Go Inside Moncler's Massive 'Art of Genius' Exhibition
Michael Sebastian
·8 min read
Go Inside Moncler's 'Art of Genius' ExhibitionCourtesy Moncler
It was a mind-boggling spectacle, even for an industry that prides itself on mind-boggling spectacles. On a Monday night in mid-February, some 10,000 fashion-obsessed fans and celebrities—including superstars such as Pharrell, Serena Williams, and Justin and Hailey Bieber—crowded into an historic arena in London’s west end for a multi-layered live event featuring trippy interactive displays and a high-wattage musical performance. The extravaganza was called “The Art of Genius” and the organizer was Moncler, the Italian fashion brand known for its iconic puffer jackets. Its purpose? To show off the latest installment of Moncler Genius, a project the company started in 2018 to collaborate with designers and artists who put their own spin on Moncler items.
The event marked the culmination of London Fashion Week, which lands roughly in the middle of a two-month period, starting in early January, when a coterie of editors, buyers, high-spending customers, celebrities, and influencers descend on the fashion capitals of America and Europe to see brands big and small show the clothes they’ll be rolling out later in the year. In that context, The Art of Genius was also symbolic of fashion’s increasing intersection with the worlds of entertainment and art, a hallmark of the industry for at least a decade. This month, one of the world’s largest luxury fashion houses, Louis Vuitton, appointed Pharrell as its men’s creative director—perhaps the surest sign yet of this collision of industries.
Project Mondo G, the name of the Mercedes-Benz G Wagon outfitted in a Moncler puffer, anchored an installation called the Art of Imagination. Courtesy Moncler
Inside Olympia London, a cavernous event space opened in 1886, throngs of people lined up to view twenty- to thirty-foot high installations in which the various collaborations lived. One of the largest structures belonged to Adidas. Near the entrance, male and female models encased in glass wore Moncler x Adidas Originals jackets exploding with color. Inside, a trippy moveable walkway carried people through the inside of a glacier. (To be clear: it wasn’t a real glacier. But it was surprisingly realistic.)
The Moncler x Adidas Originals installation inside Olympia London. The colors in the collection are meant to "recall traffic lights—bright yellow, green, orange, red, alongside other vivid and muted tones," the companies said in a press release.Courtesy Moncler
Inside the Moncler x Adidas Originals installation, which was meant to mimic the inside of a glacier. Courtesy Moncler
More wonders awaited. A space highlighting Moncler’s collaboration with the brand Palm Angels featured a room where models in outerwear roamed around in snowlike foam. Pharrell created a collection that was inspired by glamping, and inside his installation the models posed on real grass amid real trees. For the Moncler x RocNation collaboration, featuring the designs of Jay Z (who founded the entertainment agency RocNation in 2008), guests entered a studio where they could record snippets of sound, which Jay Z’s producer Mike Dean in turn transformed into a soundscape that people could dance to. I did my part by recording a rendition of the song I sing to my daughters as a lullaby: Christopher Cross’s “Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do).” At the far end of the arena, a Mercedes-Benz G Wagon, partially covered with a Moncler puffer jacket, rotated in an otherworldly display.
The Moncler x Palm Angels installation, called The Art of Lightness, in which foam was meant to suggest snow. The collection, which comes out later this year, "exudes a post-preppy feel, taking elements from that enduring code and turning them inside out and upside down," according to the companies. Courtesy Moncler
Pharrell’s contribution, called The Art of Terrain, featured a "glamping" scene—that is, glamorous camping—from which Pharrell drew his inspiration for the Moncler x Pharrell Williams collection.Courtesy Moncler
Mike Dean, Jay Z’s producer, turned the sound snippets guests recorded into a danceable soundscape inside the installation highlighting RocNation’s contribution, The Art of All, and the collection Moncler x Roc Nation by Jay-Z collection.Courtesy Moncler
Shortly before 11 P.M., Alicia Keys and her band took the stage to perform. Her set was both the climax of the spectacle and a creative way to show off the singer’s collaboration with Moncler. To drive that home, Keys and the other performers wore pieces from the collection. (In her press material, she describes the style as, “Cool, easy, 100% New York—inspired by late ’90s streetwear, but with a twist.”).
