the company forwards, as well as the design team’s expansion into non-automotive projects.

Partnerships are a crucial spoke in the circular world of luxury product design. ‘We only do very select partnerships, like the one with Virgil Abloh,’ says Wagener. ‘It’s about discovering what we have in common with another brand.’ The final fruits of this particular collaboration only surfaced after Abloh’s death in 2021, having begun with a radically customised G-Class the year before. The end result was a dramatic conceptual off-roader, dubbed Project Maybach. This pairing certainly pushed the envelope for Mercedes, and although the cars themselves were ostentatious, they were still recognisably practical and rooted in real-world requirements. For the company’s newest partnership, with Moncler, these considerations have been gleefully thrown to the wind. Instead of creating a concept car or an extreme custom piece, the collaboration has resulted in a striking piece of automotive sculpture.

Mercedes-Benz on its new collaboration with Moncler

Dubbed Project Gravity throughout its gestation, the piece, which, at the time of press, has yet to be officially named, marks a departure from conventional Mercedes design visions. For a start, there’s a real sense of humour at work; this is not a staid homage to the Italian fashion house’s aesthetic, but a playful piece of contemporary art that splices two iconic shapes into a single radical form.

Starting with the form and proportion of an original G-Wagen (not the revised and overhauled second generation that debuted in 2018), the design team added a salute to Moncler in the form of vast balloon tyres, an oversized pick-up bed and a stylised zipper. ‘I asked myself what Moncler was about,’ says Wagener. ‘And for me, it’s the classic puffer down jacket. I love full, rich surfaces, and these jackets absolutely embody this.’ The tyres and cabin have been shaped to resemble expanded Moncler jackets, formed from prominent quilted pocketing that stands in stark contrast to the rectilinear form of the G-Wagen itself.

Wagener says that the overall vision of the piece came out of their earliest visualisation sessions. ‘We called it Project Gravity not just because it was “G” for G-Wagen, but because the aesthetic was influenced by the Apollo mission,’ the designer recalls. ‘We created visuals showing the car as if it was the command module floating down on big parachutes having just returned from the moon.’ The G-Wagen itself is not a real car body, but a carefully scanned vintage bodyshell reproduced in thin, lightweight material, finished with a patina that Wagener describes as being ‘like an old Leica camera, with a worn surface showing the metal below’. He says, ‘We have combined this almost vintage approach with the futuristic silver of the quilting, which evokes the silvery foils that insulate satellites in orbit as well as high-tech emergency blankets.’

Even though there’s no interior, the roof and rear are bisected by a massive zipper. ‘The entire piece almost resembles a giant handbag,’ says Wagener. ‘The zipper looks like a tow hook that could pull a freight train.’ There are other obvious visual antecedents, ranging from American monster truck culture through to the big-wheeled G-Class G 500 4x42 concept from 2020, not to mention the ongoing revival in all things related to space exploration and rocketry. ‘We’re even thinking about creating an animation of the car bouncing around on the moon,’ says Wagener.

The designer acknowledges the piece owes a debt to fine art practice, not least the work of Jeff Koons’ balloon animals and oversized vitrines. ‘The piece is totally glossy and over-exaggerated,’ Wagener says, pointing out that Mercedes has been involved in several art projects under his tenure. These include the Aesthetics series of sculptures, which pare automotive designs down into simplified shapes, both as a homage to the past and a nod to future forms.

There’s not a lot of streamlining and simplification in the Moncler project, a decision that reflects the tough and enduring character of the original G-Wagen. First introduced in 1979, the Geländewagen began life as a military utility vehicle before finding favour among design aficionados of an increasingly luxurious bent. ‘It’s an icon, and icons are very important because they create a sense of luxury,’ says Wagener. ‘The G-Class is probably our strongest icon, but you still have to treat it carefully. We were very respectful when we redesigned it, while still bringing it into a new age.’

Once it leaves the studio, the piece will be shown at London Fashion Week and possibly travel further afield in its mission to disseminate the shared vision of Mercedes and Moncler. As for further developments in the partnership, Wagener won’t be drawn, saying only, ‘It’s not just going to be about a single art piece.’ As visions go, it’s out of this world.

The Mercedes-Benz x Moncler art piece will be unveiled on 20 February as part of Moncler Genius’ ‘The Art of Genius’ show at London Fashion Week.

A version of this story appeared in the March 2023 Style Issue of Wallpaper*, available now in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

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Moncler began life 70 years ago in Monestier-de-Clermont, a small town in the heart of the French Alps. Founders René Ramillon and André Vincent built the brand on a simple premise: to create a quilted sleeping bag for the mountaineers who traversed the surrounding snow-capped peaks. By 1954, the duo had created their first down jacket, used that year by Italian climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli to reach the summit of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. Now based in Milan, Moncler has been protecting its wearers against the elements ever since.

It was somehow fitting, then, that the first event of Moncler’s 70th anniversary  celebrations, a vast public spectacle in Milan’s Piazza del Duomo this September, took place in the battering rain. No matter – the 1,952 dancers, singers and musicians (the number references Moncler’s founding year) were outfitted in matching white versions of Moncler’s signature Maya jacket. The synchronised routine, imagined by renowned choreographer Sadeck Berrabah (Sadeck Waff) and performed for an audience of 18,000, proved the hardiness of perhaps the brand’s most recognised style. Despite the downpour, the show went on. 

Moncler’s Maya 70 down jacket

Indeed, it positioned the Maya jacket as the central protagonist of the 70 days of celebrations that have followed, a symbol of ‘tradition and innovation’, as Remo Ruffini, chairman and CEO of Moncler says. ‘A design that keeps evolving in style and materials, thus always remaining contemporary.’ Created for the anniversary and worn by the various performers, the Maya 70 – a new take on the classic design in a choice of 13 reinvigorated colours, all with a special logo patch on the sleeve – epitomises this timeless quality.

Alongside, seven international designers will put their own spin on the Maya – a celebration of Moncler’s illustrious track record of collaboration, best represented by the ‘Genius’ project (which has invited designers such as Simone Rocha and Kei Ninomiya to reimagine Moncler’s DNA in their own inimitable styles). This time, the seven enlisted creatives are Thom Browne, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Rick Owens, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Francesco Ragazzi, Giambattista Valli and Pharrell Williams, whose versions of the Maya will arrive in weekly drops (Piccioli’s arrived in stores 16 November).

Celebrations are rounded out with the Extraordinary Forever campaign – a combination of archival and contemporary photography depicting the 70-year journey from Moncler’s adventurous Alpine roots – and accompanying exhibition ‘The Extraordinary Expedition’, a multisensory exploration of the brand’s ‘past, present and future’, which, having travelled from New York to London, will make its final stop in Seoul on 18 November.  

A version of this article appears in the December 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

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‘I wanted it to feel like Thom Browne is hugging Moncler,’ says the American designer of his interpretation of the Italian outerwear brand’s Maya jacket, part of Moncler’s 70th-anniversary celebrations which began with a takeover of Milan’s Pizza Della Duomo last month. ‘The perfect combination of Thom Browne and Moncler, front and back. You see me in the front and Moncler in the back. Or vice versa.’

Indeed, the limited-edition jacket’s design sees hallmarks of both labels combined into a singular hybrid garment, as if in embrace – from the back, a shrunken grey suit jacket, shirt and tie (the undeniable Thom Browne uniform), from the front, a hooded nylon boudin-quilted puffer, in the style of the original Maya jacket. The asymmetric bottom half of the coat evokes Browne’s signature pleated kilts, here married with an elongated quilted panel.

It is not the first time that Browne has worked with the brand; previously, he was creative director of Moncler Gamme Bleu, an offshoot of the label which ran from 2009 to 2017 and showed at Milan Fashion Week. ‘Moncler Gamme Bleu reflects the synergy of Moncler’s expertise in active sportswear and outerwear with the handmade tailoring sensibility of Thom Browne,’ read a release for the A/W 2016 season.

‘Moncler has been such an important part of my last ten years, so this project was something that I really wanted to do – for all the work that I did with Moncler, but also for Remo [Ruffini, the brand’s CEO and chairman]. He acquired the brand not long before I started, so we kind of grew up together. It makes it a very personal project.’

Browne’s approach to the Maya jacket was not unlike the way he would create his Gamme Bleu collections – reinterpreting Moncler’s classic designs through his own irreverent lens, often featuring plays on proportion and shape. ‘I worked with Moncler for so long that I have played with – or re-proportioned – most of its iconic pieces. I know the Maya jacket really well, so for this collaboration I just wanted to do what I did with Gamme Bleu over those years and put half of me in the project, half of Moncler. That’s really what you see in this jacket.’

Moncler has an illustrious legacy of collaboration, most recently with its Genius project, whereby various international designers have been given the opportunity to create collections that marry their own aesthetic with the Moncler DNA. For the 70th anniversary, Browne joins six other creatives in reimagining the Maya jacket – Hiroshi Fujiwara, Rick Owens, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Francesco Ragazzi, Pharrell Williams and Giambattista Valli, the latter previously designing Gamme Rouge at the same time Browne was at Gamme Bleu. These jackets will drop in exclusive weekly drops, with Browne’s launching this week on 22 October 2022.

‘I think with any good collaboration you have to respect who you’re collaborating with, and I think it comes down to mutual respect from both parties,’ says Browne of why these partnerships have proved so successful. ‘Remo has always been generous in making sure that there aren’t any limits. I love seeing what other people are doing and how they interpret the same project – it’s always good to be in a group of such talented people.’

The project is accompanied by a visual campaign by Platon, a Greece-born, London-based photographer best known for his bold black and white portraiture (he has photographed numerous American presidents and world leaders, as well as musicians, actors and cultural luminaries). The American actor Lee Pace – who stars in the recently released Halina Reijn-directed movie Bodies, Bodies, Bodies – appears in Browne’s design in the short film and photographic series. The designer calls Pace ‘part of the family’ (an avid wearer of Browne’s collections, Pace attended the 2021 Met Gala in a custom tuxedo jacket and shorts by the designer).

‘I like working with people who are the best at what they do, and he represents that,’ says Browne. ‘Because this project was so personal I thought it was important to pick somebody who was personal to me.’ 

Moncler Maya 70 by Thom Browne launches October 22, 2022.

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Jonathan Anderson is known for an unrestrained, and often unexpected, use of colour – whether shaggy shearlings in electric shades of blue and green (their colour achieved using boxes of hair-dye) or a broad array of saturated prints, from bright red strawberries to yellow-haired rugby players. His latest collaboration with Moncler – under eponymous label JW Anderson – arrives this week, providing perhaps his most vivid exploration of colour yet. 

JW Anderson unites with Moncler Genius on kaleidoscopic collection

The capsule – aptly titled ‘Dream in Colour’ – marks the designer’s third collaboration with Moncler Genius, this season looking towards the brightly coloured outfits worn by rock climbers (the designer has his own memories of the pursuit, on school trips to the south of France). Made to ‘entertain the eye’ as the notes describe, it is defined by its bold palette – electric blue, coral, green, yellow – rendered here in fabrications which soften the intensity of the hues, from washed and overdyed denim and cotton to fuzzy brushed yarns, bouclé knits and superlight nylons.

Like much of Anderson’s work at his own label, quotidian garments are gently subverted in size and shape – whether puffed-up padded shorts and skirts, leather-strapped parka jackets, or giant hoodies and teddy fleeces (silhouettes are ‘played-down buy playful’, say Moncler). Prints compound the collection’s dreamy, almost childlike vision, with hazy sprayed spots, ‘coiling’ waves and a glowing iteration of the Moncler + JW Anderson logo adorning the capsule’s various pieces. A series of ‘supersized’ accessories complete the look.

