Moncler Partners With British Photographer Platon on London Art Event
LONDON — The worlds of fashion and art are coming together this week with Frieze London and a series of fashion shows that had been postponed due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death last month.
Moncler’s Frieze partnership is yet another example of the union of art and fashion here. The Italian luxury brand is presenting a special exhibition with portraits shot by the British photographer Platon, who often captures politicians and public figures, including Barack Obama, for the cover of Time magazine in 2007.
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This is the first time that Platon has collaborated with a fashion house. “Moncler is clearly not a traditional fashion brand. They’re dedicated to using their extraordinary platform to celebrate extraordinary talent. How could I say no?” the photographer told WWD.
In the first room, Platon shot seven moving images of the Moncler Maya 70 jackets reinterpreted by seven creative individuals, modeled on subjects chosen by the designers.
These include Elsa Hosk for Palm Angels; Lee Pace for Thom Browne; Nigel Sylvester for Frgmt; Michèle Lamy for Rick Owens; Bianca Brandolini and Honey Dijon for Giambattista Valli; Kristen McMenamy for Pierpaolo Piccioli, and musician Tobe Nwigwe for Pharrell Williams.
A different design will drop every week, on Saturday, starting with the Palm Angels design on Saturday.
“This is a celebration of inclusivity and creative power,” said Platon, adding that the process has been “honest, authentic, humble and generous with their trust. Together we all made human magic.”
Platon is showcasing seven additional portraits that have been merged together to create a moving image like all of the other pictures in the show. All the creative individuals are connected to London, including him.
“I’m currently making a short film with the United Nations honoring refugees from around the world, as well as finishing a 20-year large-scale book highlighting human rights defenders,” said Platon of his future projects. He will be attending Frieze for “much needed inspiration, with my mum as my special guest.”
The second section of the show traces Moncler’s history via seven archive boxes.
One box contains a padded sleeping bag from 1952 that would go on to inspire the brand’s first down jacket. Another box recalls a landmark year, 1968, when the French ski team wore Moncler for their record-breaking Winter Olympics performance.
There is also a box dedicated to 2018, the year the brand launched its collaborative platform Genius, working with the likes of Noir Kei Ninomiya, Simone Rocha, Craig Green and more.
The show is unique to London, and is part of the brand’s 70th anniversary celebrations. Each city will have its own show. The first was held in New York, and events in Tokyo and Seoul will follow. The Chinese show will be available digitally beginning on Oct. 20.
The brand is entering into the world of NFTs with help from digital artist Antoni Tudisco. Each show will have its own corresponding NFT. The 500 limited-edition NFTs for London NFT show landmarks which have been merged with Moncler’s Maya 70 jacket.
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