SAINT MORITZ — You have to hand it to Remo Ruffini. The Moncler Grenoble show here was a production that managed to surprise even the most jaded veterans of the industry.
The objective of the president and CEO of the Moncler Group was to highlight the Grenoble brand, further increasing its visibility. He certainly achieved it, with a collection that was paraded on Saturday night at the Clavadatsch hostel and its forest overlooking the elegant Swiss resort town.
Guests ranging from Anne Hathaway and Willow Smith to Kate Moss, Shaun White, Renzo Rosso, Carlo Capasa, Hwang Minhyun, Nina Dobrev, Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl, among others, arrived at dusk and walked a few steps into the forest, where Una winding walkway was carved into the snow. The step and repeat was surely unique: a group of life-size ice statues with balloons next to a giant Moncler logo, also in ice.
“It's magical,” Hathaway said of the experience. “I didn't grow up being able to spend time in the mountains, skiing, enjoying things like this, so the truth is that I am very moved,” said the actress, who traveled to Saint Moritz for the first time and was on the slopes skiing a day before. , admitting that he did it cautiously and with an instructor. “I'm not very good yet, but I'm having a lot of fun,” she said, smiling.
Moss was also in great spirits and was curious about what to expect at the show. “It's all been kept a closely guarded secret, I have no idea, but the forest looks amazing, it's so magical,” he said, agreeing with Hathaway.
“The fashion gathering feature, having products that look great but work even better, having the board and riding with everyone today in the mountains was perfect, amazing,” said brand ambassador White. Moncler Grenoble has created its first snowboard design in collaboration with Whitespace, the brand founded by the three-time Olympic gold medalist and inspired by surfboards.
Nothing was left to chance: each guest wore a white Moncler cape and wireless headphones to listen to a soundtrack that ranged from operatic airs like “Casta Diva” to waltz excerpts as they walked towards a fairy-tale landscape, with rays of light dancing through it. through the trees and through the darkness over the sloping terrain. Concerns about the cold were dispelled as the wooden bench seats were warmed and white wool blankets contributed to the cozy arrangements; thermoses filled with mulled wine or hot tea increased comfort.
The production was there, of course, but it didn't detract from the complete mixed collection sported by 135 models, ranging from Mariacarla Boscono and Vittoria Ceretti to Irina Shayk and Joan Smalls.
Through the application of wool and corduroy flannel, the brand's ski clothing line was completed with technical garments that can also be suitable for skiing.
Shirts were turned into ski jackets and flannel pants were laminated to adapt them to the slopes. Knitted embroidery and maxi crochet landed on technical pieces and textures inspired by mixed Fair Isle fabrics and colors, which gained in complexity, reaching 1,600 components in a single jacket. Texture was also added thanks to embroidery and a 3D effect.
The color palette for fall 2024 ranged from pale shades of snow and ice to blends of red, white and blue, as well as warm mustards and tree greens.
Intricate geometric intarsias reminiscent of traditional quilts were featured on both technical jackets and sheepskin jackets. The quilting created the effect of Aran stitches on ski jackets. Clothing and quilts were made entirely of knitted fabrics. The mixed media layers reflected the brand's experience with materials.
Oversized, wrap-around coats were made from shaggy strands of virgin wool and alpaca, which looked like fur but were not, as the company has not used fur since the fall 2023 season.
The brand showed down jackets with multicolored boudins created with the help of artificial intelligence and quilts inspired by knitwear from the 70s. Feminine looks were seen with short jackets that hugged the torso and were worn over padded miniskirts.
Some of the looks were also suitable for off-piste, such as the loose wool trousers with twisted rib knits, ideal for snuggling up in front of a fireplace with a hot chocolate. There were plenty of accessories, from hats to backpacks and bags, not to mention plenty of boots and glasses.
The result was a beautiful and complete collection that mixed style, sophistication and technology, combining functionality and comfort.