The collection is captured in a series of images by American photographer Tyler Mitchell, a longtime collaborator of Anderson. Trippy cut-outs of antiquity statues – an eye, a torso, a Romanesque head, themselves in day-glo shades – backdrop the collection, photographed at Italy’s La Foce estate. ‘Direct, yet twisted, familiar and obscure, straightforward and surprising,’ says Moncler.

INFORMATION

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The endless swiping of internet culture – dating apps, social media, news – inspires the latest chapter of Moncler Genius, seeing the outerwear behemoth unite with Gentle Monster, a Seoul-based eyewear label known for boldly conceptual frames and immersive, imaginative retail concepts (its various store designs have featured kung-fu ‘warrior aliens’, undulating ‘rice fields’ and even a giant robotic probe).

While Gentle Monster has previously collaborated with an eclectic array of fashion labels, among them Hood By Air, Coperni, and Ambush, as well as cultural figures like Tilda Swinton, and Jennie, from K-pop girl group Blackpink, this new partnership – Moncler + Gentle Monster (‘Gentle Moncler’) – encompasses both eyewear and a rare foray into clothing. 

Titled ‘Emotional Swiping’, the collection explores what Moncler calls ‘the pervasive swiping that denotes emotions, instant gratification and approval in the online world’. This theme runs throughout the pieces, imagined as a riff on the Moncler ‘badge’ – a sign of authenticity that appears on the majority of the Italian brand’s garments – here elongated to appear as if ‘swiped over’, featuring across the collection as a way to ‘question the limiting binary of this universal habit’.

The pieces themselves channel the sleek, futuristic vision Gentle Monster has refined in its eyewear, spanning minimally decorated sweatshirts, T-shirts and technical-knit dresses in ‘Moncler black’ – the last with white Tron-like stripes across the arms and chest – as well as new takes on the signature Moncler puffer and gilet (cleanly designed, with V-shaped graphic quilting and zip pockets across the back). ‘[The clothing] creates a bold, yet sympathetic canvas for the signature eyewear,’ says Moncler. 

As such, it is the eyewear capsule that provides the collection’s highlight, a selection of high-shine, shield-like frames that are equally apt for both ski slope and the everyday – whether wraparound frames with orange-gradient lenses or sleek oval silhouettes in crisp shades of optic white, black and scarlet. Specially created metal hardware, reflecting the ‘swiped’ Moncler logo motif on the clothing, operates as closures or hinges on the otherwise unembellished designs. 

In celebration of the collection’s launch, Moncler and Gentle Monster will also unite on a special pop-up space in the latter’s ‘Haus’ concept store in Seoul, featuring an installation that promises a ‘blurring between reality and the digital world navigated through the swipe’.

INFORMATION

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To achieve ski style, we propose a few pointers that will keep you firmly on-piste in the fashion stakes. Indulge in silhouettes that are retrofuturistic, elevated to peak chic with colourful and kitsch finishes. This approach should extend into your apres-ski wardrobe, where snug, patterned pieces pack a punch – such as oversized intarsia cardigans by Woolrich or Napapijri, for example. Additionally, the best skiwear lets you dial up your inner dandy. Think colour-blocked capes by Botter, and knitwear and shirting in a spectrum of head-turning tones.

A bold accessory will always draw attention on the slopes, and taps into A/W 2021's penchant for bright, colour-blocked tones. Prada provides leather gloves in turquoise, complete with a tiny triangle-motif pocket, while Stone Island and 3 Moncler Grenoble opt for protective styles in pillar box-red or bottle green. Missoni has warming options, such as a range of knitted kaleidoscopic beanie hats in the brand's signature chevron stripes and graphic patterns. For more snow-inspired tones, Fusalp proposes ski boots in clean optic white.

Layering has long been a smart and protective styling tool and a winning way to stack up luxuriant looks. Think utilitarian check shirting, ribbed polo-necks and even Prada's eye-popping intarsia knit bodysuit, which was a standout on the Milanese label's A/W 2021 runway. 

When it comes to the best skiwear, safety is always as paramount as style. Protect yourself with panache and sport goggles and a helmet on the slopes – chic options are available from brands including Moncler Lunettes and Oakley. 

We also recommend taking a look at Giorgio Armani's Neve collection, a ski-focused offering that first launched in the 1990s and features a range of elegant equipment pieces, spanning from salopettes to skis.

With these pieces, on or off the slopes, there's no chance of a style wipeout. 

Best skiwear for peak chic

Over the past few decades, Not Vital has been busy exploring the boundaries of art and architecture on a grand scale, his most notable recent works including a secular chapel in Bataan, Philippines and House to Watch Three Volcanoes in Indonesia. His latest project is a somewhat unexpected departure – a commission from Moncler to design a limited-edition 75cl glass bottle for Evian.

Unexpected, because as the Swiss-based artist notes, ‘I usually don’t do commercial collaborations. I am used to my artistic freedom, so to collaborate with two brands and their respective teams has been a new experience for me.’

It’s easy, though, to see how Vital’s customary reservations were overcome. The synergies are immediately obvious. For starters, all three collaborators have deep ties to the Alps. As part of its transition from classic partnerships – including its sustainable design-focused Activate Movement initiative with Virgil Abloh, and projects with Christian Lacroix and Alexander Wang – Evian was particularly insistent about working with a contemporary artist who had a connection with and understanding of its origins in the Alps.

Vital grew up in the snowy Engadin mountains which, for Moncler’s chairman and CEO Remo Ruffini, made the artist a shoo-in. ‘His work explores not just the spatial and socio-cultural backdrop of the Engadin Valley, it also reflects the magic and mystery of the mountains which are, of course, part of Moncler’s heritage.’

It probably also helped that Ruffini has known Vital – a man he hails as a genius – for many years. ‘For over 50 years, his practice has spanned performance, painting, sculpture and architecture,’ he says. ‘We have always been trying to work together, so the idea of collaborating on this project came naturally to my mind.’ 

For Vital, so used to creating oversized works that literally tower above the horizon, the opportunity to reduce his footprint, was an irresistible challenge, not least because he’d always thought that if he hadn’t become an artist, he would have gone into the business of selling water. ‘It could have been a natural career for me, as I grew up in a region with diverse mineral waters.’

His final design for Evian was based, not surprisingly, on snow – specifically the long winters of his childhood in the mountains. ‘I grew up in snow and so, snow has always been an important motif in my work,’ he says, explaining how he’s always been drawn to explore the relationship between form and materials, making sculptures with white plaster and creating snowballs out of glass and ceramics. ‘The idea for the design was immediate. I started by painting snowflakes on flat glass, and then I moved on to painting them on an empty prototype bottle.’

The result, he says somewhat triumphantly, is that he has ‘bottled the feeling of being in the snow’.

Ruffini, while no less enthusiastic, is suitably measured in his praise for Vital’s design, which he feels reflects a deeply personal journey that is unique to the Alps and which is closely linked with Moncler’s own history. He is, to say the least, more than a little vindicated about giving ‘an artist with such a wide-spanning practice the framework of a bottle of water to tell a story. I like the idea of playing with the states of water for the bottle design.’ And that’s certainly something to drink to.

INFORMATION

The limited-edition Evian bottle, £4.99. Available from 17 November 2021 while stocks last.

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After long months of being grounded – when the concept of travel has shifted from the everyday to the unusual –  we’d like to imagine that when people board a plane or train again, they’ll dress with a sense of occasion, putting a contemporary spin on the glamour and glitz of 1960s jet-set style. One such way to smarten up is to bring a luxurious lilt to your luggage, an investment that's sure to encourage envious stares as you wheel your out-of-office accoutrements through the airport departure lounge or hotel reception. 

Significant style uplift can be found in the latest suitcase offering from French outerwear label Moncler and German travel specialist Rimowa, a collaborative design that is part of the Moncler Genius collection. This innovative line, which first launched in 2018, invites guest brands and designers, from Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli to Comme des Garçons protégé Kei Ninomaya, to reinterpret Moncler’s signature padded down creations, which are as ubiquitous on London’s Sloane Street as they are on the ski slopes of St Moritz. In line with a millennial shopping mindset, these collections are launched as monthly drops, to an online din of anticipation.

Travel right with Moncler and Rimowa's ‘Reflection' suitcase

Moncler and Rimowa showcased its ‘Reflection’ suitcase design back in February 2020, as part of a music festival at Milan Fashion Week, which saw thousands of fans enter huge hangar spaces, each hosting the collections of Moncler Genius designers, including Simone Rocha, Craig Green and JW Anderson. In one space, Pomeranians were preened in a doggy styling salon, wearing metallic puffer jackets from Moncler’s Poldo Dog Couture line; in another, models walked in an interstellar interior resembling a pod from 2001: A Space Odyssey, sporting retro-futuristic ski wear by Richard Quinn. Outside, Rick Owens rocked up in a silver tour bus, with his own guerrilla presentation. Creating a slogan-emblazoned skyline, Rimowa suitcases were also suspended on scaffolding next to huge rolling LED screens, displaying messages including ‘Let’s fly away’, which became laden with irony as, just weeks later, the world ground to a standstill.

For the collaborative suitcase design, Moncler and Rimowa have looked to their joint expertise in materiality. The latter’s signature aluminium suitcase – first issued in 1937 and updated with a hardy grooved patina in 1950 – has been given an alluringly shiny mirrored surface, inspired by the glossy lacquered effect of Moncler’s down jackets and the reflective anti-glare glaze used in its mountaineering equipment. In an innovative interpretation of customisable luggage, the suitcase is also equipped with an LED screen that can be programmed with personalised ticker-style messages using a purpose-built app. This digital detail is also a nod to online messaging, so integral to our identities today.

The collaboration marks an evolution of the Moncler Genius project, with Rimowa being the first travel- and experience-focused brand that the label has collaborated with. It also marks another successful partnership for Rimowa, which in recent years has worked with a host of brands and creative minds, including Dior, Fendi, Olafur Eliasson and Alex Israel. 

Keen to channel jet-set chic when you next travel? Moncler and Rimowa’s LED screen-emblazoned suitcase provides all the style answers you need.

INFORMATION

From £2,780

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If the increasingly warmer weather has got you setting your sights on some new summer accessories, then look no further. Palm Angels' delectably-hued, logo-splashed sunglasses will tick all your boxes for stand out rising-temperature style.

Founded by ex-Moncler creative director Francesco Ragazzi in 2015, Palm Angels began its life as a Rizzoli-published coffee-table book, featuring images of the Californian skate scene, which Ragazzi documented on trips to Venice Beach. The brand's debut sunglasses collection will steal the limelight in any photograph: think 90s-era streetwear-inflected rectangular frames which are available in a range of tones, from lilac to tortoiseshell, khaki to magenta.

The unisex styles – imagined in two different geometric frames – won't just appeal to Noughties obsessives or those with a penchant for skate park style – they'll also appeal to those that lust after well-designed logos. The sunglasses are splashed with metallic Palm Angels typography, imagined in the brand's ornamental gothic script. This logo is idiosyncratic of the label. It also swathes sweatshirts, tees and baseball caps and is etched into the sole of the brand's Palm One trainers, an elemental tennis style sneaker, with a range of colourful upper accents, which launched earlier in 2021.

If Palm Angels began its life luxuriating in printed matter, then its S/S 2021 collection is something of a homecoming. Renowned photographer David Sims shot the images which accompany the brand's sunglasses release, as part of a limited-edition zine celebrating its spring collection as a whole, which also featured contributions from Rosie Marks, Lea Colombo, Enzo Ragazzini, Friedrich Kunath, Javier Jaén, Javier Calleja and Thrush Holmes. 

So whether you veer towards a tortoiseshell tone, a pastel hue or a hot on the heels of accessories with an eye-catching logo, we suggest you invest in Palm Angels' standout summer accessory. Think of these sunglasses as pieces worthy of your own personal photo album.

