Moncler’s presentations at Milan Fashion Week are quite the spectacle – remember the snow angel choreography reflected on a ginormous mirror for Fall/Winter 2018? These conceptual shows are part of the luxury winter wear specialist’s ambitions to rewrite the rules of fashion.
For the uninitiated, here’s a crash course on the Moncler universe – lest you think all the brand does are down jackets and winter wear. For a start, Moncler Collection is the bread and butter of the company, churning out seasonal ready-to-wear collection and accessories from bags to shoes. For ski- and sports-skewed fits, the brand offers its Moncler Grenoble line which is more performance-geared.
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There is also its much hyped-about Moncler Genius project which sees collaborations with designers dropping in stores throughout the year. Among the brands which have collaborated on Moncler Genius are Rick Owens, Valentino and Richard Quinn. Some like JW Anderson and Simone Rocha have been on board the Moncler Genius train for more than one season.
Since its start in 2018, the Moncler Genius project has seen collaborations with well-known designers such as (clockwise from top left) Veronica Leoni, Craig Green, Jonathan Anderson and Hiroshi Fujiwara.
For 2021, three new names join the Moncler Genius roster. They are Japanese fashion label Hyke which is known for its utilitarian and workwear-inspired desings; South Korean cutting-edge eyewear specialist Gentle Monster; and the buzzy Chinese designer DingYun Zhang.
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In an interview with FEMALE in 2018, Moncler’s CEO and creative director Remo Ruffini shared how tapping outside brands to create these special collections keeps the consumer wanting more. “Moncler Genius is our vision of the future; a vision that goes beyond seasons to establish a daily dialogue with the consumers through the monthly drops,” he said.
Moncler’s CEO and creative director Remo Ruffini (left) and Mondogenius co-host Alicia Keys.
With travel – at least in the countries that have reopened – starting to pick up, the prospect of packing for winter climates and the snow slopes have become a reality for most. A July 2021 report in The Washington Post stated how travel insurance policies are selling briskly in America and how the confidence of travellers has seen a rise in bookings more than 50 days in advance of their travel date.
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Meanwhile, Singapore’s The Business Times reported in July that Singapore Airlines expects to serve around 50 per cent of the points that were part of its passenger network before the onset of the pandemic.
Singer-songwriter Solange Knowles, performed and presented the 2 Moncler 1952 Woman by Veronica Leoni in New York for the Mondogenius event.
For about 40 minutes on September 25, Moncler provided us all a momentary escape – and bent time – through a global virtual event it dubbed Mondogenius. Co-hosted by Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys in Milan and Chinese actress-slash-singer Victoria Song in Shanghai, the live event took viewers on a whirlwind tour around the globe across five different cities to showcase new collections in its universe.
In an interview with Highsnobiety on the eve of Mondogenius, Ruffini said the event will be the dose of reinvigoration the fashion industry needs at the moment.
“What I realised, especially in the last 18 months with Covid, was that people want more information. My dream is to build something like a festival of different industries,” he said. “It’s honestly not 100 percent under control as it’s about broadcasting across every continent and [with activations] across five cities around the world, but I think this could be the next step for the future of Genius.”
READ MORE: The Moncler X Rick Owens Collaboration Is Finally Here
The cities – Milan, Shanghai, Seoul, New York and Tokyo – each showcased a different curatorial experience customised for each collection.
For instance, Jonathan Anderson presented his third outing with 1 Moncler JW Anderson through an installation in Milan at the members-only cinema Il Cinemino that screened a delicate short film by Luca Giacomo. Streetwear icon Hiroshi Fujiwara, meanwhile, showcased his 7 Moncler Frgmt designs through a segment in Shanghai presented by Chinese architect Qi Shanshan.
Ahead we suss out some of the big moments that happened during Mondogenius. Buckle up.
