Moncler Genius and Jil Sander Debut a Fanciful Collaboration

Luke and Lucie Meier are in demand. Fresh off a rapturously reviewed Jil Sander show, the husband-and-wife design duo sits at a stark white conference table, ready to talk about their newest venture. Along with an array of talents including Donald Glover and Rick Owens, the two are part of the latest Moncler Genius project, “The City of Genius,” unveiled this past weekend at Shanghai Fashion Week.

The collection feels like a merging of both lanes: Jil Sander’s eccentric minimalism combined with the experimental spirit of the Moncler Genius collections. Luke says that was the goal. “If we just go in there and do what we do normally, why bother collaborating?” he asks rhetorically of their first-ever linkup with the brand. “And it shouldn’t just look like a very first-degree translation of what Moncler does either, because they could probably do [that] on their own. We feel like these projects should arrive at a finish line where it feels like neither could get there without the other one.”

The outdoorsy DNA of Moncler is hardly new to either of them. After all, Luke grew up in Vancouver, going to Whistler, while Lucie’s family is based in the Alpine playground of Zermatt. Both are avid skiers and snowboarders. “It was quite exciting to be able to bring all of that into what we do aesthetically already,” Luke says. And utility was crucial. “When something doesn’t work very well, it’s really annoying, it’s frustrating,” he says. “From architecture to even just your daily life, the things you encounter, from a pair of shoes to your shelving in your apartment. Things need to work really well, and the better they work, the lighter the day feels.” When partnering with Moncler, “It was great to have the know-how to realize things well.”

Designers Luke and Lucie Meier.

Soft, rounded shapes were a focus, but the clothes never feel exaggeratedly inflated. Says Lucie, “We wanted to emphasize the lightness.” Being able to “achieve big volume, but still keep that lightness” via the use of down material was key. Certain pieces, like the double-faced wool coats with removable down linings, bring together the Jil Sander handwork and construction with Moncler’s performance aspects. The two also created their own abstract version of the logo in the form of a metal pin. “It’s very consistently placed, it’s very present, but it starts to become design language rather than logo,” says Luke. The pins were molded by hand and then machine-produced, with the goal of looking more organic. (Adds Lucie: “We don’t like logos, but we love jewelry.”)

Looks from the collaboration.

For their presentation as part of City of Genius in Shanghai, the Meiers unveiled a fashion show that unfolded as an infinite loop, with screens playing nature scenes in the background and a skylight bringing in natural light. Given that they both spend so much time in nature, the great outdoors served as a potent source of inspiration. “No matter what we’re working on, we always look to natural materials first,” says Luke, “whether it’s leather, cotton, or wool, and try to find properties in natural fiber that can really perform and do the things that we want them to do.” The two were interested in “recreating textures you find in nature, because we didn’t want anything flat,” says Lucie. Thus the exaggerated knitted loops, faux “fur” made from wool, and feather-like textures crafted from paper. Talk about bringing the outside in.

Véronique Hyland is ELLE’s Fashion Features Director and the author of the book Dress Code, which was selected as one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of the Year. Her writing has previously appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, W, New York magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, and Condé Nast Traveler.