INFORMATION

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There’s something marvellously Madchester-centric about the cultural references that inspire Seven Layer CEO and creative director Jamie Lundy. ‘I’m an ’80s and ’90s kid, growing up in my early teens with The Haçienda, Stone Island, CP Company, Kickers, The Stone Roses, Oasis, City and United,’ he says. ‘Of course that’s going to inspire the label now and in the future.’ 

Stockport-born, Manchester-based Lundy – who took over the tech sportswear brand in 2017 –  has found specific influence in the performance-focused and militaristic outerwear styles popularised by the Madchester scene’s most riotous musical figureheads. Today, brands beloved by Oasis, like Stone Island and CP Company (both founded by Massimo Osti) are enjoying an enthusiastic style renaissance, due to consumer investment in technologically innovative and craftsmanship-focused clothing. Stone Island was acquired by Moncler in December 2020, at a valuation figure of €1.15bn.

When Lundy – a former British gymnast and engineer – took the reins at Seven Layer, he was keen to instill a ‘grittier, military aesthetic’ into its DNA, ‘with a performance and technical outerwear twist’. The brand is based on the concept of seven clothing components, the first being a base layer, the third a thermal layer and the seventh a cold layer, which can be built onto the body according to need. Lundy recruited design director Chris Vandrill – who has also worked for sustainable outdoor clothing company Finisterre and cycling brand Pearson – to create the brand’s Origin System, a functional and minimalist collection, inspired by garments in the ‘US Military Generation III Extended Climate Weather Clothing System', a 1980s-developed offering designed to provide adequate protection for soldiers operating in temperatures between -60 and +40°F (-51 to +4°C).

Available to purchase at the brand’s Alderley Edge flagship boutique and at United Arrows’ Roppongi boutique in Tokyo, Seven Layer’s Origin System is made up of protective and high-performing pieces, including T-shirts, sweatshirts and parkas. Its ‘Modular Down Outer' jacket is lightweight, stretchy, water-repellent even in torrential downpours and created using DownTek, a fabric with premium down clusters that trap air to provide maximum insulation.

As part of Lundy's overhaul of Seven Layer, he was keen to restrucutre its manufacturing processes and supply chains. Pieces in the collection, including the brand's Liam Gallagher-worthy camouflaged ‘Field Parka’, were manufacturd by British outerwear company ArkAir, using 100 per cent organic cotton from Dinsmore Kells in Northern Island. ‘My family-managed engineering company spent the last 40 years fabricating in UK factories in Stockport and Irlam; it made sense to try and continue at least some of that mindset,' Lundy says.

‘It’s in my blood and my soul,' he adds of his affinity for Manchester as a city. Whether wearing the brand's pieces to brave the elements on a mountain, or simply when listening to Oasis while strolling down your local high street, now the city’s stylistic signatures can be part of you too.

INFORMATION

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Craig Green’s fourth collection for the luxury outerwear brand Moncler was first shown in February 2020 in Milan and is now available to buy. ‘One of the reasons I enjoy working with Moncler is that they are so distinctive and definitive about what they are,' says Green, speaking from his studio in London’s Victoria Dock. ‘It’s about protection and functionality at its core, and they also have a very definitive key product category of down-filled jackets and padded outerwear. So, each season it’s about thinking about what else you can do within those ideas of construction and a down-filled jacket.'

Collection inspiration 

For the A/W 2020 season, the starting point was the two flat pieces of fabric that are sewn together to create a down jacket. ‘The construction of a down jacket has its own rules. There’s loads of restrictions but also possibilities,' says Green. ‘There’s restrictions in how you can apply and inject the down and how you can construct the volume, so working with the technical team on that is a very interesting part of the process.'

The pieces for 5 Moncler Craig Green are split into two distinct stories; a black and white section and a colourful section of neon oranges, acid yellow, faded pastel pinks, chalk blue. ‘The black and white section of the collection was created after sessions with the designers and technicians experimenting with down jackets and ski suits. Some of the colour mixes in the second half of the collection were happy accidents as the fabric was so translucent it created new shades when overlaying. In part the colours were inspired by insects and animals.'

Technical fabrication 

The pieces are crafted from an extremely lightweight and translucent micro ripstop nylon. The fabric is so sheer you can see the feathers inside, creating what Green describes as ‘almost like a 3D print with an iridescent effect.’ Other parts of the garments were inflated for the presentation to exacerbate the feeling of lightness.

‘People have played with putting volume onto the body, but this was about how the body could create volume in the garments as well. They are completely flat sheets with a series of zips, so you weave your body in and out of them to wear them. A bit like putting a floating 2D graphic onto the body,’ says Green.

A year in the making 

This collection took nearly a year to conceive and create. ‘We thought, "How can we make the lightest possible outerwear pieces?" Combining the micro ripstop fabrics with feathers created lighter than air jackets. During the process, we make trips to Milan to see the design and technical team at Moncler – we build things and play round a lot. Moncler are very open to experimenting, testing new ideas and pushing things forwards, which I think is really important for a collaborative partner. It’s an amazing team to work with, we have a lot of fun! Some of the ideas start off very strange!’

Protection as a theme

The collection was designed pre-Covid, but Green’s consistent vision explores concepts of protection in garments and feels more resonant than ever. ‘I’ve always gone back to the idea of protection. Even a technical idea of what that means. But I think people can be protected by things that aren’t tangible or ‘real’, like being part of a group, wearing a uniform, being part of a team. Emotional protection or finding protection in other people are things that we play with and consider. I think people always want to feel protected, even if there is not one specific thing to be protected from at that moment in time. Someone might buy an arctic down jacket but live in a city that is never that cold, but you still want to feel that level of protection, even if you might never really need to use it for its true purpose.'

INFORMATION

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Scene setting: Guests entered an astonishingly vast industrial space in Milan, where in eight separate rooms — booming with music, frenetic lighting and hoards of jostling Moncler devotees — the label’s imaginative, drop-focused Genius collections were housed. As if that wasn’t enough of a sensory overload, outside strobe lit installations included a scaffold lined with Moncler trick bikes, a Rimowa installation stacked with suitcases and Rick Owens’ surprise guerilla tour bus, a brutalist silver vehicle housing not only his and wife Michèle Lamy’s oversized silver puffer jackets, but also custom Moncler nylon duvet sheets in the bus's bedroom. The bus is even able to buy.

Mood board: Guests traversed the enormous venue – resembling a rave or festival with multiple enticing stages — with each of Moncler’s 8 Genius rooms showcasing the A/W 2020 offering of the label’s ever-evolving and consumer-captivating retail model. Queues were huge outside Richard Quinn’s stage, who erected a stark and eerie spaceship resembling installation, with models striding in striking sixties silhouettes given an outerwear update, from daisy motif puffer jackets to ski suits and sweeping opera coats in rainbow stripe and meadow print, paired with orb-like bags and extravagant ostrich feather headpieces. Elsewhere, Simone Rocha’s fourth collection for Moncler Genius was inspired by the cinema of Fellini (also a reference on the Gucci catwalk). Cue a film depicted a ballerina descending into madness and pieces including voluminous frilled mackintoshes paired with balaclavas, double layer dresses in tulle and floral print and A-line cagoules. Also on his fourth offering, fellow London designer Craig Green dived into the blue with a series of architectural and body swathing padded and plastic designs, which made male models resemble dinghies or pool inflatables skimming through water.

Best in show: JW Anderson is the latest designer on the Moncler Genius line-up (replacing Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli), and for his debut the designer delved into his imaginative archive, presenting a series of greatest hits reimagined in puffed, down-filled fabrics, from frilled shorts to trailing scarves, rugby stripe dresses to puffer jackets with reptilian spikes, in a kaleidoscopic colour palette.

Last month, Jeff Koons’ ‘Rabbit’ – a three foot tall stainless steel sculpture resembling a kid’s inflatable balloon – became the most expensive artwork by a living artist, sold at a Christie’s auction for $91.1 million. Koons’ status as a boundary-pushing art world provocateur has creative parallels with the current aesthetic output of Moncler, who have swapped traditional seasonal collections for monthly drops, and subverted the classical outerwear status of its label with Moncler Genius, a project which asks designers to rethink its signature down-filled jackets. 

Koons’ mirror surfaced sculptures were of particular inspiration to Francesco Ragazzi, whose 8 Moncler Palm Angels collection and accompanying presentation took inspiration from a vandalised image of one of the American artist’s exhibitions. Instead of designing his collection first, interestingly Ragazzi – who launched Palm Angels in 2014, and began his career as an intern at Moncler – conceived its accompanying A/W 2019 Milan Fashion Week presentation beforehand. ‘I worked backwards’, he explains of the event which was imagined as traditionally clean exhibition space, before its walls were sprayed with multicoloured paint. ‘I wanted to vandalise the purity of an art gallery. In the same way, I’ve vandalised the purity of Moncler.’

Ragazzi worked with artist and choreographer Willi Dorner – whose urban artworks incorporate the human form – on a series of exhibition photographs, featuring standing, diving and suspended bodies interacting with stark Milanese architecture, wearing jewel-coloured metallic ski suits. Their sky blue, lilac and emerald tones nod to the mirrored sheen of Koons’ cartoonish and balloon animal sculptures. ‘The pieces are made from laminated nylon,’ he explains. ‘I’ve never seen a metallic jacket like that before.’

8 Moncler Palm Angels ‘Art Breaking’ collection launches this week, and the release will see a series of global art showcases, from London to New York, including a roster of vandalised store fronts, tagged with bold red ‘Palm Angels’ graffiti. ‘Coming back to Moncler is an amazing feeling,’ Ragazzi says. ‘As an intern I used to dream about what I could achieve at the brand. Now I can actually do it.’

INFORMATION
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Mood board: According to this month’s Lyst Index, Moncler is the fourth most popular brand in the world. Two seasons ago, the Italian outerwear expert announced a revolutionary retail approach, closing a plethora of its lines (from Gamme Rouge to Gamme Blue) and launching Moncler Genius – a product umbrella which sees a host of designers reinterpreting his famed padded-down jackets. We’ve seen Craig Green’s sculptural scuba suits, Simone Rocha’s Victorian hiker-inspired outerwear and Pierpaolo Picccioli’s priestly puffer jackets. New to the line-up for A/W 2019: Richard Quinn and Matthew Williams of 1017 ALYX 9SM, plus Veronica Leoni and Sergio Zambon taking the creative lead at Moncler 1952.

Scene setting: For its A/W 2019 Genius showcase, Moncler didn’t do things by halves. The brand set up a series of presentation galleries in the arches underneath Milano Centrale Train station. Hosts of fans turned out for the event, gathering in the nearby street, which was lined with jets of flame and pulsating music. The beauty of the Genius project lies in its designers’ ability to present differing installations inside one overarching showspace, like Simone Rocha’s tranquil beech-lined woodland or Craig Green’s industrial installation, with his sculptural pieces suspended from the ceiling, and blasted by air-like aeroplanes. Newcomer Richard Quinn drew on his horticultural heritage, creating a space pasted with colourful florals, while Palm Angels erected a paintballing venue, with colourful splashes of paint being fired at models wearing protective metallic puffer jackets.

Best in show: It’s captivating how different brands and designer’s work to reinterpret Moncler’s signature codes. The variety of creative output is a testament to the label’s skill in curation and the innovative ability of its collaborators. Particularly pleasing was the work of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Richard Quinn, who worked to translate their voluminous haute couture shapes synonymous with their aesthetic into pieces with a sportier sensibility. Piccioli’s breathtaking pieces offered puffed up perfection, and featured down-filled capes and long-trained dresses, emblazoned with graphic patterns designed by Liya Kebede. Elsewhere, Quinn’s padded opera coats, patterned with retro flowers and zebra prints, blended the elegant with the utilitarian. 

A procession of petticoated Victorian hikers traversing crumpled paper mountains; 6.5m-high mechanical cylinders resembling steaming underwater pistons; a monastic chapel hanging with paintings by artist-monk Sidival Fila. These are just three of the eight scenes, hidden beneath huge tents of silver fabric, which greeted guests at Moncler’s Genius Project debut, in the cavernous Milanese stadium Palazzo delle Scintille in February.

