The City of Genius: A Co-Created Metropolis of Creativity Invites the World to ‘Live Genius’ in Shanghai
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By PAGE Editor
Moncler unveiled in Shanghai an immersive vision of creativity, culture, and energy, closing Fashion Week with an imaginative live show experience: The City of Genius.
“The City of Genius is the ultimate expression that creativity thrives when boundaries dissolve, enabling different worlds and cultural backgrounds to inspire one another in a genuine act of co-creation. Fueled by Shanghai’s vibrant spirit and magic energy, it is a place where local and international creative talent unite, guided by the childhood genius that lives within all of us.
Year after year, Moncler Genius continues to showcase the power of creativity, transforming ideas into reality, bringing people into communities and taking luxury into a world of new possibilities.” Remo Ruffini, Moncler Chairman and CEO.
30,000 square meters of the CSSC Pavilion – an expansive historic shipyard, straddling the city’s iconic Huangpu River, was transformed into a living metropolis of creativity on an unprecedented scale, where local and global communities came together to ‘live Genius.’
The event’s livestream attracted more than 57 million viewers on digital platforms, and 8,000 guests, including Xu Bing, Naomi Campbell, Wei Daxun, Leah Dou, Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Joaquín Furriel, Anne Hathaway, Wang HongYi, Jiangqiming, Henry Lau, Lulu Li, Chen Lijun, Lucie and Luke Meier, Yi MengLing, Mika, Nigo, Tobe Nwigwe, Rick Owens, Shu Qi, Francesco Ragazzi, Rihanna, Manu Ríos, A$AP Rocky, Wing Shya, Willow Smith, &Team K, Nicholas Tse, Cai XueTong, Yeonjun, Zhang YunLong, Lu YuXiao, Zhang XiaoHuan and her team, explored the network of interconnected designer neighborhoods, created by visionaries from the worlds of fashion, music, entertainment, art, technology and design to house and symbolize their Moncler Genius collections.
10 designer neighborhoods, 10 unique experiences, 10 extraordinary collections, 1 source of inspiration: The City of Genius.
The City of Genius embraced Shanghai’s inspiring culture of innovation and heritage, driving deep connections with local visionaries and international talent from diverse spheres of influence and cultural perspectives, at the apex of global culture, in a worldwide exchange of creativity.
The spirit of co-creation brought together traditional and modern methods of creativity, connecting Chinese and global culture spanning art, film, music and entertainment.
The show featured an installation by iconic artist Xu Bing, and his creative reimagination of language was woven throughout event communications, the show venue, the livestream, and the accompanying campaign. To touch language is to get in tune with the very beating heart of culture. The art installation astounds with its spectacular beauty. Bing’s work
was shot by photographer and filmmaker Wing Shya, who created The City of Genius manifesto film starring Moncler global brand ambassador, Leah Dou.
The unforgettable show finale featured a one-of-a-kind live showcase by creative performance director Henry Lau, surrounded by dancers, musicians, and a dazzling sound and light display designed exclusively for the event. Henry Lau presented a rousing performance of his greatest hits. The performance was opened by Chen Lijun, an outstanding Yue opera actress, blending traditional Chinese opera with contemporary
pop in a groundbreaking rendition of Chinese-style music. The stunning performances marked a dazzling end to the event.
The stellar designer lineup saw Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Donald Glover, Lulu Li,
Mercedes-Benz by Nigo, Palm Angels, A$AP Rocky, Willow Smith – as well as special appearances from Rick Owens and Jil Sander – bring their unique concepts for The City of Genius to life.
The landscape of designer worlds saw each co-creator realize their imagined aesthetic utopia: a distinct neighborhood to fully represent the soul and inspiration of their Genius collections.
DESIGNER NEIGHBORHOODS
The City of Genius by Edward Enninful
Where we survive the elements
Edward Enninful’s futuristic scene resembled a weather station frozen in time, enveloped by the elements of nature. The mirrored set design immersed the audience in an emotive multi-sensory experience as they explored extreme conditions, from a heat-showered sand dune to a mammoth iceberg.
