Moncler Grenoble (Q3426)
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Moncler Grenoble is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Moncler Grenoble |
Moncler Grenoble is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Moncler’s Remo Ruffini thinks big, and knows how to put on a show with no shortage of extravagance. To draw attention to his megabrand in the past he has spared neither inventive energy nor means—staging a flash-mob-style performance in Grand Central Terminal, recreating a winter wonderland at Central Park’s Wollman Rink, and enlisting the Pendulum Choir, a Swiss all-male a capella group to. sing odd Alpine songs while dressed up in Moncler polarwear. An epic takeover of the Lincoln Center Plaza was held on an evening so frigid, the guests went home almost hypothermic.After a hiatus of a few seasons, to recalibrate and possibly take a breather from such performative juggernauts, the newly engineered version of Moncler Grenoble was presented over the weekend in Skt. Moritz, the über-posh Swiss destination that Ruffini, an avid skier, has dubbed his “second home.” This time, he said he wanted “just a classic catwalk show.” Yet his proclivity for mammoth productions got the better of him again. For this “classic” show he flew in a celebrity contingent that included Kate Moss, Anne Hathaway, Willow Smith, snowboarder Shaun White, and Italian director Paolo Sorrentino, just to name a few, and limo-trekked them at dusk to a forest high above Skt. Moritz. The audience of around 250 guests was entirely clad in Moncler white padded capes and knitted pointy beanies (matching water bottles optional) at Ruffini’s request, “to make them part of the mise-en-scène,” and was treated to 91 looks (plus an extra 44 models joining for the finale). The models wound their way along a snowy foot path in woods bathed in red light, with plenty of son-et-lumière laser-beaming effects, and Maria Callas’s “Casta Diva” booming as the show’s score, and also aired through individual headphones.Bookended by an all-white snowboarding ensemble on Vittoria Ceretti and a spectacular long-hair dégradé alpaca wool coat on Mona Tougaard, the co-ed show was proof of Ruffini’s ambition to give Moncler Grenoble a more elevated identity, with a spruced up repertoire for style-conscious outdoorsy customers, and cutting-edge technology research to further improve high performance capabilities. Variations on the theme were expansive, covering every possible winter-lovers’ option, from hitting the slopes to unwinding après ski at some chill hangout.
Ruffini believes that “quiet luxury will be around in fashion for a few seasons more,” so he kept the collection’s look for both genders, as he said, “in balance between the desire of being visible and remarkable, and that of being quieter and not overtly flashy.” Designed by a project team that he closely supervises, the offer of technical polarwear boasted a tour-de-force of creative surface interventions: intricate geometric intarsia recalled traditional quilting; Aran stitches gave way to padding effects; duvets were fully-fashioned in knit; alpaca and wool reproduced fringed, shaggy volumes; crocheted pieces were embroidered on technical textures; and flannel was laminated to make it fit for the slopes.“There’s lots of complex technology involved,” stressed Ruffini, who five years ago bought a factory in Romania to keep production controlled in Europe. When he acquired French brand Moncler in 2003, undertaking a reset that elevated it to a luxury positioning, he remembered, “I didn’t worry about turnovers, my only dream was to make Moncler a great brand.” As of today, Moncler has a market cap of $16.88 billion. Ruffini may be a dreamer, but he’s quite the entrepreneur too.