The premise? A roster of designers – from Simone Rocha (winner of a 2018 Wallpaper* Design Award, W*227) to Craig Green, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli and Rei Kawakubo’s protégé Kei Ninomiya – were invited to put their creative spin on the brand’s signature padded down jacket. Their creations were to be released in line with a new retail strategy, one that disrupts the traditional seasonal cycle with fresh drops of product put on sale each month (a model that nods to the selling strategies of street and sportswear brands such as Supreme and Nike).

‘I started looking at images of women wearing voluminous silhouettes among really rugged landscapes,’ says Rocha of the 19th-century Alpine trekkers, such as Maria de Mont Blanc and Henriette d’Angeville, that inspired her collection’s fusion of ‘femininity and practicality’. For the Milan presentation, the London-based Irish designer created a scene of hikers, milling against shadowy paper peaks, clad in gauzy petticoat layers, lampshade dresses in padded down, shiny puffer jackets with frills and frothy finishes, and marabou-trimmed accessories.

‘I’ve long been intrigued by Rocha’s sophisticated and hyper-feminine aesthetic,’ says Remo Ruffini, chairman and CEO of Moncler. The brand’s original, now ubiquitous, padded down jackets were first conceived in 1954, and Rocha brought her mastery of airy fabrics, such as organza and cloqué, to their ultra-light construction. ‘What was so surprising was that I could manipulate the fabric like taffeta or tulle,’ Rocha explains. She saw the padded garments as a ‘jigsaw’, the seams of which could be pieced together to create voluminous shapes – such as an A-line coat, its linear puffed sections widening towards the knee, and a jacket with undulating ruffles sprouting from its seams.

Ideas of growth and blossoming were essential to Rocha’s design concept, which worked to assimilate outdoorsy garments into their natural environments. ‘I was looking at foliage and flowers growing up through rocks,’ she explains. Signature handwork, such as beading, sequins and embroidered flowers, appears to push through seams or cluster around the graphic Moncler logo. ‘I used pearls to evoke a snowy mountain palette,’ she adds of the collection, which is realised in white, powdery pink, red and black.

An element of protection is often evident in Rocha’s designs for her own label, her romantic silhouettes offset against militaristic cross-body belts and oversized cushiony bags. In her accessories for Moncler, she has emphasised functionality, creating nylon hiking backpacks that buckle around the waist and padded ski mittens. ‘It’s something I’ve never done before in terms of manufacturing,’ she enthuses. Her experimentation with technical fabrics is also seen in signature flaring dresses and soft double-breasted coats reinterpreted in nylon.

‘The Moncler Genius Project was very much about everyone having their own identity but being part of the brand’s voice,’ Rocha explains of unveiling her collection amid offerings as diverse as Craig Green’s padded men’s diving suits and Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Madonna-inspired flaring capes.

‘We’re establishing a dialogue with consumers, talking to different audiences and continuing to evolve,’ adds Ruffini.

Included in Rocha’s collection is a range of sunglasses. Ski goggle-inspired and ovular, they appear as if circled with black droplets of water. Functional yet feminine, made for the outdoors yet opulent, they serve as a symbol of Moncler’s multifarious vision. §

As originally featured in the September 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*234)

INFORMATION

4 Moncler Simone Rocha is available from mid-September. For more information, visit the Moncler and Simone Rocha websites

Puffers are entering a new era. The full lineup of 40 designs from the Moncler 6 Noir Kei Ninomiya collection, launches tomorrow exclusively at Dover Street Market. The line falls under the Moncler Genius umbrella; part of a series of eight collaborations with designers including Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli, Craig Green and Simone Rocha. Each collection will drop monthly, like an anticipated outerwear advent calendar.

Like its name, the project – which uses a drop model and celebrates a roster of esteemed brands – is in media strategy terms, genius. But, media strategy does not figure in Japanese designer Kei Ninomiya’s vocabulary: he rarely gives interviews, is underactive on Instagram, and doesn’t have a website… so who is this incognito designer who favours a monochromatic black colour palette? He studied fashion at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, began his career as a patternmaker at Comme des Garçons and launched his namesake label Noir Kei Ninomiya with Comme des Garçons in 2012. His first show in Paris last March made major waves. And now here he is, collaborating with an Italian outerwear stalwart.

For Ninomiya, colouring the collection black, ‘as my brand’s name Noir Kei Ninomiya suggests,' was an obvious choice. ‘I am trying to push the boundaries, and limiting colour opens the door to infinite possibilities,' says the 34-year-old designer.

From the darkness, the snow white feathers of down padding were at his disposal. ‘As I had never crafted duvet before, it was a new experience,' adds Ninomiya, who set about studying the basic designs of Moncler in his research process. ‘Then I focused on experimenting with the volumes that duvet can give.'

The collection features 40 pieces, all coloured in Noir Kei Ninomiya's signature black

The process of finding those new volumes proved highly complex. Described as ‘wearable geometry', many of his garments are composed of multiplied modules, like a cell reproducing itself in crescendo. ‘Usually I conceive the smallest motif and put several pieces of them together. Then they develop into a certain shape gradually,' he says of the organic process behind his meticulous, puzzle-like creations.

Visually, his work recalls the mathematical op art of Victor Vasarely, who calculated diminution and enlargement of motifs analogically. Sound-wise the right reference could be the music by Michael Nyman or even JS Bach: a shower of evolving refrains composing a melody. ‘I’m shaping a kind of seamless garment by putting small cells together instead of sewing yokes.'

His obsession with ‘modules' is not only about the construction of the pieces: each of the designer’s collections is based on an assemblage of fragments. ‘Each piece is important and an indispensable member of the whole collection, it’s not possible for me to pick out one particular piece as a reference,' he explains. 'When I work on one garment, I think about the proportion of the whole look or the entire collection at the same time.'

The sculptural creations are made of shiny nylon, which for Ninomiya represents the most idiosyncratic material of the house. Leather and knitted yarn join the nylon. For certain pieces, duvet-stuffed tubes are braided as knitwear. The surface of the puffer jackets evoke flower fields or quilted French bedspreads. The pleated, gathered or quilted skirts — whether in nylon or leather — evoke giant bells. Innovative, enchanting, magical… in Moncler 6 Noir Kei Ninomiya, his unique technique takes on a new dimension.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Moncler website and Dover Street Market website

COS: the brand is known for its minimal clothes and artistic presentations. At Pitti it introduced a new season-less capsule collection of 17 menswear essentials entitled Soma with a performance choreographed by Wayne McGregor. The collection of separates in white, navy and grey melange have been designed to explore what essential menswear means. ‘Every detail has been designed with functionality and the movement of the wearer in mind,’ said Christophe Copin, COS head of menswear design, of the understated aesthetic. Dancers drew on the connections between garment and gesture. Wayne McGregor said: ’My choreography, performed by the dancers, has movement which is both familiar and unfamiliar, light, inventive and playful, but in its essence – simplicity. Soma is of the body, of nature, of being human.’

Craig Green: London Fashion Week Men had a number of notable gaps – one of the biggest was left by Craig Green who, as menswear guest designer, was the headline act at Pitti Uomo 94. Since starting his label in 2012, his padded workman’s jacket with tie-fronts has become a staple for sartorial men across the world. His palm tree collaged cagoules for S/S 2018 were worn by many guests to his show, held in the enormous Boboli Gardens. The space was dressed in tarpaulin and metal structures made in collaboration with David Curtis-Ring. Models moved in and around the grass and stone walkways. The collection riffed on Green’s ‘travelling men’ – his muse is often esoteric, embracing new shapes and forms as he goes. Here, he added more fluid flourishes to his signature, rigid style. Shapes and materials were collaged onto the body; multicolored flyknit tops were made in collaboration with Nike. Vests were wrapped and worn layered, high and tight over the torso; a series of crisp white shirts had vests trapped between them. Red rope cables ran across the back and down the arms of clothes. The show closed with a series of multi-floral quilted tarpaulins attached at the shoulders with knitted cables. Flora and fauna. Nature and future.

Federico Curradi: The designer, who presented his S/S 2019 collection in his home city, looked to Tuscany’s Arno river for inspiration. Organic hues meandered through casual and relaxed separates, like garment-dyed silk waterproofs in orange and sea green, rusty chunky knit V-necks and loose striped shirts. Patchy garment dye techniques evoked the salt spray of the sea, while fish-shape charms and woven belts had a crafty, nautical flair. Fabrications and silhouettes that float our boat.

Roberto Cavalli: Creative Director Paul Surridge arrived last year at the helm of a design house steeped in swagger and sex. Cavalli’s inimitable namesake founder built an empire on animal print pep, sand-blasted denim, leather and gold – all things that seem today at odds with our more sombre times. What does the manicured machismo of the Cavalli man look like today? Surridge’s S/S 2019 collection was entitled ‘Reboot’ – re-working and re-examining the brand’s DNA. Athletic tailoring was front and centre. The mood was relaxed as models walked across a red and blue carpeted catwalk set inside an epic Carthusian monastery high in the suburbs of Galluzzo. Modestly lavish, the collection focused more on surface tension than dramatic silhouette or OTT gestures. ‘My mantra is respect the past embrace the future, and that is my approach at Cavalli and how I navigate this brand to the next chapter. You just have to believe in yourself and protect your vision,’ he said. The show opened with all-white abstractions of animalier; throughout, the anticipated animal motifs were sliced, sun-bleached and out of focus. They appeared as tone on tone jacquards or perforated onto leather. ‘This is a wardrobe that reflects the times; I wanted the clothes to be immediate and not over designed or complicated. This collection is the new foundation of things to come.’ His approach is lenient and sparing; the opulence is all left to the touch.

Herno: on the first day of Pitti Uomo, Herno unveiled L.I.B.R.A.R.Y. – an installation inside the Leopolda Station that explored two important anniversaries for the brand. It is 70 years since its inception and half a century since it has been in Japan. Conceived under the creative direction of Anomalia Studio, the exhibition presented pieces from the archives stored at the factory in Lesa – from the double-breasted coat added to the line in the late 1950s to a whole section dedicated to Japan, which included a white cashmere coat worn by Princess Masako in the 1960s. Herno started with the raincoat; fittingly guests first hear and then see Studio Azzurro’s installation: a drop of water drips rhythmically into a container at the centre of a 10 by 10 meter space, falling from an upturned cap of a silk parachute suspended from the ceiling. As you stop each drop with your hand, you interact with one of the eight surrounding screens. Later on, unpublished clips from Istituto Luce in the 1950s show founder Giuseppe Marenzi launching his first collection as he wins the Rally della Moda at Saint Vincent – his car taking pride of place in this story of dynamism, vivacity and elegance. Here, in an exclusive film, you can see the exhibition coming to life.

Z Zegna: tennis may be emerging as a micro-trend for S/S 2019 – is it a key inspiration for Z Zegna’s chic summer wardrobe. Where Bally honoured the retired Swiss tennis stars Marc Rosset and Jakob Hlasek, Z Zegna announced the appointment of its first ever official face for the brand: Alexander Zverev, the youngest tennis player in the ATP top 20 and currently ranked number 3 in the world. Game, set and match. The collection offers a range of practical, smart sports tailoring in the brand’s trademarked TECHMERINO textile. From classic navy and grey, to the more seasonal spearmint and pale pink, a wash and go wardrobe of deconstructed jackets, technical blousons and tailored joggers work for both on and off the courts

Birkenstock: For its second fully fledged catwalk show, the German footwear brand pitched up at the Giardini Torrigiani, taking over the 16th century garden with a collection chock-a-block with updated classics: the cross or double strap Siena and Malmedy reimagined in khaki and with gold closures, the introduced of leather soles into the women’s ranges, the thick upper Zurich upgraded in green and brown camouflage. The label has been going from strength to strength, and bolstered its fashion credentials earlier this year with its launch of a Rick Owens collaboration. For spring, it also showcased the ‘Summmer Stride’ collection, a series of closed-shoes in unlined leather and with a cork sole.

