The History of Moncler

During my time working in the reselling industry Moncler has taken first place as my favourite brand. The quality, comfort and practicality of their designs is really unbeatable and alongside this, the history of the brand is inspiring.

The name Moncler is an abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont, a mountain village near Grenoble. Home to the famous down jacket, this is where René Ramilon and André Vincent founded the company in 1952.

What most people don’t know is that Moncler started off by only making sleeping bags, a single model of a lined hooded cape and tents. As mountain holidays became more popular these items were extremely successful with the growing demand.

In 1954 the first down jackets were designed to protect workers from the cold in the small mountain factory. A French mountaineer, Lionel Terray approached Moncler and asked if they could make jackets for his expeditions. This resulted in the specialist range ‘Moncler pour Lionel Terray’ that consisted of down jackets, salopettes, gloves and sleeping bags. In the same year Moncler were chosen to equip the Italian expedition to K2 which was completed in the conquest of the world’s highest summit by Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli.

Fast forward to 1968 and after a number of sponsorships already in the bag Moncler became the official supplier to the French downhill ski team to mark the Grenoble Winter Olympic Games, thanks to a worldwide media platform broadcast via TV.

During the 1980s Moncler made its entrance into the fashion side of the industry with its original stitching and its lacquered effect in bright and unique colours. Designer Chantal Thomass worked alongside the company until 1989, reworking the look of the classic down jacket. Zips were replaced with buttons, fur trims were introduced along with reversible and satin fabrics.

In 2003 the brand was bought out by Italian entrepreneur Remo Ruffini, who is still the Chairman and Managing Director. His ongoing mission is to continually improve the famous down jacket, working on fit, aesthetic research and materials.

Moncler continues to distinguished itself even more, with every garment being made entirely in Europe and always ensuring the highest standard of quality on every item that they design and manufacture.

This brand will always be one of my personal favourites and we will always stock preowned Moncler here at Focused Fashion. What are your thoughts on this iconic brand? Please leave us a comment with your thoughts down below!