It has been a year since Moncler’s massive ‘City of Genius’ event in Shanghai, which felt like a sensory overload of lights, celebrities and noise. Amidst that chaos, the Jil Sander installation stood apart. Now, that confidence has finally hit the rails, and the debut Moncler + Jil Sander collection is precisely the sort of architectural, protective armour that minimalists have been waiting for.
Under the direction of Simone Bellotti, the collection ignores the sharp, aggressive angles usually found in technical mountain gear. Instead, Bellotti has obsessed over roundness. Drawing inspiration from the soft, eroded geometry of the natural world, the silhouettes mimic the curve of rolling hills, smooth pebbles and dense foliage. The result is a series of bulbous jackets, padded cardigans and dome-shaped skirts that feel protective and enveloping rather than purely sporty.
Moncler’s signature lucid, down-filled nylon is suddenly forced to play nice with Jil Sander’s purist, tactile fabrics. There are soft double wools, lightweight washed cotton twills and a particularly standout long-haired wool that moves with a fluid, shaggy grace, looking less like ski wear and more like something you’d wear to an art opening in the Alps.

Even the branding is understated, setting this collaboration apart from the logo-obsessed ones we’ve come to expect from other fellow brands. A jewellery-like silver-tone pin, curved and circular, echoes the outline of the Moncler logo but serves as a subtle, abstract nod to the partnership.
The campaign reflects this mood, shooting models against digital projections of towering pines and snow-capped peaks over a digital dreamscape that mirrors the “sublime simulation” of the original Shanghai presentation.
The collection is available globally as of this week, but for the true devotees, the real pilgrimage is in Tokyo. A dedicated pop-up at Isetan Shinjuku has just opened its doors, with the menswear taking over the ground floor until 2nd December, and womenswear residing on the third floor until 25th November.
Find out more here.
photography. courtesy of Moncler + Jil Sander
words. Gennaro Costanzo


































































































































































































