The Nine Wonders of Moncler Genius
LONDON — Leonardo DiCaprio, Justin and Hailey Bieber, Serena Williams, FKA Twigs and 10,000 guests came together at the exhibition center Olympia London to witness Moncler Genius’ takeover during the last day of London Fashion Week.
The live event started on Monday evening with crowded queues of all ages outside the venue — a majority of guests waiting were wearing their Moncler puffer jackets while neighborhood passersby watched from the other side of the street.
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The London event was centered around “The Art of Genius,” allowing the nine collaborators — Alicia Keys, Pharrell Williams, Mercedes-Benz, Palm Angels, Frgmt, Adidas Originals, Salehe Bembury, Roc Nation and Rick Owens — to reinterpret their own vision with a big budget and full creative control to present their products in a visually and immersive way.
Keys was the headliner for the event with an hourlong set performing her hits such as “If I Ain’t Got You,” “Fallin’” and “Empire State of Mind,” while her dancers wore her upcoming collection with Moncler inspired by ‘90s streetwear, to be released on March 23. She invited British artists Little Simz and Cleo Sol onstage with her to share the moment.
Pharrell Williams, who was recently named the creative director of Louis Vuitton men’s, staged a green glamping-inspired installation featuring grass and foliage with models wearing functional clothing in an earthy green hue.
The spaces where the installations were held were far from each other, allowing each talent to be fluid with their imagination.
Mercedes-Benz’s silvery four-wheel work of art couldn’t be missed with blow up wheels and a cover; Frgmt placed small robots that replicated human interaction in a light peach space for guests to interact with, and Palm Angels staged a foam and sound installation.
The Rick Owens installation was the most popular on-site as it transformed into a “Dune”-like set with fog coming out of the iron drains that the models walked on while a chrome spaceship, which was described as a “soundproof steel Sleep Pod” in the press notes, was placed in the center.
Moncler Genius, which launched in 2018, has done numerous collaborations, which have included Pierpaolo Piccioli, Jonathan Anderson and Simone Rocha in the past, but this display in London was about strengthening the brand’s digital community.
All guests in attendance were given an NFT designed by digital artist Antoni Tudisco that will give them access to Moncler Genius collections in the future.
Moncler has begun a long partnership with web3 consumer solutions firm Arianee to bridge the gap between luxury fashion brands and their customers without any of the middle men involved via Arianee Wallet, a smartphone app that stores all purchases through a special unique user code that can be used for proof of purchase and history of the item.
“It’s like your wardrobe at home, but digitally, only you can go inside and give access to others,” said Pierre-Nicolas Hurstel, chief executive officer and cofounder of Arianee.
The app cuts out the admin of opening accounts with brands as the user code will replace that.
“Our goal is to reconnect brands and users directly,” added Hurstel, who is convinced that if brands really want to invest in circularity and second hand, they will need digital passports that will make it easier for customers to list and resell items.
“It’s about building trust and that will stop people from buying very cheap stuff,” he said.
Launch Gallery: Moncler Genius RTW Fall 2023
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