5 February 2024
How do you make après-ski, or even regular ski, interesting? That was the vexing question that seemed to preoccupy theMoncler Grenobledesign team (who are not named and don’t give interviews) at the brand’s New York spectacle today. Moncler, after all, has already mastered the art of cold-weather dressing with its couture-like women’s and men’s lines—Gamme Rouge, designed by Giambattista Valli, and Gamme Bleu, by Thom Browne—that push the creative limits of winterwear. And there have been plenty of capsule collaborations with the likes of Mary Katrantzou, Sacai, and White Mountaineering. Where does that leave Grenoble, which, after an enchanting flash-mob showing in Grand Central some years ago, increasingly feels aimless?The show—presented as an elegant, elaborate winter ball, like a frosty scene out ofDoctor Zhivago—saw models appear in ivory hooded capes, which were doffed to reveal the collection underneath. The models then glided, to the strains of a live orchestra, onto a snow-dusted stage in groups announced by a master of ceremonies: the House of the Enchanted Forest, the House of the Frozen Skaters, and so on.Remove the overwrought staging, however, and there were plenty of nice pieces. Functionality and efficiency were key, as the line is purportedly performance-tested on real slopes (“in the field by sporting talent,” according to the show notes). Expected down jackets and padded puffers came in unexpectedly bright hues ranging from red to blue, sun yellow to alpine green. Against all the eye-popping nylon, light-as-air Japanese wools offered texture relief. They, along with corduroy, velvet, and fur—as in swishy skirts—suggested this was not purely an athletic endeavor.The highlights were ensembles with clashing tartans and other patterns—tension, finally—as well as macro Glen plaids and houndstooth in rich shades of beige and chocolate. Speaking of, today was Valentine’s Day, a fact certainly not lost on the folks at Moncler, if to the collection’s detriment. The entirely rose-covered closing segment came off more schmalzy than enchanting. So perhaps the original question isn’t so much of a question as an unanswerable conundrum. Better yet, perhaps the brand would do well to tap a trusted designer to finesse that fraught balance between sport and leisure.
15 February 2017
On the most frigid night in memory, with record-breaking temps ranging from Siberian cold to outer-reaches-of-space cold, Moncler staged its Grenoble collection-cum-performance for Fall—outside. In the middle of Lincoln Center Plaza, models modeled and performers performed while showgoers looked on in post-shiver hypothermic silence, huddling together for a scintilla of warmth and fiddling with phones that had long since frozen. Company brass declined an interview, and it’s not hard to see why.But let’s not dwell on unfortunateforce majeure; the show must go on, and it did. Following the performance—loosely based on college marching bands, but feeling more like an army from the retro-future suited up in blue uniforms and marching in lock-step formation—the moment had come to see the wares. Beginning with a high-performance alpine array and ending with fur-clad après-ski looks, the show covered all the Italian-French brand’s bases. And, while not to be confused with Moncler’s couturishGamme Rouge(women’s) orGamme Bleu(men’s) line—designed byGiambattista ValliandThom Browne, respectively—Grenoble also managed to push some boundaries, for instance a macro-houndstooth check, lacquer embroidery, waterproof tartans, and a newfound focus on snowboarding. If only these must-haves could be had now.
14 February 2016
Sports and romantic love—both require passion, dedication, and a lot of sweat. That's where Moncler Grenoble took its Fall 2015 collection, a Valentine's Day extravaganza presented via 25 couples who sprung forth on hydraulic lifts from a human-size crimson heart-shaped box. Each pair of "lovers" was decked out in Moncler's luxurious outdoorswear—fur, satiny nylon, and leather-performance-ready kits—representing 25 different sports. There was the ice hockey couple with sticks and gloves; the snowmobilers with their helmets; and the surfers, wet-suited, holding a black Moncler-branded board. The approach was retro, Aspen in the '70s and '80s perhaps. You can imagine these leggings and bulky parkas swishing down the slopes. There were Norwegian knits that looked like cozy après-wear, as well as full alpine ensembles that appeared K2 ready. And for the grand finale, there was the couple who most directly captured the spirit of both romance and sport in one manifestation—the bride and groom, in stark black and white wedding attire the Moncler Grenoble way. They all then went on to inaugurate one of the greatest group makeout sessions in fashion week history—an apt demonstration for a brand that has built such success on romancing the basics.
14 February 2015
Hmm. Where to start? This evening's Moncler Grenoble event was easily one of the oddest fashion presentations this reviewer has had the fine fortune to witness. It would have beensomewhatodd had it merely featured the Pendulum Choir, an all-male a cappella group from Switzerland, singing strange arrangements of traditional Alpine song. It would have beenfairlyodd if the choir had performed in front of a backdrop of singers, each one in a lit box, clad in new looks from Moncler. But what really made this coup de théâtre one for the ages was the fact that the members of the Pendulum Choir were clad in down-filled Moncler morning suits—ski-ready, one presumes—and mounted on mechanized pedestals that moved them about as they sang. That was the cherry on top, the thing that made you wonder, Is there an opera based on a short story by Kafka I don't know about? (Probably.) You also wondered, more fleetingly, what all those ski suits worn by the choristers actually looked like. Who knows? Their clothes were all black and white; the lookbook pictures that run with this review show women's polarwear in a variety of colors, featuring stretch quilting and tie-dye fur, and men's looks heavy on nylon printed to resemble tweed. All very natty, as these things go, and no doubt we'll be seeing plenty of these Moncler looks riding up the lifts at Chamonix and Gstaad. The Pendulum Choir seemed to be singing in German; maybe that's what they were singing about.
