On February 20th, Moncler showed off a huge presentation to announce the starting of a new project at the opening of Milan Fashion Week. The Moncler company is said to be launching a unique collection with creators at the forefront of their field globally, this time with a project entitled ‘Moncler Genius’. Fragment Design led by Hiroshi Fujiwara was singled out as one of the geniuses.

Ring of Colour™ headed to Milan to follow Hiroshi Fujiwara getting ready for the presentation. We’d like introduce BACKSTAGE along with the whole story behind ‘Moncler 7 Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara’, the collection from Moncler, widely regarded as the ultimate Down Wear brand, and Fragment Design.

Launched for A/W 2018 ‘Moncler Genius’ is a distinguished creator, as the name implies, whose genius in contemporary fashion expresses their respective vision in the field of Moncler Down. The complete line up of Geniuses are Pierpaolo Piccioli director of Valentino, London’s Craig Green, Simone Roche, and Kei Ninomiya designing Noir at Comme des Garçons, together with Hiroshi Fujiwara. The ‘Moncler Genius’ concept is a comprehensive project similar to that of a building with eight windows, each with its own unique perspective.

Eight huge boxes covered with sliver screens were set up that night in a huge hall that became the venue, with collections exhibited in the form of a show and and presentations adjusted to match each vision respectively.

The ‘Moncler 7 Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara’ presentation is a glass-lined enclosure with greenery behind. Ten models caught between studio equipment and instrument cases are wearing the collection under the watchword ‘BACKSTAGE’. Additionally, twenty coordinated mannequins were unveiled, all lined up against the wall. The opening of the Fragment booth attracted so much attention with a landslide of people that entrance was temporary restricted.

With Moncler CEO Mr. Remo Ruffini before the presentation opening.

The presentation look.

BACKSTAGE’s Hiroshi Fujiwara mid-way through the presentation.

The line-up is filled with Down jackets and vests, synonymous with Monocler. They’re also impressively embossed with the strap-line ‘TO THE SOUTH / TO THE WEST / TO THE EAST / TO THE NORTH’ along with the Fragment logo. Punk inspired Mohair sweaters are also dropped in the winter collection, coordinated with a Fragment like sense of Pop. The versatile collection not only features clothing but also includes mufflers and backpacks, hiking boots, to tote bags and sunglasses. The current collection will apparently be launched each month sequentially from June onwards.

  

The ‘Moncleur Genius’ presentation and dinner were extremely charged up until that night, but Hiroshi Fujiwara was already in the Moncler atelier early the next morning. He already had ideas for the following S/S season collection, and was working on creating samples with the atelier team. It’s an overcrowded schedule, planning meetings for the launch as well as weaving a way through the interim period.

It seemed the collection was born from a sense of intuition gained from the experience of every place Hiroshi Fujiwara has visited, always on the move, be it in Tokyo, Kyoto, Paris, and Milan, as well as heading off to snowy mountains.

I want to wait a while until expectation becomes too much for the new line ‘Moncler 7 Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara’ to launch.

Moncler Japan (Contact) 03-3486-2110

 

It’s worth noting, an interview with Hiroshi Fujiwara detailing his route to Milan will feature in SWITCH Vol.36 No.4 to be released on March 20th.