Moncler rounds up the last of London Fashion Week with a massive gathering of the best creatives for The Art Of Genius — an evolution of the Moncler Genius creative platform.
Moncler Genius is no longer a mere collaborative project launchpad; made in 2018 to connect the Italian luxury fashion house with the forerunners of today’s creative current, Moncler Genius now serves to bridge creativity not just in fashion, but across all the intersections between art, design, entertainment, music, sport and culture.
In front of a community of 10,000 guests at Olympia London, a diverse series of immersive installations, runways and performances were presented to highlight the thrills and whimsies of the latest roster of Genius co-creators; Pharrell Williams, Jay-Z, Palm Angels, adidas Originals, Alicia Keys, Salehe Bembury, Mercedes-Benz, FRGMT and Rick Owens.
The Art of Dreaming by Alicia Keys
Introducing herself to the world as a designer for the first time, Alicia Keys presents a Moncler x Alicia Keys capsule of free-flowing pieces that she describes as “cool, easy, 100% New York — inspired by late ’90s streetwear, but with a twist.” The set that accompanied the presentation oscillated between intimacy and strength, leveraging on the collective charms of Keys, musician Little Simz and Cleo Sol to celebrate the anthem that the singer-songwriter’s presence, voice, melodic prowess and a distinctly New York attitude that inspires constant yearning, ambition and dreaming.
The Art of Terrain by Pharrell Williams
An orchestrator of historic cultural movements and pioneer of multi-hyphenate creativity, Pharrell Williams takes Moncler x Pharrell Williams to the surreal outdoors — his set is a glowing green wilderness of grass and foliage. Revolving around the idea of glamping, his collection focuses on a sense of refinement in functionality, combining the desire to live metropolitan lives with a wanderlust to explore faraway lands. From detachable pockets and sleeves to a picnic blanket that transforms into a cape, William’s limitless approach to creativity is unmistakable in the curiousity his garments evoke.
The Art of Imagination by Mercedes-Benz
Mention this car brand and top-class quality, durability and a sense of freedom will come to mind. This is how Mercedes-Benz approached their section of this show, with transparent LED screens flaunting frozen visuals while a low-gravity chamber adorned by performers artistically interpreted what the ultimate discovery machine looks like for Moncler x Mercedes-Benz. Titled PROJECT MONDO G, this monolitic art-piece aptly matched the sartorial brainchild wonder of the two innovators — a merging of the iconic Mercedes-Benz off-roader G-Class and the luxurious Moncler puffer jacket.
The Art of Lightness by Palm Angels
In an ode to Moncler’s affinity for the snow, Palm Angel tapped on London’s Boiler Room to create a one-of-a-kind foam and sound installation. This place-non-place allowed attendees tune into their sound and touch senses without distractions, celebrating the deep sense of peace that snow also represents. This extrapolates Francesco Ragazzi’s endless fascination with the limitlessness of vintage and Americana, the Moncler x Palm Angels collection exuding a post-preppy feel that had elements from that enduring code turned inside out and upside down. A thrift store megamix spirit was high, looks all haphazard with intention.
The Art of Love by FRGMT
The inclusion of Hiroshi Fujiwara’s adorable ‘LOVOTs’ was undoubtedly the highlight of this collaboration, a futuristic vision of emotional connection and love manifested in optimistic shows of the classic and contemporary coexisting. Houndstooth patterns and flowers bloomed in photo print over puffers and vests, the designs of Moncler x FRGMT modelled by LOVOTs.
The Art of Exploration by adidas Originals
The Moncler x adidas Originals “City to Summit” collection appeared on models that stood on a dynamically-lit scaffolding, facing thrusts of icy fog and sound effects that extends the collection’s vision of confronting contemporary frontiers — from the city streets to the summit peaks. Painted in a luminous palette of colours that recall traffic lights against other vivid and muted tones, this collaboration was made to inspire fearlessness in embracing the exciting unknown.
The Art of Elements by Salehe Bembury
The footwear whiz showcases an extended play of palette, shape and utility in this collaboration, his section of the show manifesting in a colossal spinning rock centrepiece embedded with his signature grain motif. Manipulating the elements around it, a storm surges, triggering the models in thrall to symbolise the interconnectedness of human touch and nature. This fresh take of the outdoor explorer’s uniform comes in muted colours grounded in an earthy attitude, with the Bembury bestowing his magic touch on a rework of Moncler’s signature Trailgrip sneaker.
The Art of All by Roc Nation By JAY-Z
In this inclusive experience of robust, sonic excellence, JAY-Z taps on legendary award-winning producer Mike Dean to engineer an emotion-centred piece that crowdsources its sounds from the state-of-the-art sound pods that guests can speak or sing into. Stemming from the belief that the spirit of “Genius” is everywhere and in everyone, the Moncler x Roc Nation by JAY-Z was conceived as a set of modular elements that shine both as soloists and as unique configurations of harmony. Extremely focused in both iconic shapes and reserved palettes, this wardrobe is coloured in creamy tones of white, khaki, black and a dash of luminous orange.
The Art of Design by Rick Owens
In addition to The Art of Genius 2023 lineup, Moncler invited Rick Owens to challenge the possibilities of design beyond fashion alongside the conception of the new Moncler + Rick Owens collection. Guests were able to experience Owens’ sleek vision of design either through a temperature-controlled soundproof steel Sleep Pod for two, or through a pounding afterparty where an elaborate roster of DJs played. From solemn, elongated silhouettes to a reduced palette of black and yellow tie-dye, this conversation between the two creative powerhouses elicits introspection that mirrors the duo’s considered approach to aesthetics — a resounding declaration of Moncler’s dedication to authenticity and limitless creativity.
Once you’re done with this story, click here to catch up with the rest of our March 2023 issue.
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