Envisioning a future where fashion is both protection and comfort, the Moncler x Edward Enninful collection reflects on the elements with a wardrobe for the fashionable nomadic adventurer. Ten full looks are conceived for exposure to extremes: Sandstorm, Snowstorm and Windstorm. Intensely layered; functional, yet elegant, and realized in textures of graphic all-black.
The City of Genius by Hiroshi Fujiwara
Where nothing means everything
In collaboration with Richard Wilson RA, the internationally renowned British sculptor, a calm and minimalist space drew attention to a thick black liquid symmetrical plane, whose reflection revealed a new perspective on Hiroshi Fujiwara’s latest collection. Designs were suspended in the air, mirrored on the immaculate surface, transforming the space into a poetic implausible work of art titled, Looking Glass, 2024.
Playing into the theme of still waters running deep, Moncler x FRGMT imagines a hard-working, but far from ordinary, minimalist wardrobe, full of hidden surprises like reversible colorways and vibrant internal linings. Moncler outerwear icons are reimagined in lighter, packable iterations, while cute kitten and bunny creations by Korean illustration studio Nayeon & Rang play alongside quotes from Nietzche and Aristotle.
The City of Genius by Donald Glover
Gilga Farm cultivates culture
Drawing inspiration from Glover’s Gilga Farm in Ojai, California – envisioned as a creative incubator – an architectural farmhouse and vivid orange grove was bathed in a warm, inviting light. Embedded within the farmhouse facade, speakers played Gilga radio, setting the auditory scene. At the heart of the orchard, models brought the space to life, revealing the collection from an elevated stage.
A collection of youthful, lightweight layers in an uplifting palette of peach, meringue, bright and navy blue, and rust orange encompasses a full wardrobe for creative life on Gilga Farm. Outerwear is functional with elevated details. Workwear-influenced jackets have cozy trim collars; suede overshirts and lightweight coach jackets feature graphic cartoon patches, instilling a sense of fun and laidback energy, echoed by easy layers and accessories.
The City of Genius by Lulu Li
Where imagination becomes reality
A dynamic viewing experience of the collection, housed in a one-way mirror, explored light, reflection, and perception, evoking Lulu Li’s creative journey from AI pixel, to a physical, wearable manifestation of her imagination. Li's mesmerizing space created a symbolic bridge between celestial and terrestrial, heaven and earth, crafted in an endlessly reflective luminous mirror set.
The Moncler x Lulu Li Project collection has been created ‘from bits to atoms’ via the artist’s AI explorations and pulls from exaggerated digital volumes and minimalist Zen references. It includes a capsule of down jackets, a vest, and an elevated edit of city-ready layers. Hybrid functionality is key, as is a deep appreciation for workwear and casualwear.
The City of Genius by Mercedes-Benz and Nigo
Where the future is driven by the past
Blending hypermodern design with 80s and 90s inspiration to find the future in the past, a scaffolded multi-level rooftop city with LED screen floor evoked a surreal impression of walking through time. A unique visual and audio light show revealed the co-created collection, and two new interpretations of the G-Class. The first, a one-off art piece titled Project Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future, reinterprets the iconic 90s G-Class as a standout art piece, masterfully merging Moncler’s puffy and cushioned aesthetic with Mercedes-Benz’s crisp and clean lines, under the creative direction of Nigo. The second, titled The Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future, introduced the partnership’s first-ever purchasable vehicle. Based on the newest evolution of the off-road legend, and inspired by the art piece, it features the collaboration logo and Past II Future lettering, and is available as a limited-edition run.
Nigo’s clothing collection again merges quintessential signifiers of the three brands, accelerated through his street-styled aesthetic lens. The collection is of course accessorized with its own car, rendered as a print on tees and sweats and embroidered on jackets, alongside mountain scenes – reflecting the heritage of the three collaborators, set to fast-forward.
The City of Genius by Palm Angels
Where retro racing goes full circle
Inspired by the speed and glamor of car racing, the space was conceived as a cinematic dreamscape, where nostalgia meets adrenalin. A palm-lined, working kart track recreated the roar of engines and the smell of burning rubber, blending with the cinematic aura of a Hollywood movie set to capture the atmospheric essence of competitive racing in the 70s. Guests, positioned along the track, witnessed the spectacle unfold, while a select few were invited to feel the thrill of the race firsthand by driving the go-karts.