Moncler: In February, the prominent outerwear and lifestyle brand announced a brave new communication and business model: the Moncler Genius project. Periodic collaboration with designers and artists across disciplines is now creating a laboratory of innovation and technological research. ‘We have overhauled everything, by overcoming the very concept of seasons. Our approach is monthly, weekly, daily. An approach which considerably reduces the time that elapses between the collection presentations and when they actually arrive in the stores,’ Remo Ruffini, Chairman and CEO of Moncler said at the time. At Pitti, the label unveiled a two-part project with Japanese polymath Hiroshi Fujiwara, whose fashion work is always centred on streetwear and music. His 7 MONCLER FRAGMENT HIROSHI FUJIWARA collection fuses the weatherproof DNA of Moncler with a hip-hop, urban sensibility. Jean jackets are in the iconic padded fabric in a military palette of white, fatigue green and black.

Brunello Cucinelli: there is a reboot of Riviera chic happening at Cucinelli – the customary pastel pinks and blues have been replaced with earthier deeper colours such as caramel, off white, brown and radish. The collection takes inspiration from the Roaring Twenties – a time when formal elegance collided with the sporting world. (The golf and tennis motifs writ large across so many of the collections at Pitti each summer owe much to this phase of the American Dream). The mood here is prim. Linen is key. A white one and a half breasted suit in dry cotton and linen mix is worn over a denim shirt with pearl buttons, exemplifying the coming season and a fittingly summery mood

Band of Outsiders: the fourth collection by design director Angelo van Mol and brand director Daniel Hettmann was shown on a post-rain patch of grass inside the grounds at Palazzo Forteza, scattered with broken columns and statues. Models arrived in a giant golden yellow school bus and sauntered across the square one by one in easy separates inspired by varsity vacation to Italy. Cue wide-leg Bermuda shorts worn with windcheaters in sugary pastels and boxfresh trainers in collaboration with Sergio Tacchini, lightweight tensile shirting and unstructured tailoring in plaid (worn with matching bucket hats). The mood was summery and fresh despite the added quirk of the rain-drenched setting. Whimsical cartoonish prints are by Brooklyn based artist Amit Greenberg. Inspired by childhood excursions to Roman ruins, his drawings are repeated over boxy, boyish shirts and shorts.

Corneliani: ‘silk is the cashmere of summer,’ creative director Stefano Gaudioso said when introducing his latest collection. The focus for the coming season is on silk and streetwear; a trio of raincoats, from a 1950s classic egg-shaped belted mac, to a sharp, laser-cut nylon style exemplify the tension at the heart of so many classic tailoring brands. How to do modern without abandoning heritage? In a time where Off-White styling and Supreme sweatshirts rule, Gaudioso is busy giving the classic sprezzatura of a fifty-year-old company subtle upgrades. S/S 2019 brings with it a more extensive range of athleisure in the finest fabrics – zip up jackets in stretch suede, lined in jersey with an elasticated membrane give luxury a new mood. ‘I am already working on a concept of street tailoring for next winter,’ Gaudioso says. ‘I want the suits to become less stiff, I want to work with different materials, maybe inserts, to do things that are a little more edgy. The suit is our heritage, sure, but in order to keep up with how the world is changing, you need to move with the times.’

Parajumpers: the label, which derives its name from the vigorous pursuit of parachuting is all about functionality before form. Inspired by a chance meeting between founder Massimo Rossetti and a serving member of the 210th Rescue Squadron in a bar in Alaska, Parajumpers has become known for its rugged, technical styles. The latest collection features high performance outerwear in vibrant, crinkle-effect washed nylon; generous cargo pockets at the chest are shaped for iPads and maps. Packable jackets come with taped seams and zippers. But it isn’t all about the rugged outdoors: the Limited Edition by Yono line (made in collaboration with Japanese designer Yoshinori Yono) introduces leisurewear made from three layer laminated fabric both stretchy and waterproof. It works just as well at home or at sea.

Woolrich: In October 2017, the heritage American company Woolrich International announced an alliance with Goldwin Inc, the Japanese experts in technology for the outdoors. Their debut collection Woolrich Outdoor, unveiled at Pitti is said to explore the balance between humanity and the natural world, which translates as super desirable, lightweight, functional, youthful clothes designed to adapt to the demands of active pursuits. The collection features a new curvier logo for Woolrich, which acts as a preview of the brand direction to be rolled out in A/W 2019. Stand out are a series of lightweight seersucker outdoor pyjamas, cut wide they come folded up in their own little cross body bag. The mood is lively and light. Let’s go outside!

MCM: for the last few years, the MCM logo backpacks have become omnipresent on city sidewalks around the world. Founded in 1976 in Munich, the brand was acquired by the Seoul based Sungjoo Group in 2005 who had worked with the brand as a distributor and licensee from the early 1990s. The label chose to debut its first full ready-to-wear and accessories collection at Pitti Uomo. Under the direction of Mrs Kim, founder and chief visionary officer of Sungjoo Group and owner of the MCM brand, the proposed ready-to-wear was aimed at the ‘21st-century Global Nomad’, striding alongside the signature backpacks, leather goods, eyewear and footwear. ‘Millennials have less need of leather goods than previous generations, because they can basically do everything with just a mobile phone. So the need for multiple bags and large bags is becoming less important’, Mrs Kim said. The performative, immersive show opened with a tropical storm and was punctuated by the landing of a skydiver down the catwalk. Metallic and holographic textiles reflected the light. Outerwear was functional and free.

Pringle of Scotland: the collection for S/S 2019 takes its influence from photographs in the Pringle archives from the 1980s. The label’s iconic argyle sweaters were worn in and out of sporting circles for much of the decade. The look for the coming season is relaxed and playful as knitted pyjama shirts have matching wide cuff joggers. In the archives too are the many logos and iterations of the lion motif, which the designers have hand-embroidered onto the front of a classic golf jumper. The distinctive diamond argyle graphic appears on slim-fit jumpers and as texture on a sleeveless style made from recycled yarn.

Doucal’s: there is a discreet elegance and confidence about Doucal’s – the anglophile shoe label established in 1973. Avoiding fashion’s roundtable of trends and seasonal collections, the core styles are modestly updated with new details and colours each season; this is where Italian classics and sustainable sprezzatura come together. The signature flexible shoe comes this season with a double buckle; a tassel moccasin in red suede has a soft insole, giving the shoe a unique flexibility. Elsewhere at Pitti there’s has been a proclivity for terry towelling; at Doucal’s, pastel suede high-top sneakers come with natural sponge laces mimicking the feel of a foamy seashore.

Fanatic Feelings: when Nigeria’s World Cup 2018 Kit went on sale at Nike Town in Oxford Circus last month, queues formed around the block. It had received more than three million pre-orders after it was first seen online in February. Football is big business and fashion’s relationship to the sport can be seen in the hip clothes of Gosha Rubchinskiy and Martine Rose. This week, Fondazione Pitti Immagine Discovery presented a pop-up entitled Fanatic Feelings – Fashion Plays Football. Curated by Markus Ebner – founder of German fashion magazines Achtung Mode and Sepp Football Fashion – and art critic Francesco Bonami, the project threw a spotlight on the impact of football on the world of men’s fashion. This is most notable in the pervasive fusion of tailoring and sportswear. The duo handpicked a team of designers to make one-of-a kind football fashion pieces, which will be on sale for a limited time only. Christelle Kocher of Koché Paris designed a special World Cup limited edition capsule using vintage national football jerseys; Alessandro Sartori, who continues to champion active wear at Z Zegna, has designed a striped polo with football crests in superb, user-friendly TECHMERINO. Part of the proceeds from the sales will help to support the activities of Centro Storico Lebowski, a Florentine amateur sport’s association.

Bally: the value of designers’ archives is well known today as young designers seem self-consciously wedded to the idea of permanence in a digital age. Yet, the real value is in archival clothes that have a bigger story to tell. The Bally company has a vast archive of around 35,000 pairs of shoes in Schönenwerd, Switzerland – it is a constant source of inspiration. There, the design team unearthed the battered white sneaker with pink and blue rubber sole worn by the Swiss tennis stars Marc Rosset and Jakob Hlasek throughout the 90s. For S/S 2019 the designers looked to Bally’s sporting heritage, reintroducing the Champion style in soft calf-skin, fixed to a multi-component rubber outsole with herringbone mould for all-surface endurance. It has been reissued in the original colour way endorsed by Jakob Hlasek during the ATP World Tour in 1991. The nineties are still in.

Fumito Ganryu: Ganryu has been a pioneer of the hybridised approach to menswear since launching his eponymous cult line within the Comme des Garçons stable in 2007. A graduate of Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo, he started as a women’s pattern maker for Junya Watanabe in 2004 and so naturally his work fuses innovative pattern making with archetypal casual wear: ‘I do not consider my work as streetwear’ he says. ‘If people see the element of "street style" in my design, I assume it has come from what I have taken from skateboard culture. I focus on making garments that I think are necessary for the 21st century.’ In 2017 Ganryu separated from Comme des Garçons and Pitti marks his return to the spotlight. His S/S 2019 debut was futuristic and functional. Clothes were to be carried or worn as accessories, used when the need arises; shorts double as swimsuits. ‘What I would like to do is to create ‘non-sex’ clothes – garments without gender,’ he says. For summer this translated into garments attached to the body on silicon belts. ‘Transported rather than being worn, this would give the garments the sense of object, without being about sex.’ This is what Ganryu coins ‘conceptual casualwear.’

Margaret Howell: there’s a breezy nonchalance to the latest collection from MHL. Wool suiting is featherweight – cut in light Fox Brothers & Co cloth – relaxed shirting has big wide collars and long short sleeves, based on classic formal pyjama styles. Jogger trousers are hacked into shorts in lightweight cotton. New desert shoes are in suede with seamless backs and can bend in half for ease when packing. Blazers take inspiration from a woman’s style and are oversized and exaggerated in their slouch. A pioneer of anti-glitz, Howell’s suiting for spring is merrily sombre. Unlined and unstructured, it’s easy, sexy, cool.

Fratelli Rossetti: in 1968, as the world was ablaze with the vivacity of student protests, Renzo Rossetti developed the smart Brera tasselled loafer, inspired by the kids hanging around the historical artist district in Milan. On its 50th birthday, the brand is celebrating with a collection that has the same nonchalant poetry of youth in revolt; calf-skin loafers have soft suede backs so they can be folded down and worn as slippers. Classic woven styles have a bold graffiti snakeskin patina. A small showcase of work created by BA Students from the NABA Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti in Milan was on show too. Invited to reinterpret the loafer, Arianna Monticelli proposes an idiosyncratic take on the tassel, mixing woven leather, suede and rope.

Tiger of Sweden: Pitti Uomo 94 marked Christoffer Lundman’s second collection for the classic menswear label. The head of creative and design, who cut his teeth at Burberry, Tom Ford and Acne, was fascinated by the spirit of adventure for spring, presenting versatile crease-resistant travel suits, short suits and tactile woven tote bags. Details that reflect a lifetime of travel populated the collection, like Asian prints, shirts with Cheongsam fastenings and stripes neckties, inspired by Sweden in the Seventies, naturally.

Colmar: Outdoor exploits are essential to the renowned Italian outerwear label, which pushes its own sense of adventure each season with the development of fabrications and finishes. For S/S 2019, Colmar looked to the endless promise of America, from the East to the West Coast, incorporating Pop Art-centric prints, madras fabric and colour blocking into its silhouettes. A women’s highlight was encompassed in a water-repellent jacket with a semi-shiny yarn belt bag attached at the waist, and a men’s was an ultra light version of the brand’s down jacket, imagined in super shiny ripstop fabric.

