The story of Moncler begins in the city of Monestier-de-Clermont. Situated at the foot of the French Alps between the Drac and Isère rivers, the location is ideal for winter sports. The city was a favorite of noted Alpine climber René Ramillon, who visited regularly to tackle the trails. In 1952, alongside fellow entrepreneur Andrè Vincent, the two formed a company centered around their personal interest in mountaineering and the outdoors. Named “Moncler”—an abbreviation of its namesake city—the company first produced items designed to protect climbers from the elements such as sleeping bags, lined hooded capes and tents with an external covering.

Almost immediately, Moncler caught the attention of celebrated French mountaineer Lionel Terray. An early champion of Moncler’s equipment, Terray’s endorsement helped raised visibility and led to an expanded product range. In 1954, the company released “Moncler pour Lionel Terray,” a collection designed to endure extreme conditions. Quilted jackets, overalls, gloves and high-resistance sleeping bags were all field-tested by Terray and his peers, with their respective feedback utilized to improve each product. That the same year, Moncler down jackets were chosen to outfit the Italian expedition to K2, the world’s second-highest mountain. The expedition was ultimately successful, and climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli became the first duo to climb the summit of K2 in July, 1954. Given that they wore Moncler, the company’s ability to produce items that can withstand harsh conditions was recognized the world over. Moncler begun to outfit more international expeditions including the French trek to the summit of Mount Makalù, as well as becoming the official supplier of mountaineering expeditions to Alaska—a deal brokered by Terray himself.

Already respected name, Moncler’s participation in the 1968 Winter Olympic Games in Grenoble—where it was the official supplier to the French downhill ski team—helped make the brand a household name. The brand’s work with the national team directly inspired it’s high-fashion men’s line, “Grenoble,” which debuted in 2010 during New York Fashion Week.

Even in its earliest years, Moncler considered aesthetic just as much as it did performance. Throughout the ‘70s, the brand researched fabrics and finishes that could replicate snow’s reflective properties. The result—the “shiny lacquered effect”—is now commonplace in its clothes. A rising star in the Paris fashion scene throughout the 1970s, designer Chantal Thomass was brought on to rework the look of the classic down jacket in 1980. The designer, who remained with the brand through ‘89, replaced the zips with buttons and introduced new details like fur trim, satin lining and reversible fabrics in order to make Moncler’s designs more in line with current trends.

In the ’80s, Moncler jackets became the unofficial uniform for Paninaro, a collective of Italian teenagers named after Il Panino, a popular snack bar in Milan. Originating from a few private schools throughout the city, the group of affluent young teens developed into a subculture with an unlikely mix of American and European style. Along with brands like Timberland, Levi's, Armani and Stone Island, brightly colored Moncler down jackets were a must. As Americana was sweeping through Europe in the ‘80s, Paninaro borrowed aspects from the preppy style of the moment and twisted it into something that felt uniquely Italian.

By the end of the ‘90s, Moncler was struggling to expand, caught off-guard between the the rise of luxury conglomerates and dedicated outdoor sportswear companies. On the verge of bankruptcy then creative director Remo Ruffini bought Moncler becoming chief executive and head of the board. With a quick turnaround, Ruffini managed to take the company public and redefine the brand for an entirely new generation of consumers.

Born in Como, Italy in 1961, Ruffini began his career working at his father’s company, Gianfranco Ruffini. Throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s, Ruffini ran two successful companies including men’s apparel brand New England and women’s brand Ingrose. Ruffini’s experience led him to take a creative director position in 1999 at then struggling Moncler. In 2000 Ruffini sold his stake in the two companies he had founded to the Stefanal Group in order to focus exclusively on Moncler.

Ruffini’s strategy as creative director was to focus on the brand’s most iconic item: the down jacket. Ruffini used to wear his prized Moncler puffer while riding his motorbike as a teen and still loves the style to this day. Ruffini’s first order of business was doubling down on quality, making sure Moncler’s luxury price point adequately reflected its product. Under Ruffini, no detail overlooked, from smooth-running zippers to plush shiny nylons manufactured specifically for the company. The fit and overall production quality was updated to meet the demands of the modern consumer.