8 February 2014
Hmm. Where to start? This evening's Moncler Grenoble event was easily one of the oddest fashion presentations this reviewer has had the fine fortune to witness. It would have beensomewhatodd had it merely featured the Pendulum Choir, an all-male a cappella group from Switzerland, singing strange arrangements of traditional Alpine song. It would have beenfairlyodd if the choir had performed in front of a backdrop of singers, each one in a lit box, clad in new looks from Moncler. But what really made this coup de théâtre one for the ages was the fact that the members of the Pendulum Choir were clad in down-filled Moncler morning suits—ski-ready, one presumes—and mounted on mechanized pedestals that moved them about as they sang. That was the cherry on top, the thing that made you wonder, Is there an opera based on a short story by Kafka I don't know about? (Probably.) You also wondered, more fleetingly, what all those ski suits worn by the choristers actually looked like. Who knows? Their clothes were all black and white; the lookbook pictures that run with this review show women's polarwear in a variety of colors, featuring stretch quilting and tie-dye fur, and men's looks heavy on nylon printed to resemble tweed. All very natty, as these things go, and no doubt we'll be seeing plenty of these Moncler looks riding up the lifts at Chamonix and Gstaad. The Pendulum Choir seemed to be singing in German; maybe that's what they were singing about.
8 February 2014
Strength in Numbers could've been the subtitle of tonight's Moncler Grenoble presentation. Those who braved a trip into Gotham Hall's cupola found themselves staring up at puffer-jacketed men and women stretching literally to the ceiling. How many? Opinions varied. The number hovered in the high three hundreds. Remo Ruffini, Moncler's majordomo, settled on 365. And a prophetic number it was. Is the most ambitious technical outerwear line in fashiondom angling to dress its followers every day of the year?It has to have been some sort of record. Robert Rabensteiner, the label's debonair stylist, couldn't recall a time when he'd had more souls in his charge—even during Moncler Grenoble's Grand Central Station flash mob show of Fall '11, when some 280 bodies were at his command. Here, the effect was awe-inspiring. Strata upon strata of models lined the tiers of the cupola's dome, all in shades of green. "The forest," Ruffini said with a smirk. Anyone with binoculars might've spotted the camouflage panels or dogtooth checks on the menswear, or the knitted fabrics on the women's. Everyone else was left with the awesome impression of human topiary. Of all the lines that show during fashion week, Grenoble may have the clearest sense of the effect it's seeking. The details on its jackets are best admired later in the showroom. In the meantime, it takes a godly hand to mold mountains.
8 February 2013
For three seasons now, Moncler Grenoble has made New York City its playground. Last winter, it headed to Chelsea Piers' driving range; for Spring, it staged an impromptu dance party in Grand Central Terminal; and tonight, Remo Ruffini and his considerable resources brought the traveling show to Central Park's Wollman Rink. It was freezing cold—even with the heat lamps and passed cups of cider, hot chocolate, and mulled wine—though for a skiwear brand showing at an ice rink, that seemed perfectly apropos. Even the weather seemed in step with the proceedings. Now that's production values!And production values are what Moncler's Grenoble line has made itself about. Suffice it to say that the company makes very nice, very luxurious down parkas, ski pants, and a few knits. We can't say much more because the performance that ensued—incorporating speed skating, synchronized skating, and on-ice line dancing—made it rather difficult to see the pieces. Still, with spectaculars like these, it'd be Grinch-y to complain. There was a red section, a white section, and a blue section—the Frenchtricolorein action. Old Glory, too. By the second cup of mulled wine, you could start to see the whole thing as an international gesture of good vibes between France (home of Moncler) and the U.S., complete with "Rhapsody in Blue" over the stereo speakers, and after that, a children's choir performing "New York, New York." We haven't seen a Franco-American love letter like this since Lady Liberty.