Fashion week is not just the time for brands to showcase new collections. It’s also the schedule from which they experiment with new formats, be it presentations or video debuts, the merging of men’s and women’s lines or the showcase of see-now-buy-now collections. Last night on 20 February, Italian label Moncler debuted the latest chapter in the narrative of its creative vision, unveiling the ‘Genius Building’, a magnificent show at Palazzo delle Scintilla, made up of eight individual presentations by a roster of Moncler’s latest collaborators, including Craig Green, Simone Rocha and Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli.

‘Since the beginning, Moncler has been constantly been looking for new means of expression,’ explains Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s chairman and CEO. Until last year, the brand had presented its Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli directed Moncler Gamme Bleu and Rouge lines on the men’s and women’s fashion week schedule. It has also collaborated with a roster of creative talents including Jean Philippe-Delhomme, Greg Lauren and Off-White.

Last night, Moncler bought its diverse and evolving approach to collaboration to a majestic crescendo. Eight separate presentation galleries were cloaked in futuristic silver fabric, like huge draped theatre curtains or interplanetary oil cylinders. As guests entered each space via entrances like tunnel or porthole, they were greeted with eight diverse set-ups, which featured imaginative reinterpretations of the brand’s classic down jacket.

Take Pierpaolo Piccioli, whose ethereal installation featured a range of gently flaring and multicoloured duvet coats on elongated mannequins, their widening silhouettes taking on a couture meets Handmaid’s Tale sensibility. Or Simone Rocha, whose set-up featured models dressed as Victorian climbers walking amongst a snowy mountain landscape.

Rocha, who is renowned for using gauzy and lightweight fabrics like lace and tulle, was fascinated by Moncler’s signature down fabric, presenting quilted asymmetric dresses with marabou trim, and scarlet coats with fronds of ruffles. 'It was amazing to work on a project that required a new level of expertise,’ she says. ‘I wanted to work with materials that were signature to me like twill or cloqué, and balance those pieces with the down.’

‘We had real freedom,’ says Craig Green, whose presentation space featured two undulating mechanical structures, designed by London-based set designers Isabel + Helen, which resembled steaming pistols or globulous jellyfish. Green has a long fascination with underwater imagery, and his architectural padded designs resembled huge deep sea diving suits that protected the body. ‘They’re like crazy Moncler flotation devices,’ he adds of the pieces, which were presented against a dark backdrop of eerie mechnical noises, like the sounds of a submarine miles below the surface of the sea.

Moncler has always taken its catwalk set-ups to amazing heights. For its A/W 2017 show in New York, the brand recreated a majestic Viennese Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom, and for its S/S 2016 Gamme Bleu show in Paris, its regatta-inspired show set featured a catwalk installed with rowing boats. The Moncer Genius Building debut was a creative culmination of this performance-focus. Produced by Villa Eugénie, it also comprised of a Karl Templer curated installation featuring a giant patchwork sea of Moncler jackets, Sandro Mandrino’s presentation of models moving as if inside a huge reflective kaleidoscope, and Comme des Garçons’ protégé Noir Kei Ninomiya's darkly minimalist set-up, which featured mannequins clothed in innovative knitted down.

‘I believe that creativity has no boundaries,’ Ruffini says. ‘I conceived the Moncler Genius as a hub of exceptional creative minds, that will work together under the same brand, keeping Moncler's DNA alive.’

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Moncler website

When Craig Costello began tagging the streets of San Francisco with his name, he soon replaced it with abstract drips of paint, sprayed onto doors or mailboxes. Over time, the New-York based street artist has both scaled up and scaled down his spray-paint focused output. Take the towering Untitled, a series of dripped white works presented against mysterious black walls at the Ex Caserma via Guido Reni in Rome, and shown last November as part of the month long Outdoor Festival exhibition. Or Costello’s dripped paint interpretation of Nike’s Air Force One trainer, and Coach’s leather totes and luggage tags.

Now Costello has experimented further with scale, collaborating with the French performance wear behemoth Moncler on 350 customised 19 inch 'Mr Moncler' figurines. Yesterday, these statuettes were presented, amongst 10,000 others, in regimental rows around the streets of Hong Kong, as part of a live performance piece staged by the label.

‘Art has always been a key communication asset for Moncler,’ says Remo Ruffini, chairman and CEO of the brand. Last year, the label’s Freeze for Frieze project featured a Tim Blanks-curated exhibition of 400 donated artworks in postcard format, sold at its Old Bond Street flagship in London, to raise funds for the Royal College of Art. ‘Our partnership with Costello has allowed us to blend Moncler’s DNA with his trademark paint-drip aesthetic. It has resulted in a unique globally recognisable language project.’

'They'll all be hand-painted,' expained Costello of his Mr Moncler figurine – his bearded and sunglasses-clad visage protected by an eye-catching metallic puffer jacket, and differentiated by paint-dripped jogging bottoms and boots. The brand's miniature army of Mr Moncler's were positioned at four locations in the city, including Central Pier 4 and Harbour City Pier 3, their metallic puffer jackets complementing Hong Kong's skyscraper heavy skyline.

The project also celebrates the reopening of Moncler's flagship store at Harbour City in Canton Road. In democratic style, the city's guests were encouraged to register for the chance to take their own Mr Moncler home. This universal approach is one that resonates with Costello's public-focused street art background: ‘It’s great when the work can be made available to a wide variety of people,’ he says.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Moncler website and the Craig Costello website

Mood board: Fashion people may have not felt like dancing when they arrived, for the second time in less than three hours, to the Grand Palais tired from a long nine days of shows – but that was about to change. After all, the Salon d’Honneur had swiftly been transformed into a dance floor, complete with several dozens mirrored disco balls and all. Their light reflected on the ceiling, floor and walls and was a clue of what we were about to see from the collection. Giambattista Valli – creative director of Moncler Gamme Rouge – has famously taken what could otherwise have been practical but boring outerwear and performance clothes to transform them into a world of fun, all the while staying true to his ultra-feminine – and ultra-desirable – sense of aesthetics. Today was not going to be an exception. This time, it was all about dancing, as models entered the runway in typical ballerina attires of pointes, leg warmers and layerings of soft yet performative tutu skirts, sweaters and jackets.

Best in show: Imagine a – rather chic – dancer living in the big city, running to catch the subway after practice. That, according to Valli, was the inspiration for the collection. A sweatshirt carelessly thrown over a shirt-dress, a tutu skirt worn over a big sweater, a cache-coeur worn over a long dress, an oversized parka quickly worn over practice clothes. That was the very ‘all that jazz’, Flashdance-influenced spirit. But of course, this being Valli, in its most couture, powder pink, flower-embroidered version. Still, it could work. One editor cleverly called it ‘ball-leisure’. It’s just a step further from athleisure, and one that is easier to integrate into the less casual wardrobes of European girls. We can see it happening.

Team work: ‘I'm not the star of the collection; you are the stars of the collection.’ That's what Valli said, backstage just before the show, to the troupe of Chicago-flown dancers that were to perform during the show. Most of us had seen videos of ‘hiplet’ ballerinas on our social media before (’I was so obsessed with them, now I finally get to see them live!,’ ecstatically exclaimed my seating neighbour after the show). A hybrid of classic ballet and hip hop, hiplet (pronounced ‘hip-lay’) is best performed to energetic bits of dance music like Ed Sheeran’s Shape of You. Which is basically impossible not to dance to. ‘Dance is universal, and it’s inclusive. It’s not exclusionary like it was before, anyone can do it.’ Proof: even exhausted, blasé editors ended up moving at the show’s finale. That’s a feat.

When Moncler tapped Jean-Philippe Delhomme to create a series of Alpine-inspired prints for its A/W17 collection, the French artist’s illustrations took on a typically tongue-in-cheek persuasion. ‘The brand referenced a few ski resorts, like Cortina, St Moritz and Gstaad. I came up with characters and scenarios based around the excesses of skiing,’ Delhomme explains of his snow-topped social satire.

In one tableau, diners guzzling champagne watch as a zealous holidaymaker soars mid-ski jump over their table. In another, a fur coat- and hat-clad guest arrives outside the preposterous turrets of the Gstaad Palace hotel, a miniscule sausage dog in a Santa outfit in tow.

The collection is the second in Delhomme’s ‘Postcards’ series for Moncler, which debuted for S/S17 with illustrations inspired by seaside destinations, from Venice Beach to St Tropez, splashed across tops and swimming trunks. This season, his vivid brushstrokes are digitally printed onto puffer jackets and T-shirts, while his nose diving ski jumpers also soar across the chests of knitted jumpers.

Delhomme's witty social commentaries, seen here in his studio, focus on the excesses of alpine ski resorts.

‘The brand’s history starts from the mountains,’ explains Remo Ruffini, Moncler’s chairman and CEO, of the collaboration’s theme. Founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont, near Grenoble, Moncler began as a purveyor of sleeping bags and tents, before launching its now ubiquitous down jackets two years later. It soon began equipping explorers for expeditions in sub-zero climes. ‘This DNA has been maintained and enhanced,’ says Ruffini. While the new illustrations have a less intrepid and more après ski-centric focus, they ‘perfectly match with the creative soul and sporty ethos of the brand’, he adds.

Renowned for his fashion illustrations, first published in Vogue in the 1980s, Paris-based Delhomme has also created advertising campaigns and written illustrated novels. His witty sociological gaze has fallen on arenas from art to architecture (his 2015 book on Le Corbusier’s Villa Savoye offers a visual narrative of the architect’s relationship with his clients, Pierre and Eugénie Savoye) and he illustrated our Architects’ Directory and newsstand cover in 2015.

For Moncler, his perceptive eye is as unerring as ever. ‘The drawings have lots of different possibilities,’ he says. ‘They work like poster designs. Some feature a face or a character in the background that creates a visual shock. The idea is to make them look light and continuous and effortless, but also arresting.’

As originally featured in the September 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*222)

Information

For more information, visit the Moncler website

Overview: Moncler built its name on developing clothes associated with the great outdoors. So how can it approach summer when its iconic down jacket is recognised across the world as the ski-resort uniform of choice? Making clothes for sunnier climes throws up some interesting challenges. Conceived by Thom Browne, the Gamme Bleu label embodies the designer’s own idiosyncratic approach to outerwear classics and so the S/S 2018 collection reflects the synergy between Moncler’s active wear expertise and Browne’s surreal take on the sartorial.

Scene setting: Guests sat around a set that was trans-seasonal. The centre of the catwalk split into both summer and winter – half beach and half ski resort. As is customary with Browne’s shows for his namesake label during Paris Fashion Week, the choreography was unhurried and dramatic. Models each took their turn walking through sand and fake-snow, going on to take their place on the white deckchairs facing the audience. Each peeled off their down-filled looks made with over-sized plastic zippers to reveal a series of city smart tailoring. Performance or pantomime, Browne showcased a smooth shift between summer and frost.

Best in show: The collection was developed and shown in three groups, each separated by colour: grey, madras plaid and formal black-tie. Sport coats, peacoats, trenches, cardigans, polo shirts, trousers and shorts were made in traditional wool suiting, cashmere, wool mohair as well as nylon ripstop, mesh and rainproof slicker. Standout were the summery dimpled seersucker three-piece suits worn in contrasting plaids.

Scene setting: From icy plains to wildflower-strewn meadows, creative director Giambattista Valli often creates nature-inspired sets for his Moncler Gamme Rouge shows, and for A/W 2017, the designer imagined an immersive autumnal woodland forest. A floor of leaves covered the catwalk, which was lined at its centre with tree trunks and fiery bushes, while moving projections of trees lined the walls, illuminated with lights which evoked sunlight streaming through the canopy of a forest.

