A collaborative effort
Dior Men’s latest ski capsule collection features a number of collaborations with brands skilled in the arena. Swedish brand POC was involved in the collection’s protective accessories — sturdy body armour, helmets and masks — while Japanese sportswear specialist Descente added much needed insulating properties to down jackets as well as ski suits emblazoned with ‘Dior’. A collaboration with AK Ski resulted in a snowboard featuring a graphic rendered in either striking colour combinations (perfect for those who keep losing sight of their boards) or muted evergreen classics.
Cold Chanel
Every Chanel Coco Neige collection is a personification of elegance and luxury combined with technical ingenuity. This year’s iteration is dominated by a palette of pastel tones contrasted with infusions of bold fuchsia and deep burgundy. Jackets are beautifully quilted such that they resemble delicate flower petals, while knit tops feature an assortment of the house’s motifs likened as sponsorship patches on a professional athlete’s uniform. Add a number of CC accessories and one would easily be the most fashionable belle après ski.
The great outdoors
A year after its rebrand, Zegna is back with another outdoor collection that prominently displays its double-stripe, vicuña-coloured brand signifier. Its penchant for transitional clothing is supplemented by the technical expertise of sportswear brands for an outdoor collection that’s stylish and performance-driven. Ski accessories include ski poles and the Symbioz Hyperflex Original 2 snowshoes done in collaboration with TSL, a ski helmet that’s designed with anti-fog visor lenses by KASK, and performance skis using the expertise of zai. Additionally, Zegna debuts its first smartwatch with the Venu® 2 Plus in collaboration with Garmin.
Plush luxe
Après ski, Loro Piana’s autumn/winter 2022 holiday collection is replete with the kind of luxurious fabrications you’d want to lounge in next to the fireplace. Shearling and cashmere in the brand’s classic neutral tones are aplenty, both crafted for beautifully tactile experiences as well as dependable functionality. Cashfur (cashmere mixed with silk to create a fur-like material) snow boots elevate the footwear with a hand feel that’s designed to pamper.
Maya revisited
Moncler’s making big moves in occasion of its 70th anniversary. One of them involves a seven-week-long collaboration with seven designers, each offering their unique takes on Moncler’s classic Maya jacket.
The first is the Moncler Maya 70 by Palm Angels, which sees the jacket coated entirely with light-emitting optical fibres for an otherworldly vibe. Thom Browne’s interpretation is essentially a coat done in his signature grey and fitted asymmetrically with a pleated skirt. And then there’s Moncler Maya 70 by FRGMT that’s made from nylon laqué and comes with a detachable hood, as well as a Rick Owens creation with exaggerated shoulders. To follow in the Moncler Maya 70 series are designs by Giambattista Valli, Pierpaolo Piccioli, and Pharrell Williams.
Sustainable infusions
There’s no camouflaging with Louis Vuitton’s latest ski capsule collection. Rather than opting for super technical designs (don’t get us wrong though; the collection is packed with functional ski-ready pieces), the garments are designed to fit close to the body, with bulky designs kept to the minimum, if at all. Signature Louis Vuitton Monograms and prints decorate almost the entirety of the collection — from salopettes to printed ski suits.
What’s especially noteworthy is the focus on ECONYL as a nylon substitute. The more sustainable alternative (ECONYL is made from waste nylon) is used in the collection’s down jackets as well as the LV Pillow bags. The latter features wadding made from recycled polyester and a Monogram Flower quilting, rendered in a variety of shapes and sizes.