The stage inside Olympia London before Alicia KeysCourtesy Moncler
During her performance, Alicia Keys wore the clothes that make up her collection, Moncler x Alicia Keys. Courtesy Moncler
Meanwhile, in the VIP area—several flights of stairs above the main space and past layers of security—celebrities, designers, and editors watched Keys’ performance. And Moncler’s chairman and CEO, Remo Ruffini, presided over the party. “Since day one, Genius has been a promise of continuous evolution,” said Ruffini in a prepared statement, summarizing the philosophy behind the program. “We have seen the coming together of diverse sectors expressing themselves and creating a language that defines a new way to experience the brand: music, design, art, entertainment, sport, and fashion have brought their unique codes and their energy together, shaping memorable moments for our communities.”
Remo Ruffini, the chairman and CEO of Moncler, in Milan in September 2022. Daniele Venturelli - Getty Images
It was memorable—and mind-boggling. Here are more photos from inside the event, as well as the clothes themselves, so you can see for yourself.
Inside Olympia London, where 10,000 people converged for Moncler’s Art of Genius event. Courtesy Moncler Inside Olympia London, where 10,000 people converged for Moncler’s Art of Genius event.
Courtesy Moncler A capsule collection featured work from the designer Rick Owens, who created flight jackets, puffers, extra-long coats, skirts, shorts, and tops as part of Moncler + Rick Owens.
rick owensCourtesy Moncler The installation included a temperature-controlled, soundproof, steel sleep pod.
rick owensCourtesy Moncler Another look at the Moncler + Rick Owens capsule.
Guests outside the Moncler x RocNation by Jay Z exhibition.Courtesy Moncler Guests outside the Moncler x RocNation by Jay-Z exhibition.
Jay Z’s producer, TK, alongside models wearing the Moncler x RocNation by Jay Z collection. Courtesy Moncler Jay-Z’s producer, Mike Dean, alongside models wearing the Moncler x RocNation by Jay-Z collection.
The sound booths where guests recorded snippets of sound for Jay Z’s producer, Mike Dean, to mix. Courtesy Moncler The sound booths where guests recorded snippets of sound for Jay-Z’s producer, Mike Dean, to mix.
SALEHE BEMBURYCourtesy Moncler Sneaker designer Salehe Bembury also created a collection, the installation for which featured a giant spinning rock.
SALEHE BEMBURYCourtesy Moncler Moncler x Salehe Bembury features a reworking of Moncler’s signature Trailgrip sneaker.
The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon outfitted with a Moncler puffer. Courtesy Moncler The Mercedes-Benz G Wagon outfitted with a Moncler puffer.
A closer look at the Moncler x Palm Angels collection. Courtesy Moncler A closer look at the Moncler x Palm Angels collection.
Guests inside the Moncler x Palm Angels installation, a room filled with foam meant to mimic snow. Courtesy Moncler Guests inside the Moncler x Palm Angels installation, a room filled with foam meant to mimic snow.
FRGMTCourtesy Moncler Hiroshi Fujiwara, of the brand FRGMT, created an installation with robots and models—wearing the Moncler x FRGMT collection—that allowed guests to watch the humans and robots interact.
Guests watch TKTKCourtesy Moncler A robot peepshow.
[/image]FRGMTCourtesy Moncler A closer look at the Moncler X FRGMT collection.
A closer look at the Moncler x Pharrell Williams collection.Courtesy Moncler "The Art of Terrain," Pharrell said of his installation, "is taking in the world around you and getting inspired to create something beautiful."
Moncler x Pharrell WilliamsCourtesy Moncler The Moncler x Pharrell Williams collection includes clothes with detachable pockets and detachable sleeves, zippers that turn trousers into shorts, and a picnic blanket that doubles as a cape, shown here.
Courtesy Moncler Pharrell Williams, his son Rocket, and wife, Helen Lasichanh, wearing the Moncler x Pharrell Williams collection.
The Moncler x Adidas Originals installation. Courtesy Moncler The Moncler x Adidas Originals installation.
A closer look at the Moncler x Adidas Originals collection. Courtesy Moncler A closer look at the Moncler x Adidas Originals collection.
More Moncler x Adidas Originals.Courtesy Moncler More Moncler x Adidas Originals.
A closer look at the Moncler x Alicia Keys collection, worn by Keys and her fellow performers on stage. Courtesy Moncler A closer look at the Moncler x Alicia Keys collection, worn by Keys and her fellow performers on stage. Keys was joined by the singers Little Simz and Cleo Sol.
Courtesy Moncler Performers wearing the Moncler x Alicia Keys collection.
Alicia Keys performing before an audience of thousands at Moncler’s "Art of Genius" event. Courtesy Moncler
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