Promotion: fashion brand Moncler will celebrate its 70th anniversary in London during the Frieze Art Fair, which promises to take visitors on an immersive journey that draws on the sights, sounds and smells of the mountains.
The Extraordinary Expedition exhibition is on a world tour, having opened in New York on 5 October. It will come to London venue 180 The Strand from October 12 to 16 before proceeding to Seoul and taking virtual form for a Chinese appearance via WeChat.
Best known for popularising the down puffer jacket, Moncler is synonymous with alpine fashion. The exhibition draws from the brand's heritage and the feeling of being in the mountains through 360-degree immersive imagery, sound design, olfactory effects and the sensations of snow and fog.
At the same time, The Extraordinary Expedition exhibition will explore the French brand's history with spaces that Moncler says will evoke its "trailblazing DNA and spark imaginations for the brand's creative future".
Visitors begin their "expedition" in a white entrance void that Moncler likens to a basecamp before journeying into the exhibition's three key sections, titled Extraordinary Experience, Extraordinary Moments and Extraordinary Designs.
Extraordinary Experience is an introduction to the brand through a CGI-rich film that is projected on all four walls of the space. There is also a 3D topographic centrepiece.
Extraordinary Moments explores key garments and artefacts from Moncler's history via seven "Archive Boxes" containing objects such as the brand's first product from 1952, a padded sleeping bag that would go on to inspire its first down jacket.
The more recent artefacts include a garment from Moncler's Genius project, launched in 2018, which gives leading fashion designers the opportunity to creatively reimagine the down puffer jacket. The featured garment is by Kei Ninomiya, who transformed the down jacket into a series of all-black modular elements.
The third section of the exhibition is called Extraordinary Designs and presents some of the iconic looks from Moncler's archives. It includes garments such as Craig Green's 2018 oversized, flotation device-like jackets and Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli's puffer jacket-based evening dresses from 2019.
The exhibition will also mark the debut of a new campaign from Moncler for which British photographer Platon has created a series of portraits, titled the Moncler Maya 70 Collaborations. Seven fashion designers including Thom Browne and Rick Owens have created their version of the Maya jacket for the campaign and chosen a celebrity to model it.
Continuing the collaboration with Platon, the exhibition will feature an additional series of portraits of "extraordinary creatives connected to London". Young and diverse, the group includes in-demand filmmaker and photographer Gabriel Moses, the BBC's first female hip hop show host Tiffany Calver and the rapper John Glacier. There is also Platon himself, included in a self-portrait.
Visitors can use their phones to unlock extra features and guides throughout the exhibition, and there is a further digital element: a specially created NFT that will be given to 500 visitors in each city.
Made by artist Antoni Tudisco, it features images of the exhibition city's landmarks merged with the Maya 70 jacket. Each NFT owner will get access to perks such as a personalised visit to a Moncler store and early access to products.
Moncler is a Frieze Week partner for the London event and will also host events including a talk by photographer Platon.
The Extraordinary Expedition is part of Moncler's 70th-anniversary celebrations, which began with a spectacular presentation in the Piazza del Duomo during Milan Fashion Week, created with French contemporary dance choreographer Sadeck Berrabah and involving some 700 dancers.
The exhibition will move to Seoul D Museum M4 from 18 to 22 November and will be held online in China on 20 October.
Tickets for The Extraordinary Expedition exhibition are now available. Visit the website to reserve a ticket.
Partnership content
This article was written by Dezeen for Moncler as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen partnership content here.