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Alpine Aesthetic: Winter gear gets the designer treatment this season

From Canada Goose x Angel Chen to Arc'teryx x Jil Sander, shop these new skiwear collabs to step up your snow style

Katie Shapiro
Alpine Aesthetic

Following the debut of The North Face x Gucci collaboration last winter — which Vogue deemed “stratospherically successful” — the movement of mountainwear-meets-couture is gaining even more momentum.

The unofficial moniker for a shift toward sporty and practical pieces, from oversized puffers and cargo pants to technical jackets and waterproof boots, is “Gorpcore” as first coined by The Cut in 2017. Over the past four years, the popularity of functional fashion has skyrocketed — whether a result of pandemic restrictions pushing more people to play outside or an overall embrace of coziness and comfort.

This season, classic alpine brands like Rossignol, Arc’teryx and Fusalp have tapped high fashion labels like Balmain, Jil Sander and Chloé, respectively, to create capsule collections — most with limited edition drops, many designed specifically for the slopes.



“We both grew up spending time in the mountains enjoying winter sports, but we could never find garments that balanced high performance with high aesthetic quality,” shared Jil Sander co-creative directors Lucie and Luke Meier in an announcement. “Eventually with Arc’teryx, a company we have always admired for their rigor and commitment to research, we (jumped at the) chance to work with them.”

And if there’s anywhere in the world these looks can actually fly, it’s Aspen. Here are six new designer skiwear collaborations for the 2021-22 ski season to step up your snow style.




Canada Goose x Angel Chen
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Angel Chen x Canada Goose

Canadian outerwear authority Canada Goose and Chinese designer Angel Chen are bringing another collaboration to life this winter through a computer generated imagery (CGI) campaign, uniting two cultures with different landscapes. Through this approach, pieces like the Convertible Snow Mantra can be worn in many ways, no matter the location or the elements — as a hooded vest, a cropped jacket or with an oversized collar. Nature serves as the backdrop for the entire line and is the embodiment of Canada Goose’s “Live in the Open” ethos, encouraging people “to live freely and express themselves” through apparel and accessories enabling exploration in high style. canadagoose.com; angelchen.com

Chloé x Fusalp
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Chloé x Fusalp

The dynamic and free-spirited visions of two heritage French labels (both brands date back to 1952 from the heart of Paris to the French Alps) have converged again with a ready-to-wear and skiwear collection suited for both the city and the slopes. Teaming up for a second season, Chloé and Fusalp’s versatile technical skiwear and accessories line alludes to “active elegance and contemporary cool.” Spanning classic navy, winter white, mistral blue, deep burgundy, beige rosé and antique rust, the palette echoes Fusalp’s tradition of outfitting the French Ski Federation’s national team with a reminiscent nod to their retro aesthetic, while honoring naturally feminine tones that are emblematically Chloé. fusalp.com; chloe.com

Cynthia Rowley x Roxy
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Cynthia Rowley x Roxy

Ever determined to celebrate women, Roxy and award winning American fashion designer Cynthia Rowley dreamt up colorful winterwear and swimwear filled with statement prints in tried-and-tested technical fabrics. “I hope this collection makes people happy, I hope it makes you want to get out there and do stuff, whatever it is — you don’t have to be an expert, just get out and try,” encourages Rowley on Roxy’s website. Come January, professional snowboarder and official Roxy athlete Chloe Kim will surely be one of the easiest competitors to spot in the X Games SuperPipe with her custom Cynthia Rowley kit. roxy.com; cynthiarowley.com

Jil Sander x Arc’teryx
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Jil Sander x Arc’teryx

In the search for the strongest partner to produce “exceptional purpose-built apparel,” German fashion house Jil Sander chose Arc’teryx for its 30-year commitment to craftsmanship, product integrity and functionality as well as authentic performance and innovation. Focused on skiing, snowboarding and mountain sports, the collection consists of three jackets — one unisex, one for women and one for men — in addition to a unisex pair of bibbed trousers and a one-piece suit. All Jil Sander x Arc’teryx pieces feature waterproof and breathable Gore-Tex Pro fabric accented with overlays of weatherproof leather available in three colors (white, black, and a blue-gray, reminiscent of the deep glaciers), which “underline the found synthesis between purpose and design.” arcteryx.com; jilsander.com

Balmain x Rossingnol
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Balmain x Rossingnol

Pierre Balmain grew up in a small village perched high in the French Alps. To salute the fashion house’s distinctive Alpine roots, Olivier Rousteing has partnered with Rossignol, which has been bringing innovation to the ski world since 1907. Making very clear the partners’ shared devotion to heritage, the limited-edition Balmain x Rossignol collection relies on variations of Balmain’s iconic, graphic Labyrinth print — first introduced 50 years ago and recently revamped for today’s new Balmain generation. rossignol.com; balmain.com

Peter Doig x Dior
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Peter Doig x Dior

Dior Homme creative director Kim Jones has expanded upon his partnership with British painter Peter Doig in a capsule collection that embraces the artist’s love of skiing through a winter lineup for men. It features jacquards and fleeces with decorative patterns inspired by his work. “He has such a passion, and he also spends alot of time working in Switzerland, so he is interested in the technical side of skiwear because he skis every day when he’s there. It brought a lot of inspiration to the collection,” Jones, who’s also worked with ski brands like Descente and POC, said in a statement. Doig created a number of art works specifically for Jones with his “Zermatt Cat” painting appearing on items including a sweater and a knit blanket lined with cashmere, while a multicolored camouflage knit sweater–first seen on canvas and recreated by Dior – is now portrayed in snowy blue hues. dior.com

ABOUT ALPINE AESTHETIC

Aspen is surrounded by the most stunning landscapes and vistas in the world and offers unmatched terrain for the most serious of mountain adventurers. But its global reputation as a cosmopolitan playground for the jet-set is largely attributed to designer-forward downtown shopping, jaw-dropping real estate and a cutting-edge wellness community.

Enter Alpine Aesthetic, a new Aspen Times Weekly column spotlighting locally owned boutiques, international fashion brands, jewelers, interior designers, architects and event planners alike — plus, plenty of stylist, glam, fitness and spa experts.

Written by Katie Shapiro, who has called Aspen home for more than a decade and also pens the ATW’s groundbreaking “High Country” cannabis column along with regular travel features, it will highlight the latest local happenings in style, design, health and beauty to celebrate stories of creativity with our readers in Aspen and beyond.

Alpine Aesthetic aims to elevate you — whatever your personal style may be.

Aspen Times Weekly

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