When Moncler’s chairman and CEO Remo Ruffini launched the Genius program in 2018, the logo was, and still is, a yellow apartment building with black windows. Ruffini said the idea was for each apartment window to feature a Genius.
The Genius program sounds like a simple and familiar idea in concept—bring together talent across different industries to design limited edition product—but Moncler’s execution has far exceeded other brands’ approach to collaborations.
That was made evident at The City of Genius activation, which took place in Shanghai on Saturday night. The Moncler team, with help from its collaborators, turned the CSSC Pavilion, a 30,000 square meter space that formerly served as a shipyard, into a small city that featured 10 neighborhoods created by 10 designers including ASAP Rocky, Willow Smith, Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Jil Sander, Donald Glover, Rick Owens, Mercedes-Benz and Nigo, Palm Angels, and Lulu Li.
“I think the most important thing is energy,” says Ruffini when asked why he evolved from working with only fashion designers to artists and former editors. “Different industries and different cultures give a strong energy to the brand.”
Each collaborator was tasked with creating their own distinct neighborhood. ASAP Rocky created a futuristic lounge pit that featured a custom-made AWGE cabinet that played music (and has 13 additional functions) that will be sold for $100,000. The collection was moto-inspired and came in a bold color palette of red, blue, orange, black, yellow, and green. In contrast, Donald Glover looked to his Gilga Farm in Ojai, California, and models wearing lightweight pieces coming in navy blue and orange stood amongst orange trees. Rick Owens created an all-steel refuge with light, smoke, and fog, where models wore quilted jackets and capes. And Jil Sander designers Luke and Lucie Meier designed a circular space influenced by nature with digital, 360 walls reflecting scenes from nature along with a skylight. They hosted a runway show every hour or so with models wearing monochrome looks with a focus on texture.
The activations were their own universes with Moncler serving as a steward for each Genius’ ideas.
Tobe Nwigwe didn’t create a neighborhood, but he is a Moncler collaborator who worked with the brand to design his version of the Trailgrip, Moncler’s mountain sneaker. The sneaker, which will launch in spring/summer 2025, comes in all mint, Nwigwe’s signature color, and features different details from his Nigerian background. He added suede, nubuck, and hairy suede along with “Chukwu” embroidered on the side (Nwigwe’s full name is Tobechukwu).
“I just wanted to add my touch to an already classic silhouette. My culture, my experiences, and my heritage is matriculated all throughout the shoe,” said Nwigwe. “We also had to go through a couple of rounds to get the mint color perfect.”
This is the first year Moncler held its Genius event in Europe. Last year it took place in London. They opened the event up to the public (8,000 people), who could apply for tickets, and ended the evening with a performance by Henry Lau, which was livestreamed on various digital platforms to 57 million viewers.
Ruffini, who travels to Asia often, said he wanted the event to take place in Shanghai as a way to say thank you to the region’s customers, who have invested a lot into Moncler. Last year, unlike its luxury peers, Moncler’s revenue grew by 8 percent, with a 12 percent boost from Asia.
“They contribute a lot of revenue to our brand,” said Ruffini. This was my way to give back to them.”
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