Moncler | Fragrances That Wear the Soul of the Alps

モンクレールの世界観と代表製品「Moncler Pour Homme 100ml」を表現したブランドイメージ

“Interparfums’ outstanding expertise and creativity make it the ideal partner to develop perfumes that align perfectly with Moncler’s DNA and unique identity. Launching Moncler’s first fragrance line is consistent with our selective brand-extension strategy and will further enrich our clients’ experience of the brand.”

— Remo Ruffini (then Chairman and CEO of Moncler, 2020)

Basic Information

  • Founded as an apparel brand: 1952
  • Entry into fragrance: October 2021
  • Fragrance licensing partner: Interparfums SA
  • Official website: https://www.moncler.com

The Founders and the Brand’s Origins

A Story That Began at the Foot of the Alps (1952)

Moncler’s story began in Monestier-de-Clermont, a small mountain village near Grenoble, France. In 1952, René Ramillon and André Vincent founded a small company to make practical equipment that would protect high-altitude workers from the harsh Alpine cold. The name MONCLER is an abbreviation of the village’s name. Its principal products at first were mountain equipment such as tents, sleeping bags, and hooded capes; the down jacket began as a way to keep factory workers warm.

Detailed primary information on the two founders’ early lives and personal backgrounds is very limited, so this account is confined to what can be confirmed.

Deep Connections with Mountaineering

In 1954, shortly after its founding, Moncler supplied equipment to the Italian expedition that climbed K2. Around this time, legendary French mountaineer Lionel Terray took an interest in its technical performance. Their collaboration produced a special line, Moncler pour Lionel Terray. In this period, Moncler was truly an unsung supporter of humanity’s struggle with the mountains.

The 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble marked a turning point. Moncler was selected as the official supplier to the French Alpine ski team, and its profile rose sharply. It was also around this time that the previous mountain-silhouette logo was retired and the current rooster logo, representing France’s national bird, was officially adopted.

In the 1980s, Moncler down jackets became an explosive trend among young people in Milan, Tokyo, and Paris. In Italy, they became a symbol of the youth subculture known as the Paninari, marking the moment outdoor clothing was elevated into fashion.

Remo Ruffini: The Architect of the Revival

Remo Ruffini, born in Como, Italy, on August 27, 1961, is indispensable to the story of today’s Moncler. He grew up in a family in which his grandfather ran a textile mill and his parents, Gianfranco and Enrica, also worked in clothing. His father operated a clothing company, Gianfranco Ruffini Ltd, in the United States in the 1970s. Ruffini went to New York while still young and learned the foundations of business at his father’s company.

Returning to Italy at 23, Ruffini founded his own clothing brand, New England, in 1984, beginning mainly with men’s shirts. He developed it for approximately sixteen years before selling it to the Stefanel Group in 2000. That same year, he began working as a creative consultant for Moncler’s holding company. In 2003, he acquired Moncler, then close to collapse, and became its Chairman and CEO.

Reflecting on his childhood, Ruffini said:

“My first memory of Moncler is a personal one. As a teenager, I rode my scooter to school every morning. My hometown of Como gets very cold in winter. My mother gave me a light-blue Moncler jacket to keep me warm while riding, and that was my first encounter with the brand.”

When Ruffini acquired it in 2003, Moncler was simply a sportswear brand specializing in down jackets. But he had a clear vision.

“Ever since I became involved with Moncler, my vision has remained unchanged: to keep pace with the spirit of the times while remaining true to the brand’s origins and ethos.”

His first priorities were to improve quality thoroughly and rethink distribution. The brand shifted from sporting-goods stores toward luxury multibrand boutiques and monobrand stores, opening its first directly operated urban boutique in Paris in 2007. This became a major turning point. In 2018, he launched Moncler Genius, a project presenting monthly collections in which diverse designers, including Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli, Craig Green, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and Francesco Ragazzi of Palm Angels, reinterpreted Moncler’s DNA.

“One brand, eight different voices speaking the spirit of Moncler. I believe creativity lies at the heart of this challenge.”