Mood board: Valli created chunky tweeds, Fair Isle knits, floral prints and shearling details in autumnal shades, combining the performance history of the house with more couture-like finishes: a zip up parka was imagined in delicate cream lace, a purple and pink floral print dress in high-shine fabric or padded quilting (a feminine take on Moncler’s signature down jacket).The designer also looked to Canada for inspiration (male models sporting the livery of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) at the show’s finale, a mackintosh and a shearling bomber jacket imagined in red and white, the colours of the Canadian flag.

Finishing touches: Founded in 1952, Moncler began creating down jackets for mountain workers, before providing trekking gear, including sleeping bags for climbing expeditions. A more whimsical and folkloric take on this heritage, Valli designed nylon hiking backpacks, hanging with sleeping bags and raincoats, which were paired with snuggly Fair Isle knit socks and silk scarves which poked from roll-necks.

Remo Ruffini, the CEO of Moncler, knew he wanted to be involved with the French label before he had even reached adulthood. ‘I bought my first jacket when I was a teenager and at that time Moncler was very popular amongst the young,’ says the fashion entrepreneur. ‘Since that first purchase, I dreamt about being a part of such an incredible brand with a unique history.’

Ruffini went on to acquire Moncler in 2003, and since then he has transformed the label – which was founded in 1952 as a sleeping bag, hooded cape and tent brand – into a luxury powerhouse comprising a number of sub-labels under the main line.

Moncler Gamme Bleu, its men’s line designed by Thom Browne, shows in Milan; Moncler Gamme Rouge, its women's line headed by Giambattista Valli, shows in Paris; and Moncler Grenoble, which debuted in New York in 2010, is considered by Ruffini to be the core of the Moncler family. ‘New York is unique and the energy you feel there is close to one achieved through sporting activity and competition – the spirit of the Moncler Grenoble collection’, he explains.

Moncler Grenoble staged a Doctor Zhivago-inspired winter ball for its A/W 2017 show

‘The name originates from the place the brand was founded in 1952,’ Ruffini adds. ‘With Moncler Grenoble, the brand has gone back to its roots and reclaimed its history with a precise choice of heritage style and technical performance.’

For its A/W 2017 show, the brand transformed Hammerstein Ballroom into a magical winter ball inspired by a scene from Doctor Zhivago, with a static filter that evoked dashes of Stanley Kubrick and Luchino Visconti. White chandeliers hung from the ceiling, while elaborate tables bordered the edge of the stage. Derek Blasberg hosted the show, which was comprised 80 models sporting designs in plaids, pinks and whimsical florals, inspired by vintage skiwear from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

The Hammerstein Ballroom was dramatically transformed

‘The collection is split into three sections’ explains Ruffini. ‘The first, features high performance garments relating to functionality and high technical fabric use, to meet the most extreme needs under challenging weather conditions. The second is focused on performance and style, dedicated to the functional necessity of skiwear, and the third is après-ski, characterised mostly by day-to-day wearable garments on the slopes, which translate perfectly to the city.’

The brand, which has collaborated with Off-White, Mary Katrantzou, and LA artists Friends With You has two more partnerships to come this year. ‘We frequently collaborate with designers with the key goal of keeping the brand DNA alive, whilst injecting a new innovative and creative vision,’ says Ruffini.

With high profile collaborations and extravagant runway sets, this is a strategy sure to boost customer activity. ‘There is no unique formula,’ Ruffini says of his approach to encouraging social media engagement. ‘…But if you want consumers to follow you as a brand, you need to place them at the centre of your brand activity, communicating consistently and offer them the highest quality of product.’ 

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Moncler website

Scene setting: For A/W 2017, Moncler Grenoble continued its tradition of presenting full-on theatrical productions, staging a Winter Ball at Hammerstein Ballroom complete with hanging white chandeliers and decked-out gala tables. Derek Blasberg served as the master of ceremonies, introducing each group of the collection, as models came out in hooded white capes before disrobing to reveal their looks. The New York City Chamber Orchestra provided the music for the affair, which ended in a waltz.

Mood board: Vintage skiwear from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s informed the A/W 2017 collection. Trousers were designed in plaid with a slight flare in a nod to the 70’s, while jackets got 80’s-inspired details, like athletic stripes at the arms.

Best in show: A number of the outerwear pieces were strong, like the brown fur parka and the feminine, rose fur. One of the standouts was a men’s forest green puffer-jacket with brown leather shoulder detailing and a shearling lining and collar. In the women’s collection, an oversized plaid coat with a fur collar made for a funky, yet chic look.

Mood board: The mountain climbing theme at Moncler Gamme Bleu came forth loud and clear as a troop of men wearing grey wide-leg skiing suits covered in cable ropes and metal hooks, took center stage on a snow filled runway.  From then on nearly every men's look came bound with all manner of hiker bondage;  a pair of legs peeking out of puffer shorts were strung together by the socks, while chests, arms and wrists were all tied up with climbing knots, nets or rope.

Best in show: The coolest stuff at Moncler Gamme Bleu is always the inventive skiwear. Super puffy looks with wide leg cropped trousers, and snug padded jackets were done this season in brightly coloured striped wools and jacquards. The brand's signature red white and navy was supplemented with icy blue, green and grey. 

Finishing touches: Instead of ski masks, models wore mink mouth warmers that draped over the face like furry beards. Round-eye googles with red, white and blue straps and thick ski hats topped off the look. Shoes meanwhile looked part bowling part mountaineering, while backpacks were swollen up to expedition size and given a splash of striping in the label's signature colourings.

Mood board: Regimented and yet deeply sporty too, Giambattista Valli delivered his most casual collection yet for Moncler Gamme Rouge. Of course there were still remnants of Valli’s couture sensibilities wafting off the mini lace dresses and embroidered crusted tunic tops, but the ornamentation was definitely toned down this season as Valli focused on crisp clean sportswear, foil running shorts, canvas printed pants and puffer sleeping tarps held on by red, white and blue grosgrain shoulder straps that trailed off the model’s backs like the train of a great gown.

Best in show: Valli’s best work was on outerwear, where he used couture, cocoon-like shapes on hooded coats that were blocked in big vertical sheets of red, silver and navy blue. Also noteworthy were the trapeze-shaped white coats, covered in a layer of white beaded embroidery.

Finishing touches: The crispness of uniform dressing came to a head with bandleader caps sporting silver metallic visors. But the shoes were super slacker, including a set of pool slides made from shiny silver and fashion’s ubiquitous Stan Smith trainer made Moncler by being dipped entirely in a color block formation of blue, red and white. 

INFORMATION

Photography: Jason Loyd-Evans

Prada: Mrs Prada once again partnered with Dutch studio AMO to build a backdrop for her menswear showcase at the Fondazione Prada complex. Decked out in hiking-inspired attire, models strode up and then down a continuous metal mesh ramp to a 1990s soundtrack.

Gucci: A huge serpent motif slithered along Alessandro Michele’s green-carpeted runway at Gucci this season. Deep-buttoned benches and wall panels upholstered in green velvet lined the space, while green lighting paired with a delicate mist created a totally immersive fashion experience

Acne Studios: For a collection that served as a tribute to the emptiness of the Swedish summer, Acne Studios staged a game of musical chairs within the dilapidated library space at Paris’ Lycée Charlemagne. Old-fashioned metal-legged school chairs were scattered along the runway with square mirrors placed on the floor in between them, reflecting the crumbling frescoes above. Meanwhile, multicoloured filters placed over the windowpanes created welcome chequerboards of colour against the peeling plasterwork and worn floorboards

Fendi: The holiday snaps of Pablo Picasso and David Hockney provided the inspiration for Fendi’s S/S 2017 outing. Decked out in terry cloth robes and striped totes, models made their way around a crisp-edged blue pool headed up by a bright yellow diving emblazoned with the Fendi logo

Givenchy: Riccardo Tisci presented his S/S 2017 menswear collection for Givenchy in the courtyard of Paris’ Lycée Janson de Sailly. Black and white cube-shaped stools, which echoed the optic checkerboard patterns in the collection, were laid out in three concentric circles to form the schoolyard catwalk

Dior Homme: Following on from last season’s skateboard ramps, Dior Homme returned to the Tennis Club de Paris with a rollercoaster set that swooped around the runway. Festooned with coloured light bulbs, Kris Van Assche’s fashion fun fair was designed to evoke the atmosphere of the Sinksenfoor amusement park in Antwerp, Belgium.

Moncler Gamme Bleu: Forty mosquito-netted one-man tents were erected along Moncler’s grass-lined runway this season. The elaborate staging, complete with trees and a campfire, provided the perfect backdrop for the label’s Boy Scout camping-themed show

Ami: Bathed in a golden glow that evoked early morning light, Alexandre Mattiussi’s romantic set occupied the length of one of the long curved walls within Paris’ Grand Palais. His models, clad nonchalantly in pleated trousers, nylon hoodies and knitted sweaters, walked alongside a series of tall windows, both real and fake, complete with billowing white linen curtains and slatted shutters that filtered the hazy light.

Balenciaga: With a blue sky overhead and a clear view of the 7th arrondissement and the Eiffel Tower on the horizon, the dazzling atrium of Paris’ Lycée Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague served as the setting for Balenciaga’s first ever men’s runway show. Arranged under the atrium’s spectacular curved, lattice-framed roof, a simple set with just three rows of seating lining either side of the catwalk let the spectacular cityscape do the talking

Belstaff: Inspired by On Any Sunday, a documentary about motorcycle racing made in 1971 starring Steve McQueen, Belstaff’s S/S 2017 collection was full of references to riding and motorcycle culture – as was the set. A dirt track peppered with pine trees, a vintage pick-up truck and motorbike transported the audience straight onto a Husqvarna in the California desert

Berluti: For S/S 2017, Berluti threw a lush poolside cocktail party complete with games, burger vans, champagne bars and a host of inflatable animals. To celebrate the launch of its opulent outdoor equipment – as part of a new lifestyle collection, which included skipping ropes, dumbbells, beach rackets and a set of boules – models skateboarded through garden paths, worked out to the sounds of Donna Summer and frolicked across a makeshift swimming pool, tossing a Venezia leather frisbee

Berthold: Presented in the dark concrete basement of London’s 180 The Strand, Raimund Berthold’s S/S 2017 collection was built around the outsized proportions of an old French cavalry coat. To reflect this, his minimalistic set, designed once again by Justyna Kabala, was filled with angular metal frameworks draped loosely with white fabric held in place by heaps of coral-coloured sand that spilled over onto the black rubber floor

Canali: Inspired by the intersecting warps and wefts of its textured jackets, pants and knitwear, Canali’s models emerged from a spiraling web of tension cables lit with steel blue and burnt sienna lighting to match the collection’s clout palette

Mackintosh: An undulating platform made up of mirrored panels and eleven white plinths served as the catwalk at Mackintosh’s S/S 2017 presentation. As well as highlighting the details of the British heritage brand’s three-quarter length coats, the mirrored flooring reflected and amplified the Edwardian splendor of the show’s location in the Waldorf’s Palm Court

CMMN SWDN: Channeling the souks of Marrakech, designer Kimberley Harding conjured a sun-soaked market place show set for CMMN SWDN. With a sand-covered floor, makeshift market stalls in warm shades of ochre, burnt sienna and terracotta echoed the collection’s colour palette

Issey Miyake Men: The sun-baked quadrant within Paris’ Université Pierre et Marie Curie provided the perfect platform for Issey Miyake Men’s India-inspired ‘Journey from a white page’ collection. Taking advantage of its stepped grid design, models stalked up and down the steps in perfect formation to the sound of Japanese band Kikagaku Moyo who performed at the centre

Kenzo: Creative directors Carol Lim and Humberto Leon took to Carreau du Temple, a former clothes market, to showcase the French label’s S/S 2017 offering. A raised tiled platform, sprayed with abstract graffiti lines in petrol blue, acid green and black, set the scene for a 10am Saturday morning rave with a thumping house soundtrack