11 February 2012
For three seasons now, Moncler Grenoble has made New York its playground. Last winter, it headed to Chelsea Piers' driving range, for Spring it staged an impromptu dance party in Grand Central Terminal, and tonight, Remo Ruffini and his considerable resources brought the traveling show to Central Park's Wollman Rink. It was nearly freezing, even with the heat lamps and waiter-delivered cups of cider, hot chocolate, and mulled wine, which for a skiwear brand showing at an ice rink seemed perfectly apropos. Even the weather seemed dramaturgically in step with the proceedings. Now those are production values!And production values are what Moncler's Grenoble line has made itself about. Suffice it to say that the company makes very nice, very luxurious down parkas, ski pants, and a few knits. It will need to suffice to say it because the performance that ensued—incorporating speed skating, synchronized skating, on-ice line dancing, and a children's choir—made it rather difficult to see it. Still, with spectaculars like these, it'd be Grinchy to complain. There was a red section, a white section, and a blue section—the Frenchtricolorein action. Old Glory, too. By the second cup of mulled wine, you could start to see the whole thing as an international gesture of good vibes between France (home of Moncler) and the U.S. Then "Rhapsody in Blue" came over the stereo speakers, and after that, the children's choir launched into "New York, New York." They don't make Franco-American love letters like this anymore—not since Lady Liberty herself.
11 February 2012
Let's start this review by admitting that readers aren't going to learn all that much about the Fall '11 Moncler Grenoble collection. The reason for this is as follows: The Moncler Grenoble team staged their presentation in the main hall of Grand Central Terminal, and from the balcony it was hard to get more than a general sense of the apparel. Lots of reds and burgundies, hazard yellows and ochers, various shades of green. A slim line, whether in ladies' skirts or men's snowboard overalls. Sheepskin accents. Graphic knits and lots of (what appeared to be) tweed. There you go—the new Moncler Grenoble collection in a nutshell. It looked good.What the audience did manage to glean from this evening's presentation, however, was pretty essential to the Moncler Grenoble brand, if not all that telling about this season's ski and après-ski clothes. In brief, Moncler traffics in elegant exhilaration. The presentation was conceived as a flash mob: At first, a few skiwear-clad, ski-goggle- and mitten-wearing models showed up amid the late-rush-hour Grand Central crowd. Then there was a small army of participants likewise kitted out, all standing stock-still, waiting. Eventually there was a critical mass, and everyone at Grand Central had their eyes turned to the unfolding stunt. At which point the music came up, and the Moncler Grenoble models began to dance. Description really can't do justice to the euphoria of this—the winning absurdity of the skiwear-clad group dancing in tandem to a mash-up of tunes ranging from Barbra Streisand's "People" to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." It was brilliant theater, and a witty way of doing business: It made you want to run out and buy Moncler Grenoble, even if you could barely see the clothes.
12 February 2011
Let's start this review by admitting that readers aren't going to learn all that much about the Fall '11 Moncler Grenoble collection. The reason for this is as follows: The Moncler Grenoble team staged their presentation in the main hall of Grand Central Terminal, and from the balcony it was hard to get more than a general sense of the apparel. Lots of reds and burgundies, hazard yellows and ochers, various shades of green. A slim line, whether in ladies' skirts or men's snowboard overalls. Sheepskin accents. Graphic knits and lots of (what appeared to be) tweed. There you go—the new Moncler Grenoble collection in a nutshell. It looked good.What the audience did manage to glean from this evening's presentation, however, was pretty essential to the Moncler Grenoble brand, if not all that telling about this season's ski and après-ski clothes. In brief, Moncler traffics in elegant exhilaration. The presentation was conceived as a flash mob: At first, a few skiwear-clad, ski-goggle- and mitten-wearing models showed up amid the late-rush-hour Grand Central crowd. Then there was a small army of participants likewise kitted out, all standing stock-still, waiting. Eventually there was a critical mass, and everyone at Grand Central had their eyes turned to the unfolding stunt. At which point the music came up, and the Moncler Grenoble models began to dance. Description really can't do justice to the euphoria of this—the winning absurdity of the skiwear-clad group dancing in tandem to a mash-up of tunes ranging from Barbra Streisand's "People" to Prince's "Let's Go Crazy." It was brilliant theater, and a witty way of doing business: It made you want to run out and buy Moncler Grenoble, even if you could barely see the clothes.
12 February 2011
Style.com did not review the Fall 2010 menswear collections. Please enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for our complete coverage of the Spring 2011 collections, including reviews of each show by Tim Blanks.
13 February 2010