The collection, worn by the drivers, was unveiled in its true element - amidst the pulse of the action. A uniform for a thrillingly dynamic environment, Moncler x Palm Angels fuses vintage iconography with collegiate Americana influences and racing-tuned Italianate flair. The energetic palette features flash metallics, vibrant reds, blues and yellows, as well as sleek burgundy and black.
The City of Genius by A$AP Rocky
Where retro ski meets future sound
Guests were transported to a futuristic mountain landscape, featuring a lounge pit that seamlessly extended onto a projection screen, merging real and AI-generated imagery. At the center of the silver set, inspired by Moncler’s alpine DNA, a custom-made multifunctional cabinet provided the soundtrack, enhancing and adding a sensory layer to the overall experience.
Full looks feature moto and biker-inflected accents: protective shoulder, knee, and elbow pads, ribbed panels, heavily padded vests, gauntlet gloves, and helmet-like trapper hats. Moncler’s alpine outerwear codes were reimagined: bold quilting and oversized silhouettes in a palette of primary red, blue and yellow, underscored by green, orange, ivory and black. Graphic prints referenced the designer’s creative agency AWGE, as well as his hotly-anticipated fourth album Don’t Be Dumb.
The City of Genius by Willow Smith
Where we wake up to a new beginning
Willow invited guests to explore a post-apocalyptic garden, a return to lushness, where humans and nature can once again exist in harmony. Presented as an abandoned village reclaimed by the will of organic growth, the dark atmosphere was tempered and subdued by a green gradient palette that breathed urban-oasis life into the setting. Emerging from unexpected places, the vegetation represented healing, support, and rebirth.
The space was framed by circular motifs inspired by the sleek hoops that pierce Willow’s all black and white collection. Following the idea of creating pieces for the mountains, via the club, Moncler x Willow Smith juxtaposes voluminous, sturdy outerwear with form-fitting dresses, lending an air of sensual metropolitan armor, in which body-skimming base layers are offset with tough, protective shells.
The City of Genius by Rick Owens
Where fashion meets architecture
An atmospheric environment housed an all-weather steel sanctuary: the Rick Owens mountain ‘Refuge’. A logical evolution from the designer’s previous creations with Moncler – a tour bus and sleeping pod – the low-consumption, off-grid shelter stands isolated, shrouded by graphic light, smoke, and fog.
Reflecting a world where fashion, function, and aesthetic discipline can exist in harmony, the structure’s futuristic design and protective purpose mirror the collection. Moncler + Rick Owens proposes a subversively sophisticated fusion of brand codes, leaning into signature radiance quilting on oversized puffers and flight jackets, sweeping robes, and showstopping capes in sleek textures of black, dust, and white.
The City of Genius by Jil Sander
Where humans and nature connect
A concept of an infinite show displaying a loop of models in a pristine, luminous, circular space, framed by hi-tech 360-degree curved walls of screens depicting the beauty of nature, and an atmospheric skylight. A place to pause and take a cleansing breath – in stark contrast to the chaotic outside world.
Lucie and Luke Meier’s purist Jil Sander vision comes full circle in the house’s debut Genius collection. Designs explore the round and soft, informed by the volume and lightness of Moncler’s down quilting and cocooning silhouettes – and nature itself. Lucie and Luke Meier intertwine their Jil Sander design language with Moncler’s mountain origins through an exploration of the relation between nature and humanity. Natural textures and materials are ingeniously reimagined: a shearling effect made of wool; paper ‘feathers’; organic-appearing volumes engineered from oversized loops of padded fabric. Even the Moncler logo features as an organically-shaped jewel, pinned to garments as a signature closure or embellishment.
Throughout 2024 and 2025, Moncler Genius collections presented at The City of Genius event will be launched, starting with Moncler x Lulu Li Project on October 24th, 2024. For a recap of the event visit moncler.com.
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