Louis Vuitton: Held in the open air among the columns of Paris’ impressive Palais Royal, Louis Vuitton’s show set had no trouble in evoking the hot plains of Africa – Kim Jones’ source of inspiration for S/S 2017. Snaking around square pyramid-style seating arrangements, the subtle pink stonework provided the perfect backdrop for Jones’ sun bleached palette of brown, taupe and beige

Pal Zileri: An enormous backdrop burning with bright magenta and green created a horizon-like effect for Pal Zileri’s sharp tailoring. Models walked out silhouetted against the screen before taking their turn along a spotlit, v-shaped runway

Philipp Plein: The designer’s ‘Sportsworld Spectacular’ themed show got underway on a basketball court set created by Simon Costin. Backdropped by a giant screen flashing up NBA logos and player stats, the court was awash with models, NBA-mascots, a troop of neon-clad cheerleaders and a gang of slam dunk acrobats from the Harlem Globetrotters. Lights flashed, flames were fired up into the air and rapper Busta Rhymes performed – exactly the type of no-expense-spared show that we’ve come to expect from Plein

Qasimi: Over at Somerset House designer Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi of Qasimi drew influence from the Gulf War and contemporary architecture for his collection ‘Videogames Wars’. Inspired by the undulating titanium facade of Gehry’s Guggenheim in Bilbao, a riveted metal platform conceived by set designer Andrea Cellerino served as a rippling sand dune in Qasimi’s dystopian desert

Sacai: Held in an all-white orangerie-cum-art gallery space at the Jardin du Luxembourg, Chitose Abe’s Clockwork Orange-inspired collection for Sacai was paraded around strategically placed heaps of beige gravel that created a Mars-esque landscape

Thom Browne: The designer welcomed guests to a perfectly square gothic tropical island complete with its own black palm tree and glittering black sands for his S/S 2017 outing. Models dressed in wet suits, as seagulls and as birds of paradise added to the jovial atmosphere – as did the suited model wearing a shark head who opened the show to the Jaws soundtrack.

Valentino: Returning to their usual stately spot at Paris’ Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino presented a collection that they said was inspired by ‘the Shakespearean world transformed into an emotional alchemy’. Contrasting the opulent surrounds with rough timber clad bench seating, the simple set design reflected the collection’s languid, intentionally ‘undone’ mood

Thomas Pink: The house used a gravity-defying wall of chairs to showcase its S/S 2017 presentation at the ICA in London. Nonchalantly sitting on non-descript white-painted wooden chairs suspended across a blue-tiled wall, were 15 impeccably half-dressed men in a range of shirts, crisp boxer shorts, long, fine-gauge socks and leather lace-up shoes

Mood board: How to do extreme winter temperature elegance? Just ask Giambattista Valli who delivered an exceptionally beautiful collection for Moncler's Gamme Rouge label, where short, sassy, youthful silhouettes were fixed with couture level workmanship and details.

Best in show: There were covetable pieces sprinkled heavily throughout this show but we loved the knit front ski-sweater jackets and flouncy tweed cheerleader skirts. The finale of all white coats trimmed in fox and crystal embellishment created a white winter wonderland.

Finishing touches: Rather than snow friendly moon boots, Valli proposed an enormous wedge heeled clog with sculpted wood heels. He also showed lovely hard and soft hats all of which came crowned with huge cheerful balls of fluffy fox fur.

INFORMATION

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

2

Models at Hussein Chalayan’s Paris show who took a shower on the catwalk, allowing their soluble clothes to melt away

12

BMX bikers and professional skateboarders catching some air on the ramps at Jimmy Choo’s menswear show, held inside a London leisure centre

19

Giant Roman arches on the Kenzo catwalk with models sweeping through on a conveyor belt

80

Crushed cars, 12 motorcycles popping wheelies, one monster truck, two spinning cop cars and two BMWs exploding into flames at Philipp Plein’s men’s show

20

A-listers playing blackjack and roulette at Chanel’s casino set in Paris’ Grand Palais shows

3

Lifesized fake carwashes, featuring fluffy rotating brushes and bubble machines, on Jeremy Scott’s runway at Moschino

700

Plexiglas panelshanging from the ceiling at the Prada men’s show      

200

Metres of carpet printed with snakes and roses and 14 bespoke upholstered screens on the catwalk at Gucci

30

Buddhist monks, in matching red robes, chanting before the start of Prabal Gurung’s women’s show

100,000

People who attended New York fashion week versus 2.4 million people who live-streamed the shows at home

1

Designer down during a post-show runway lap: Tommaso Aquilano, of Aquilano Rimondi, tripped and face-planted in Milan

820

Free tickets that Givenchy gave to the public on a first-come, first-served basis to its women’s show in New York

12

Strong, female, professional dancers carrying other women like backpacks and papooses at the Rick Owens’ show

7

Earth mountains created by artist Maya Lin for Phillip Lim’s New York show

50

Oriental rugs hanging from the ceiling of the harem-like show space at Antonio Marras

136

Digital ‘windows’ flashing videos of clouds, rain storms, blue skies, lights and models walking at the Canali men’s show

17

Miniature outfits hanging on a lifesized fake tree installed inside Milan’s 18th century Palazzo Clerici for Agnona

10

Colour-blocked tents created by Danish artist FOS for Phoebe Philo’s Céline show

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Miniature outfits hanging on a lifesized fake tree installed inside Milan’s 18th century Palazzo Clerici for Agnona

3

Giant robots who dressed models on a conveyor belt after Courtney Love had performed Celebrity Skin at Philipp Plein’s women’s show

120

Lucky guests treated to a private dance performance by six Michael Clark Company dancers wearing Pringle menswear at Galleria Sozzani in Milan

6

Hours for carpenters to build a lifesized section of Sou Fujimoto’s House N inside Paris’ Grand Palais for Akris

 16

Oars on each of the two boats at the rowing-inspired Moncler Gamme Bleu men’s show

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Mariachi singers belting out songs during Brian Atwood’s presentation at Milan’s Museo Bagatti Valsecchi

40

Bare-chested men, in knee-high socks and shiny shoes, reading newspapers in deckchairs in the courtyard before the Berluti show

20,000

Gallons of water to fill the mini lagoon in which the models frolicked at Tommy Hilfiger’s New York show

300

LED water lilies on the runway at Giorgio Armani  

8.5

Height in feet of the giant Balthus cat on the runway at Arthur Arbesser’s show in Milan. It was later cut into three pieces and taken home by the Austrian designer

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Cheeky selfie taken by Alexander Wang in front of a pool of water during his final show for Balenciaga

3,000

Electric blue delphiniums planted on a temporary hill (that took 30 days to build) in the middle of the Louvre’s Cour Carrée for the Dior show

40

Models at Dolce & Gabbana who took to the runway with cellphones in hand, snapping selfies

Scene setting: Despite being staged outdoors in the plaza of Lincoln Center on one of the coldest days in New York City of the past decade, Moncler kicked its presentation off with a riveting performance by a dance troupe marching in various formations with true military precision.

Mood board: The weather couldn't have been a more appropriate backdrop for Moncler's procession of fashion forward winter wear, fur-laden snow boots and quilted ski jackets that all embraced a coquettish, retro silhouette.

Best in show: A series of colourful houndstooth and windowpane checked prints gave Moncler's signature styles a fresh fashion slant.

Wind, water, rock and even dirt ruled the A/W 2015 catwalk. Stefano Pilati’s collection for Ermenegildo Zegna Couture, presented in a room with thick soil walls, featured traditional Harris tweeds glazed with a needle-punched recycled plastic coating.

Stone Island’s emerald green vest is water – and wind – resistant but reveals itself in new ways thanks to a reflective underlying material coated in thousands of glass microspheres. And Victorinox’s limited edition Gallen Parka is designed for country and city.

So this season, jackets are softly sculpted, padded and worn layered. Pockets are deep and tailored trousers are paired with rubber-soled Chelsea boots.

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The bucolic scene pictured was created by Matt Wright, one half of garden accessories brand Wright & Doyle, with partner Bella Doyle. Wright describes his design as ‘prairie planting on a small scale’, and explains that ‘I wanted to make a selection of plants that would complement each other in the studio but could also be found in a more natural environment.’ 

To create the natural effect, he used grasses such as Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ and Stipa tenuissima, along with a mix of herbaceous perennials including Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’, calamint, valerian and Helenium 'Potter’s Wheel’. They brought an unexpected extra too: ‘They added a wonderfully sweet scent to the studio,’ says Wright. 

As originally featured in the December 2015 issue of Wallpaper* (W*201)

INFORMATION

Hair: Hiroshi Matsushita using Kiehl’s. Make-up: Rebecca Wordingham at Saint Luke using Shu Uemura. Manicurist: Saffron Goddard using Chanel Christmas 2015 and Body Excellence Hand Cream. Set design: Matthew Wright at Wright & Doyle. Model: Nathan Saignes at Established. Fashion: Jason Hughes

Scene setting: Giambattista Valli rolled out an impressive full country meadow – including mossy corners and tufts of wildflowers – in the middle of the Grand Palais for his latest collection for Moncler Gamme Rouge. Despite the rough and tumble scene, Valli went super sophisticated, sending his maidens out in short, flared, sweet confections of lace and embroidered tulle that was just right for a midsummer’s night dream.

Best in show: The workmanship was exquisite in this show, but we liked it best when Valli stuck to the Moncler outdoor brief: he cut a fantastic dress and matching coat, for example, from clear vinyl embroidered with huge white lace that created what could easily be the world’s most beautiful rain outfit.

Finishing touches: With all the jazz happening from the knee up, Valli kept things very low key from the ankle down. His girls may have been sporting glorious frocks, but they stomped through the fields in sensible white or black leather, sport lace up shoes with woven or embroidered sides.

INFORMATION

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

Last year the CEO of Italian fashion label Moncler, Remo Ruffini, and US-based French art director and photographer Fabien Baron hatched a plan over meetings in Milan and New York. They were trying to come up with a way to raise funds for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmfAR), a charity on a mission to help find a cure for the disease by 2020. 

Moncler has a history of smart use of photography, working with practitioners from Bruce Weber to Annie Leibovitz to Baron himself. Baron, meanwhile, has been working with the biggest names in fashion photography for a quarter of a century, through his work for Interview and Harper’s Bazaar, and campaigns for the likes of Calvin Klein. So photography seemed a smart way to go.

The pair decided to ask a few photographer friends if they could help out. Well, more than a few – and not just any photographers. ‘We had this big idea of getting every major living photographer involved,’ says Baron. ‘We all know who the best photographers out there are and the idea was to have all of them participate.’ The response, says Baron, was instant and, ultimately, moving. ‘I started calling Patrick, Peter and Bruce and they said yes right away,’ he explains. ‘After that it was an organic process, and the response was overwhelming. To have everyone come together and agree was very special for me and Moncler. A project of this kind is as overwhelming as it is heartwarming.’

The Patrick in question is, of course, Patrick Demarchelier, Peter is Peter Lindbergh and Bruce is Bruce Weber. They are joined on this roll call of photography’s finest by Leibovitz, David Bailey, Paolo Roversi, Steven Meisel, David Sims, Inez and Vinoodh, Pamela Hanson, Craig McDean and more. Baron and Ruffini gave each photographer a Moncler ‘Maya’ jacket but little in the way of direction. They were simply asked to take the jacket, think about love, in its infinite variety, and shoot it.

‘I think this is what makes this project special,’ says Baron. ‘They each knew exactly what image they wanted to contribute. The 32 images [collcted as 'Art for Love', the exhibition staged on 11 September at the New York Public Library] you see are unfiltered, unabashed and conscious choices by each photographer. Each piece is a world of its own, a style of its own and has so many interpretations,’ he continues. ‘And all of them combined is extremely powerful.’

As originally featured in the October 2015 edition of Wallpaper* (W*199)