In 2021, Moncler completed its acquisition of the Italian functional clothing brand Stone Island, cementing its standing as a luxury group. Ruffini was also awarded the title Cavaliere del Lavoro, or Knight of Labour, by the President of Italy in 2018.

A New “Expedition” into Fragrance (2020–2021)

As part of its evolution beyond fashion into a 360-degree lifestyle brand, Moncler decided to enter perfumery. In June 2020, it signed an exclusive worldwide licensing agreement with the French fragrance specialist Interparfums SA. At announcement, the agreement ran until December 31, 2026, with an option to extend it for five years. Founded in 1982 by Philippe Bénacin and Jean Madar, Interparfums is a leading industry name whose fragrance portfolio has included Boucheron, Coach, Jimmy Choo, and Montblanc.

Interparfums CEO Bénacin described the partnership as follows.

“Moncler is a unique luxury brand associated with the mountains, nature, and a relentless quest for innovation and evolution.”

The Brand’s Commitments

A Fragrance Philosophy Born of the Mountains

At the heart of Moncler’s perfumery is the pioneering spirit of the Alps. When announcing its first fragrances in 2021, the brand described them as an “expedition for the senses,” seeking to express through scent the cornerstones it had held since its founding: nature, exploration, and discovery.

For the perfumers, translating Moncler into scent was not simply a matter of recreating mountain scenery. Givaudan perfumer Antoine Maisondieu, who worked on Pour Homme, visited Moncler’s flagship on the Champs-Élysées and recalled the following impression.

“When I think of Moncler, I think of the city and urbanity. Although rooted in nature, Moncler has reached an extremely refined position and embodies urban luxury. […] It was this blend of avant-garde spirit and authenticity that I sought to express in scent.”

The Mountain Woods Accord: A Shared DNA

The most important defining feature is the Mountain Woods accord, developed exclusively for Moncler. It provides a shared olfactory DNA running through both the women’s and men’s fragrances. Nisrine Grillié, who worked on Pour Femme, explained it as follows.

“The Mountain Woods accord is the thread that connects the women’s and men’s fragrances. We used cedarwood for the sensation of wood outdoors, amber for the house’s refined luxury, and sandalwood for a comforting, creamy warmth.”

This approach, two personalities emerging from a single heartbeat, applies to fragrance much as Moncler’s down jackets share a silhouette while differing subtly between women’s and men’s versions.

Bottle Design: Bringing Technology and Heritage Together

Moncler’s perfume bottles are designed not merely as fragrance containers, but as objects that condense the brand’s world.

The First Bottles: Pour Femme and Pour Homme

The flask-like borraccia shape takes its name from the Italian word for a water bottle, paying homage to the equipment carried by mountain explorers. Horizontal silver ribs around the bottle echo the quilting of a Moncler down jacket, drawing a continuous line between the worlds inside and outside. The greatest surprise is the LED screen fitted to the 150 ml bottle. Connected to a smartphone app via Bluetooth, it can display a freely chosen message of up to eighty characters in scrolling red lettering. The bottle is rechargeable and can be used repeatedly.

CEO Bénacin said of the bottle:

“With these two perfumes, the bottle itself is a new adventure, a new spirit, and an entirely new form of communication. You can write your name, a special message, or anything you like.”

The Second Bottles: The Les Sommets Collection

The second collection took a different direction, reinterpreting the modern apothecary bottle with clean lines. Translucent, smoky amber-brown lacquer offers a faint glimpse of the contents, while the glass cap is embossed with the Moncler logo. The labels are in French, paying homage to the brand’s birthplace. The outer boxes are finished in dark-brown grained paper recalling the wood paneling inside Moncler boutiques, with even the sense of luxury experienced through touch carefully considered.

The Fragrance Range

First Release: Moncler Pour Femme & Moncler Pour Homme (2021)

Moncler’s first fragrances were announced and released on October 5, 2021. The two eaux de parfum were created by four Givaudan perfumers and share the Mountain Woods accord at their core while expressing different personalities.

