By Rusnė Brazauskaitė. Cover image Canada Goose courtesy
Après-ski rose to prominence in the Alps in the 1950s, when recreational skiing began to gain mainstream recognition. What started as a way to unwind after a long day on the slopes gradually evolved into a cultural phenomenon—one that blends music, social rituals, lifestyle, and fashion. Today, luxury brands are reinterpreting this glamorous tradition, translating the après-ski aesthetic into capsule collections that double as visual and social style guides for their audiences.
So what makes après-ski such an enduring fashion obsession? Here, we break down how luxury heritage and technical sportswear collide in the latest collections shaping the alpine aesthetic today.
Nike x Jacquemus Après-Ski: Translating Alpine Vision Into a Fashion Capsule
Collaborations have become one of the most effective ways for luxury fashion houses to merge with sportswear brands and turn mountain-inspired visions into commercially successful collections. The recent partnership between French label Jacquemus and sportswear giant Nike is a clear example of how style and performance can coexist seamlessly.
Released in late November 2025, the Nike x Jacquemus Après-Ski capsule features 18 pieces, including retro-inspired ski jackets, woven jumpsuits, and base-layer undergarments.
“Ski attire has always fascinated me, and I’m a big collector of vintage ’80s ski pieces. This collection with Nike is an opportunity to bring a new fashion story into our collaboration—and into the ski community—which is a first for me,” Simon Porte Jacquemus told WWD.
His fascination with the origins of après-ski culture is paired with his signature sensual minimalism, while Nike’s technical expertise ensures peak functionality. Each garment is designed to transition effortlessly from the slopes to the social rituals that follow, embodying the essence of après-ski living.
The result is a après ski collection that strikes a perfect balance—never sacrificing style for function. The pieces speak for themselves, thriving in snowy environments where movement and fashion intersect naturally.
Moncler Grenoble: High-Performance Fashion at Extreme Altitude
Moncler continues to stand apart from its competitors thanks to its unwavering commitment to high-performance gear and a futuristic design language. The Fall/Winter 2025-2026 Grenoble collection reinforced this identity with a dramatic runway show staged at Europe’s highest-altitude airport in Courchevel, 2.8 kilometers above sea level.
Models strode confidently through a snowstorm, a deliberate and powerful setting choice. Rather than a spectacle for its own sake, the environment served as a real-time demonstration of the collection’s technical credibility, while elevating the show into a fully immersive performance.
Workwear-inspired pieces clashed elegantly with tweed suits, styled alongside moon boots, helmets, and skis. The color palette moved from soft neutrals to total black looks, punctuated by flashes of yellow and salmon pink that echoed the surrounding alpine landscape.
The garments proved their performance live, while the guest list featured Hollywood heavyweights including Anne Hathaway, Adrien Brody, and Leonardo DiCaprio. The show was followed by a two-day immersive brand experience, offering guests a glimpse into the luxurious rhythm of ski resort life.
The après-ski collection’s name paid homage to the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, where Moncler supplied gear for the French national ski team. It was a carefully crafted narrative that reinforced the brand’s heritage while highlighting its ability to innovate and evolve.
Canada Goose x Haider Ackermann: Reimagining Alpine Heritage
In 2024, Haider Ackermann unveiled his first collection for Canada Goose, drawing inspiration from a striking archival image discovered in the brand’s archives. The photograph captured Canadian mountaineer Laurie Skreslet—the first Canadian to summit Mount Everest—wearing a luminous pink Canada Goose coat in the 1980s.
The Snow Goose capsule paid direct tribute to that image with a lightweight pink shell jacket. Other pieces appeared in vibrant blue, emerald green, pastel purple, and bold color accents that stood out against dramatic backdrops of glaciers and mountain ranges.
Comprising over 60 items, the collection reworked Canada Goose’s traditional silhouettes through Ackermann’s elevated design lens. Archival references were updated with contemporary styling, refined layering, and a fashion-forward sensibility that softened the brand’s utilitarian roots.
What once served purely as a moment of recovery after sport has now evolved into a lifestyle identity of its own. Après-ski culture proves that fashion today is increasingly driven by generational values and emotional connection, rather than function alone. Luxury fashion houses are tapping into this shift by delivering collections that act as cultural codes—deeply rooted in brand heritage, yet offering a fresh perspective beyond the constraints of the traditional fashion calendar.
