This season marked the return of Moncler Genius as the brand decamped to China to present on the final night of Shanghai Fashion Week – and the team truly pulled out all the stops, creating a fashion festival of sorts. The enormous extravaganza – which took place in a warehouse near the Huangpu River – saw a metropolis of immersive experiences erected from various co-creators, including Rick Owens, Jil Sander's Luke and Lucie Meier and A$AP Rocky, while the likes of Anne Hathaway, Naomi Campbell and Rihanna were in attendance.
In what the brand nicknamed 'The City of Genius', the show took place in an unprecedented 30,000 square-metre space where different "neighbourhoods" were built. Each epitomised strong creative concepts and showcased new collections and experiences – this included a retro racetrack by Palm Angels, a ski scene by A$AP Rocky and a full-blown catwalk show by Jil Sander. Donald Glover, Willow Smith, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Rick Owens, Edward Enninful, Lulu Li and Nigo (with Mercedes-Benz) all also created one-of-a-kind curated experiences and collections, which were enjoyed by the 8,000 guests in attendance. The event also saw a performance by Henry Lau, and had an incredibly starry crowd in attendance.
The inspiration for the project derived from a 1960s study which found that 98 per cent of five-year-olds qualified as geniuses – but, by the time they reached adulthood, that number decreased to two per cent. "The process of living and the constraints of growing up somehow de-geniuses the mind. The challenge for everyone is to keep our internal genius alive, following the example of the creative minds of the Moncler Genius 2024 roster, by keeping their five-year-old selves alive and kicking," the brand explained.
The Moncler Genius project, which first launched in 2018, has seen collaborations with names including Simone Rocha, Richard Quinn and Pierpaolo Piccioli. Previous to this, the most recent fashion show extravaganza took place during London Fashion Week in 2023 and saw Alicia Keys and Little Simz perform with various fashion and art installations presented in the Olympia Stadium.
Below, read about the inspiration behind the 10 designer neighbourhoods and one-of-a-kind collections for Moncler Genius Shanghai.
Palm Angels
Taking creativity to the next level, Palm Angels created a retro racetrack, complete with racing cars – with the drivers, of course, wearing the Americana-inspired collection. According to the brand, the space – which was lined with palm trees and made to look like a Hollywood movie set – was inspired by the speed and glamour of racing in the 1970s. The collection was all bright blues, reds and yellows, with a touch of metallics.
A$AP Rocky
The rapper played with AI in his futuristic ski neighbourhood which featured a silver set complete with a lounge pit and DJ booth, moto and biker-inspired fashion and a projection of imagery that was part real and part AI-generated.
Hiroshi Fujiwara
Japanese musician Hiroshi Fujiwara collaborated with British sculptor Richard Wilson on a calm and minimalist space which reflected the collection through mirroring thanks to a black liquid symmetrical plane, entitled 'Looking Glass, 2024'.
Rick Owens
Of course, Rick Owens is no stranger to collaborating with Moncler and for 2024, the designer created an all-weather steel sanctuary. "Reflecting a world where fashion, function and aesthetic discipline can exist in harmony, the structure’s futuristic design and protective purpose mirror the collection," he explained. Models wore oversized puffer jackets and sweeping robes.
Jil Sander
While some of the creators did weird and wonderful things with their presentations, Lucie and Luke Meier of Jil Sander stuck to what they know and love – hosting a traditional catwalk to showcase their collaborative collection, and it was one of the highlights of the night. The designers created a full collection, which perfectly brought a hint of Moncler into the brand's aesthetic – this included embracing the volume and lightness of Moncler’s down quilting and cocooning silhouettes, and embracing its mountain origins with natural textures and materials. In a nod to the Moncler logo, the designers created an organic-shaped jewel, which was pinned to scarves and coats.
Willow Smith
For her set, Willow Smith created a post-apocalyptic garden: "A return to lushness, where humans and nature can once again exist in harmony." Presented as an abandoned village that had been reclaimed by nature, it was to represent healing, support and rebirth. The collection was created entirely in black and white, and was all about tough, protective shells.
Mercedes Benz and Nigo
Mercedes Benz teamed up with designer Nigo, the founder of A Bathing Ape and creative director of Kenzo, on a collection which merged elements of Mercedes, Moncler and Nico's designs together. This included tees, sweatshirts and jackets, while the project also presented two new interpretations of the G-Class and a one-off art piece.
Lulu Li
One of the most impressive installations came from Chinese artist Lulu Li who created a one-way mirror which explored light, reflection, and perception, displaying Lulu Li’s creative journey from AI pixel to a physical, wearable manifestation of her imagination, which was a striking down jacket.
Edward Enninful
'Where we survive the elements' was the theme of Edward Enninful's collection, which saw a set that resembled a weather station frozen in time, enveloped by elements of nature, while models were dressed accordingly as fashionable nomadic travellers.
Donald Glover
This collaboration drew inspiration from Donald Glover’s Gilga Farm in Ojai, California. Envisioned as a creative incubator, the architectural farmhouse and vivid orange grove was bathed in a warm, inviting light, while models wore workwear-inspired jackets and graphic printed tees.