Discussing his business strategy with W, Ruffini explained how while “other brands have a target, perhaps a certain age group, people earning a certain amount of money…[Moncler needs] to make something for skateboarding kids, for travelers, for the elegant lady who dines out.” In order to appeal to everyone, Moncler’s focus was three fold: function, fashion and diversity of product.

To help broaden its customer base, Moncler has drastically increased its retail presence. Once primarily a wholesaler, under Ruffini dozens of Moncler retail locations opening and today the brand boasts over 200 locations as well as more than 65 in-store boutiques.

While not a high-fashion brand proper, Ruffini realized that by aligning itself with top creatives, Moncler could appeal to the fashion set without alienating its core consumer base. Pharrell, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Junya Watanabe, Virgil Abloh and Chitose Abe are just a few of the designers that Moncler has officially worked in varying capacity. While these efforts vary from Pharrell’s small capsule to branded sublines such as Moncler O by Virgil Abloh or Moncler V by Hiroki Nakamura each introduces Moncler to a vital new sector. Whether it be streetwear or Japanese Americana, Moncler has made its way across the fashion spectrum, transforming Ruffini’s vision for an all encompassing customer base a reality.

For those loyal to the brand looking specifically for high-performance ski gear, Moncler launched Grenoble in 2010. Paying homage to the brand’s heritage, the sportswear division re-interprets past styles offering a modern take on historical ski garments and après-ski wear—specifically, the puffer. Since debuting as part of New York Fashion Week, Grenoble has acted as a reliable line for customers focused on the company’s core function: outdoor gear.

At the end of the last decade, Ruffini made the decision to expand to runway fashion proper when Moncler launched Gamme Rouge in 2008 and Gamme Bleu in 2009. Designed by Giambattista Valli and Thom Browne, respectively, each was critically celebrated and commercially viable. Gamme Rouge merged elements of couture and femininity with Moncler’s technical expertise whereas Thom Browne’s Gamme Bleu explored urban uniforms of the highest luxury. Despite each designers industry recognition, following the Fall/Winter 2018 Moncler announced that both collections had come to a close and the company planned to recalibrate its fashion initiative moving forward.

Moncler’s answer, following the closure of Gamme Rouge and Gamme Bleu, was Genius. An eight part capsule collection, Moncler Genius enlists established and rising names alike to create a multi-faceted approach more akin to Ruffini’s original business plans. Each of the eight collections, including six guest designers and two in-house labels, release periodically similar to drop cycle, allowing for a constant stream of product. Rotating between Craig Green, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Palm Angels, Kei Ninomiya, Simone Rocha, Hiroshi Fujiwara and finally youth oriented line 1952 and a newly invigorated Grenoble (now under the Genius umbrella), each drop is catered to a highly specific client creating the most diverse offering Moncler has ever presented.

“With one creative director, you talk to one generation. The strategy was that we have one strong jacket, so let’s try to attract every generation to it, I chose designers based on that idea: a designer who can talk to kids who are 15 or 20 years old, one who is more conceptual, one who does haute couture,” said Ruffini. While Genius is only a small fraction of the brand’s overall revenue (less than 5% of sales), introducing a model better suited to the accelerated pace of modern retail is indicative of Moncler’s ability to adapt to the fashion climate.

More than aesthetic, Ruffini’s changes have above all affected the bottom line. In 2017, Moncler exceeded $1 billion in revenue and 2018 was just as impressive posting 27 percent growth year-over-year. The brand has committed to expanding its global retail footprint, particularly in Asia, a significant source of continued growth.

As the brand has rapidly expanded, a newfound eco initiative was introduced in 2016 in order to track corporate governance and responsibility. Since its introduction, an annual Sustainability Report and Sustainability Plan are released following each fiscal year to monitor the company’s environmental footprint and plans moving forward. A global brand that shows few signs of slowing down, Moncler is poised to be one of the top luxury outerwear manufacturers in fashion. Under the leadership of Ruffini, Moncler has become a textbook example of how a brand can leverage its history while simultaneously embracing new ideas in order to drastically change for a new generation.