Exploring The Outer Limits

Remo Ruffini, chairman and CEO of Moncler Group, looks back on two decades with the celebrated purveyor of luxury outerwear.

- Joel Chua

WHEN REMO RUFFINI took the reins of Moncler in 2003, the company was an established name in the arena of high-performance outerwear. It famously equipped the successful Italian expedition to summit K2 – the world’s second-highest mountain – in 1957, and outfitted the French downhill team during the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympic Games.

Still, Ruffini had his work cut out for him. At that time, Moncler was on the brink of bankruptcy and its reputation had been gradually on the wane; outperformed by rising luxury conglomerates on the one hand, and dedicated outdoor sportswear companies on the other. Ruffini’s first order of business was thus to narrow efforts towards expanding the brand’s presence in the luxury sphere, advocating a shift from relying on retailers to developing a global network of mono-brand stores.

Doubling down on the draw of Moncler’s prestigious down jacket, Ruffini embarked on a succession of limited-edition collaborations with a confluence of high-profile designers – the likes of Nicolas Ghesquire, Pierpaolo Piccioli and the late Virgil Abloh to name a few – in a bold attempt to cement the brand’s cross-generational appeal. Fast forward two decades later, it’s safe to say that Ruffini’s efforts have paid off, with each subsequent coveted drop propelling Moncler closer to the apex of high fashion, where it sits comfortably today.

“Moncler has always been a brand with great heritage, clear DNA and solid roots linked to the mountain,” says Ruffini, clearly cognizant of the brand’s foundations even as he charts its future.