Moncler At Shanghai Fashion Week: Leading Luxury Co-Creation In 2024

Moncler, the brand that fuses ski wear with street style, to create those iconic down-filled jackets, unveiled its latest co-creations through the City of Genius initiative at Shanghai Fashion Week. Featuring a star-studded lineup including A$AP Rocky, Willow Smith, Rick Owens, and Jil Sander, the event solidified Moncler’s status as a master of co-creation.

Am I surprised? Not at all.

From its first collab in 1954 with French mountaineer Lionel Terray to today’s groundbreaking Moncler Genius initiative, co-creation is in this brand’s DNA. Founded in 1952 by René Ramillon and Andrè Vincent in Monestier-de-Clermont, Moncler’s roots are firmly planted in mountain lifestyle. What began with functional quilted jackets and snow boots quickly led to designing for the alpine skiing team—and has since evolved into a global fashion powerhouse, known for its coveted puffer jackets. By embracing a unique partnership approach to creation, Moncler is clearly leading the innovation charge in luxury fashion.

And they’re onto something. Research shows celebrities who co-create are more effective than simple endorsers, with both approaches outperforming no celebrity involvement. For the rest of us, 81% of consumers say brands that collaborate with customers feel more authentic, 86% find them more trustworthy, and 79% feel more connected to brands they engage with.

With co-creation at its core, Moncler’s City of Genius initiative at Shanghai Fashion Week is a bold platform where luxury meets innovation. Under CEO Remo Ruffini’s visionary leadership, this dynamic company continues to transform through initiatives like Moncler Genius, proving that true genius is an ongoing process.

Here’s why I think Remo Ruffini sets the gold standard for co-creation:

Targeting the Right Co-Creators

While 90% of executives want to embrace co-creation, only 12% of internet users engage with it, and just 25% even know what it is. Moncler bridges this gap by handpicking co-creators from art, design, music, sports, and culture. The City of Genius initiative taps into both established and emerging talent, giving them the freedom to push creative boundaries and produce something neither side could achieve alone—elevating both the brand and its co-creators.

Understanding What Drives Participation

Moncler’s co-creation is about more than just exclusive style; it taps into deep emotional connections. City of Genius unleashes the universal desire for recognition and creative freedom, unlocking the “inner genius” in everyone involved. As I emphasize in my book The Kim Kardashian Principle, big ideas generate emotional resonance, and Moncler has mastered this. Emotional marketing is key—71% of customers recommend a brand based on emotional connection—and Moncler leverages that connection to build lasting bonds with both co-creators and consumers.

Building for Long-Term Success

Co-creation at Moncler isn’t just a short-term tactic. Since launching Moncler Genius in 2018, the brand has disrupted the fashion calendar with monthly collections, staying ahead of trends and remaining adaptable. CEO Remo Ruffini has pushed Moncler beyond its winter-wear roots, working with designers like Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli to give the brand high-fashion credibility with the Moncler Gamme Bleu and Moncler Gamme Rouge lines. More recently, a collaboration with Virgil Abloh of Off-White brought a fresh, street-inspired aesthetic to Moncler’s iconic puffer jackets in the ‘O’ capsule collection.

This co-creation model has paid off, driving a 16% revenue surge in the first quarter of the year. By consistently engaging global talent, Moncler remains a leader in luxury, blending its curatorial approach with A-list celebrities, customers, and cutting-edge designers.

The City of Genius in Shanghai exemplifies Moncler’s bold strategy, pushing creative boundaries and showcasing the brand’s ability to embrace change. This isn’t Moncler’s first brave move—Moncler Grenoble, the pinnacle of technical and performance design, recently unveiled its Fall/Winter 2024/2025 collection in a forest near St. Moritz, perfectly capturing the brand’s ethos. Earlier this year, Moncler acquired Stone Island for €1.15 billion, bringing together two iconic Italian brands with a shared philosophy of going “beyond fashion, beyond luxury. What can you say? It’s a daring company by nature.

From modest mountain gear beginning and functional quilted jackets to constant reinventions of lightweight jackets and combat boots, Moncler’s co-creation with A-list celebrities and cutting-edge designers has made the brand a leader in producing some of fashion’s most sought-after modern must-haves.

Named Esquire’s Influencer Of The Year, Jeetendr Sehdev is a media personality, international speaker and the author of the New York Times bestselling sensation, The Kim Kardashian Principle: Why Shameless Sells (and How to Do It Right.)