Hit the slopes in style with Zenith and Fusalp’s chic new skiwear

Chic skiwear meets technical expertise in a timely partnership between French skiwear brand Fusalp and Zenith, who have collaborated on a collection of watches and apparel. The capsule collection is composed of a special edition Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton Fusalp watch, as well as chic new additions to Fusalp’s skiwear line.

For Zenith CEO Julien Tornare, the collaboration is a natural one. ‘For Zenith, we're no strangers when it comes to collaborating with entities completely out of watchmaking,’ he says. ‘But Fusalp marks the first time that our brand is working with a fashion house. Even though we're in two very different fields, we actually share a lot of common values. We both hail from mountainous regions between Switzerland and France, and we both have always strived for technical innovation.’

Ski chic: Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton Fusalp watch

This shared heritage takes shape in a watch that nods to the distinctive design of both brands, with the open dial on the Zenith Defy Classic Skeleton Fusalp incorporating both Zenith’s signature five-pointed star motif and a snowflake. A ring that encircles the dial is drawn in the French colours of blue, red and white in a nod to the tailor’s history.

‘One of the main challenges was being able to blend our world with that of Fusalp,’ Tornare adds. ‘The skeleton dial we achieved is the perfect link between our two environments; we wanted to stay true to the original design of the Defy Classic, but we also wanted to be able to create the bridge with our partner. The reproduction of the pattern found on the outfit created for this collaboration (the lines on the sleeves and jacket) was also not that easy on a much smaller scale such as a rubber strap – this represents the snow on the slopes in the morning before the skiers start their day.’

Fusalp also strikes this balance between functionality and design in the collaboration’s apparel. Crafted in softshell by Swiss fabric-maker Schoeller, the clothes eschew skiwear’s dreaded bulkiness, instead cutting streamlined silhouettes in monochrome.

‘Even though these kinds of partnerships between watch and ski brands remain few and far between, we wanted to come with a different approach in our partnership with Fusalp,’ Tornare says. ‘Instead of doing something related to actual skis or the sport itself, we chose to focus on the fashion and winter lifestyle angle of it. 

‘In wintery settings, ski outfits are far more than just sports garments. With the right level of technicity, craftsmanship and attention to detail – values that are entrenched in both brands – a ski outfit can last a lifetime if taken care of. And with Fusalp, you get all the performance and features of a ski outfit with the looks of something crafted with haute couture in mind.’

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