MILAN — Marking the opening of its biggest flagship in the world, on New York’s Fifth Avenue on Sept. 10, Moncler is launching a retrospective of images that capture the brand’s relationship with the city over two decades.

“Revealed through one of the largest open-air public exhibitions the city has ever seen,” the company contended, the “New York in Moncler” exhibit, characterized as “a very public display of affection,” will run Sept. 9 to 13.  

Large-scale photographs showcasing key cultural experiences linked to Moncler in New York, and unfolding in a city-wide takeover, the retrospective will culminate in a dedicated space within Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall.

In addition, Moncler will release a film on Thursday highlighting the theme, with model Aya Jones moving through the city wearing the signature Maya jacket, and narrated by New Yorker and longtime friend of the brand Alicia Keys over her unreleased new music. Incidentally, in 2023 the singer partnered with Moncler on the Moncler x Alicia Keys collection, which was inspired by New York City’s swagger, energy and hopeful optimism.

Among the works on display are images of the 2010 transformation of Chelsea Pier into an urban mountain, as 100 Moncler Grenoble-clad models scaled scaffolding in an immersive fashion week moment; of Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse in 2011 turned into a runway for Moncler Grenoble’s fall New York Fashion Week presentation with 140 dancers in a synchronized performance, and of professional skaters, wearing red, white and blue, taking to Central Park’s Wollman Rink in 2012 in a large-scale ice performance for Moncler Grenoble’s fashion week moment, accompanied by a live orchestra of New York musicians.

Moncler Grenoble in Lincoln Center, 2016

Other highlights include the Hammerstein Ballroom in 2014 for the Moncler Grenoble fall fashion show with 60 choristers, arranged across a multilevel structure, forming the living backdrop for Swiss artists André and Michel Décosterd’s “Pendulum Choir” installation, performed on hydraulic platforms. In 2016, Moncler Grenoble’s fall New York Fashion Week presentation at Lincoln Center was staged in polar-vortex conditions, transforming the frozen plaza into a live performance stage with 80 performers marching in step. Most recently, last year Moncler photographed Robert De Niro and Al Pacino on the rooftops of New York in the “Warmer Together” campaign.

As part of the launch of Moncler’s Fifth Avenue flagship, a Moncler and LoveFrom collection, created with designer Sir Jony Ive, will be embodied in Central Park by their respective mascots Monduck and Montgomery.

Monduck and Montgomery in Central Park

“Together, these milestones established New York as a Moncler muse — a city where Moncler demonstrated that fashion could deliver performance, provide a platform for creativity and create shared cultural experiences,” the company stated. “The moments on display have shaped the brand’s evolution and helped establish the creative language that defines Moncler today: alpine-inspired design, not only celebrated as technical mountain apparel, but also as a global metropolitan symbol of style, protection and human connection.”

The flagship is located in the General Motors building, previously home to the FAO Schwarz toy store until 2015, and spans more than 23,000 square feet across two floors. The design concept was curated by Moncler’s go-to architecture studio, Gilles & Boissier.

“This new flagship represents a significant milestone for Moncler and marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in New York City,” chairman Remo Ruffini told WWD earlier this year. “Opening our biggest store worldwide here is not just expanding our presence, it represents a pivotal step toward unlocking the full potential of our brand and reinforcing our commitment to the U.S. market.”

Moncler’s management has repeatedly said the U.S. market remains under-penetrated, and it is a major focus for the company in the coming years, representing a long-term growth opportunity. Its importance to the company was exhibited earlier this year when Moncler held a fashion show in Aspen for the Grenoble line, also opening a store for the label in the ski town. In the first half, revenues in the Americas increased by 6 percent at constant exchange rates to 147 million euros, with direct-to-consumer benefiting from robust local consumption.

Moncler Grenoble, Grand Central Terminal 2011