It was the first night of New York Fashion Week, and Moncler, the luxury outerwear company, was throwing a party to celebrate the opening of its New York flagship store, its largest ever. Inside, among a throng of guests including big names like Cher, Julia Roberts and Spike Lee, a borzoi named Cora stood gamely posing for the cameras.
“She’s a client of Moncler’s, which is why we came here. She was invited,” said the dog’s owner, Stacey Jones, a fashion editor. “She has five pieces. I’m looking to have one custom made here.”
Indeed, there really was something for everyone in the brand’s new cavernous, 23,680-square-foot retail space on Fifth Avenue, which had been designed by Gilles & Boissier, the Paris-based interior designers.
Tall pillars made to look like tree trunks towered by the front door. Handmade sheets of glass lining the staircase were meant to look like shimmering winter ice. A statue by Ugo Rondinone made especially for Moncler stood dramatically by one of the entrances.
The store features a new made-to-measure section, where customers can have Moncler jackets customized to their liking. A collection of ponchos and jackets designed by Jony Ive with New York City-themed patches hung on nearby racks. Wool beanies that read “Fifth Avenue New York” were being sold for $390.
“It’s huge,” said Jordan Clarkson, the Knicks player, who was wearing a custom Moncler orange-and-blue puffer jacket. “I could be in here all day just chilling, looking at clothes for us.”
“I just discovered this used to be the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store,” said Adrien Brody. “I used to come here as a boy and marvel at everything. It was such an iconic place. I had such an appreciation for it.” Georgina Chapman, the fashion designer and Brody’s girlfriend, interjected: “I think he means there’s a magical energy from those times, and Moncler is all about that.”
Much of Moncler’s energy is because of Remo Ruffini, its charismatic chief executive and chairman. Ruffini stood by the D.J. booth, where Mark Ronson was spinning, and ordered himself a glass of wine. He had come uptown from Casa Cipriani. “Lotta traffic!” he remarked.
Ruffini bought the French outerwear company in 2003. Moncler — the name is an abbreviation for Monestier-de-Clermont, a mountain village close to Grenoble, France — was founded in 1952 and originally sold sleeping bags and tents. Ruffini steadily aligned the brand with fashion and art, staging highly produced fashion shows and inviting famous fashion designers such as Pierpaolo Piccioli, Rick Owens and Hiroshi Fujiwara to make niche capsule collections using Moncler’s iconic, shiny puff jacket. The result is a publicly traded, multibillion-dollar luxury company, whose jackets can cost upward of $1,000.
“I really love their down jackets. It’s a pleasure making winter clothes for them,” said Fujiwara, whom Moncler had flown in from Tokyo for the evening.
“In the beginning, Moncler was this kind of retro ski brand,” said Daniel Humm, the chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park. “I’ve known Remo for a long time. I remember 25 years ago going to the Moncler store and he gave me two jackets. I still have them.”
Guests soon began to head south to the venue Gotham Hall, where Humm’s menu of summer tomatoes and an elevated New York hot dog with truffle and celery awaited. The space had been transformed into a magical indoor forest by the events company Villa Eugénie.
Fat Nwigwe, who was there with her husband, the rapper Tobe Nwigwe, was impressed but not surprised by the spectacle. “Let me tell you. Moncler does not miss,” she said.
The Olympic snowboarder Shaun White has been collaborating with Moncler for the past few years with his brand Whitespace. “We’ve ridden in St. Moritz, and a little in Aspen,” White said of himself and Ruffini. “He’s good. He definitely has his squad around him. You always know where he is because you’re like, ‘These people look too good.’”
Though Moncler offers proper winter sports gear, its repositioning by Ruffini has introduced it to a fashion-forward crowd.
“Oh, I don’t like the cold,” said Edward Enninful, the founder of the media company EE72, shaking his head. He and Julia Roberts had perched themselves by the bar together. “I don’t do ski. I do après-ski,” said Mickalene Thomas, the artist.
François Arnaud, the Canadian actor who played Scott Hunter on the hit television show “Heated Rivalry,” is a big skier. “But I’m terrible on skates,” he added. “When Jacob called me for ‘Heated Rivalry,’ I was like, ‘Can you make this a ski show instead?’”
“Do I ski?” asked Cher, who was seated next to Ruffini. “It depends on where I am. I like that Moncler has a history,” she added. “They’re committed to a look.” Like most of the V.I.P. guests, Cher had been dressed in Moncler, and was wearing a leather jacket with an ankle-length skirt. “I almost killed myself getting here, I almost never wear long skirts,” she joked. “When I was getting into the car, I stepped into the car, but my skirt went under.”
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