Moncler Pour Femme

  • Perfumers: Nisrine Grillié & Quentin Bisch
  • Fragrance family: Floral woody musk
  • Centered on Moncler’s exclusive Powdery Snow accord, with Italian bergamot, jasmine sambac, heliotrope, amber, cedarwood, sandalwood, and vanilla
  • Grillié said she imagined fresh snow on a mountaintop and the sparkle of sunlight shining across it

Moncler Pour Homme

  • Perfumers: Antoine Maisondieu & Christophe Raynaud
  • Fragrance family: Woody aromatic
  • Centered on Moncler’s exclusive Alpine Green accord, with clary sage, pine resin, cypress, vetiver, cedarwood, sandalwood, and musk
  • Maisondieu spoke of a depth of woody notes going far beyond a classic men’s fragrance and revealed that he aimed for a wholly contemporary scent unconstrained by conventional perfume structure

The bottles come in three sizes: 60 ml, 100 ml, and 150 ml. Only the 150 ml version with the LED screen is rechargeable.

Second Release: The Les Sommets Moncler Collection (Since 2023)

The second collection began in 2023, with Interparfums’ introductory page dated January 30, 2024. Taking its French name from “mountain summits,” it comprises five unisex eaux de parfum, together with home fragrance and candles. Its concept explores the many facets of wood, with each perfume built around a particular woody material. Six renowned perfumers participated, each depicting a different mountain scene.

FragranceMeaningFragrance FamilyMain NotesPerfumer
Haute MontagneHigh MountainWoody muskyCedarwood, Madagascan vanillaAntoine Maisondieu
La CordéeThe Climbing RopeWoody citrusBergamot, cypress, black teaAne Ayo & Nathalie Lorson
Le Bois GlacéFrozen WoodWoody amberHaitian vetiver, Calabrian bergamotFabrice Pellegrin
Le SolsticeThe Solstice (Winter or Summer)Woody floralIris, sandalwoodDaniela Andrier
Les Roches NoiresBlack RocksWoody amberIndonesian patchouli, labdanumNathalie Lorson

The home fragrance Le Cèdre Bleu, meaning “blue cedar,” takes the blue cedar tree as its motif, drawing on the olfactory signature established for Moncler boutiques worldwide. Offered as a home aroma, it harmonizes three types of cedar with incense, oakmoss, and musk.

An Addition: Ciel d’Hiver

This addition to Les Sommets was being introduced from 2024, while Interparfums’ official announcement is dated May 19, 2025. As its name, “winter sky,” suggests, it explores the pure blue winter sky above a mountain ridge. Created by Ilias Ermenidis and Nathalie Lorson, it is a woody musky eau de parfum centered on neroli, enlivened by pink pepper and yellow mandarin, with the warm muskiness of Ambrox, sandalwood, and ambrette supporting the base.

An Interesting Aside…

The Surprise the LED Bottle Brought to Perfumery

The LED bottle introduced with Moncler’s first fragrances made a major impression on the perfume industry at launch. There was almost no precedent for a digital display on a fragrance bottle, and it was widely discussed as an expression of Moncler’s identity in a new field. Ruffini had previously adopted advanced technology in a collaboration with suitcase brand RIMOWA involving digitally tagged luggage. Combining fashion and technology is embedded in Moncler’s DNA.

Designing Even the Scent of a Boutique

Le Cèdre Bleu, the home fragrance included in Les Sommets, is actually based on the olfactory signature that permeates Moncler boutiques around the world. It offers fragrance lovers a special experience of bringing the boutique atmosphere home through scent as well.

The Spirit of Genius Lives in Fragrance, Too

The first fragrances were announced as part of the Moncler Genius collections project. Just as creators have reinterpreted Moncler in fashion, several perfumers were invited to portray its DNA through their individual interpretations in scent. Ruffini’s frequently expressed philosophy, “do less but do it well,” is carried through into perfumery as a commitment to perfecting the quality of the work at hand.

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