Saint Moritz holds a special place in the heart of Ruffini, who has a house in the town and is passionate about skiing. Last year, through Ruffini's Archive family investment vehicle, which has a stake in Langosteria, Moncler partnered with Enrico Buonocore, founder of the premium Italian seafood restaurant, and opened its first high-rise location in Saint Moritz.
The idea of parading in the ski resort seemed personal to him, as Ruffini explained before the show that Saint Moritz is a second home for both him and Moncler, where the company opened its first store more than two decades ago. In December, the first Moncler Grenoble store was opened in Saint Moritz, the city where the sled was born and which has been known for years as a luxury winter destination for the jet-set. As reported, he has experienced a renaissance, with renewed enthusiasm.
“When we took the company public, I said we wanted to survive fashion and that is not trivial,” Ruffini said, as consistency and staying true to the brand's roots is his mantra. “Grenoble has allowed us over the years to keep one foot in the world of sport, in the mountains, skiing, active sports, hiking and cycling, a world that is becoming increasingly relevant, especially in the USA, and we need to create awareness around our product, around Grenoble, which includes high performance, après ski, performance and style, where we express our maximum creativity on the slopes, and I think this is not very clear yet for the final consumer. “We have always been committed to Grenoble, but we didn't really communicate it.”
After highlighting the Moncler and Moncler Genius projects in recent years, Ruffini believes that the time has come to give visibility to the Grenoble line, focusing on the product. “I am convinced that we must be more precise, balancing fashion and luxury with our roots. “I believe in creativity and that you can also look elegant on the slopes.”
Moncler Grenoble owes its name to the city that hosted the 1968 Olympic Games, when the brand was the official supplier of the French ski team. Grenoble's first collection was presented in New York in January 2010 during the city's fashion week.
The brand's last runway event was in February 2017, a winter ball held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan during New York Fashion Week.
However, Ruffini said the event in Saint Moritz was the “first real show for the brand” and that he saw more “roving experiences” for Grenoble in the future.
In 2022, Moncler rebooted Grenoble as the brand's “high performance” division, flanked by the avant-garde Moncler Genius line and the Moncler lifestyle collection.
Fashion and luxury brands have increasingly focused their attention on ski clothing as a burgeoning category to offer a complete and lifestyle offering. Examples range from Louis Vuitton and Chanel to Balenciaga, who have launched ski clothing collections. Fendi, Brunello Cucinelli, Bottega Veneta, Paul & Shark, Pollini and Golden Goose, among others, have organized activations in exclusive destinations such as Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy; Gstaad, Switzerland; Aspen and Courchevel, France.
“Yes, this segment is increasingly populated, but I am not worried,” says Ruffini, confident in the brand's experience and its industrial capabilities. “We have established a dedicated manufacturing facility [in Romania]and we combine style with high quality.”
He highlighted that post-pandemic outdoor experiences have become increasingly important, particularly in the US and Asia, with the resulting rise of the outerwear category. Ruffini pointed out that the brand has been expanding its offering until summer with lighter products.
Moncler Grenoble is the result of extensive research, experimentation and development of fabrics and techniques, in which ski instructors from the best international ski schools in cities such as Gstaad, Kitzbuhel, Niseido, Verbier or Zermatt, to name a few, participate.
“The technology reaches the other brands, Moncler Collection and Genius,” enthuses Ruffini, “improving the lightness and performance of the materials and comfort.”
The Saint Moritz Grenoble store was designed by architecture firm Küchel Architects, and the impressive 3,230-square-foot space with seven windows on the city's central Via Maistra pays homage to the landscape of the surrounding Swiss Alps, with natural materials such as wood , stone. and marble juxtaposed with metal and futuristic design elements. A few steps away, on the same street, is the Moncler flagship store.
To further highlight the brand, the company has been investing in Moncler Grenoble pop-up stores.
The opening of Saint Moritz was marked by the launch of an advertising campaign dedicated to Grenoble led by leading athletes and brand ambassadors Xuetong Cai, Perrine Laffont, Richard Permin and Shaun White, photographed by Jamie Hawkesworth.
