How do you pin down the start of a fashion collaboration these days? Is it the first time the parties involved worked together? The first time they release a collaborative product? These are the kinds of questions that spring to mind when considering the latest effort from Moncler and Roc Nation. Because the duo has indeed worked together before, nearly a year ago, when Jay-Z, producer Mike Dean, and the rest of the Roc Nation team helped Moncler create an audio/visual project called "The Art of All" during the Italian brand's immersive experience at London Fashion Week.
But this week marks the first release of actual, wearable—and damn stylish—collaborative clothing. There are puffers, of course, like a croc-printed bomber and a streamlined vest. Those sit alongside easygoing (but noticeably elevated) pieces like a heavyweight, drop-shoulder tee/sweatshirt hybrid and a pair of voluminous sweat shorts. There's even a fuzzy bucket hat. It's the kind of stuff that genuinely feels like a mix of the two brand's aesthetics—alpine luxury fused with a healthy dose of NYC swagger. And the kicker is, it's all designed by the man himself, Jay-Z.
The idea, according to the brands, was to create an assortment of modular elements that could be mixed and matched together, a sort of sartorial ode to the idea of sampling records and building a track. It's a fun—and apt—way of looking at the collection. But even if you don't know a damn thing about record production, there's also this: It's just plain cool.
The entire collection, the latest from the ongoing Moncler Genius program, releases on 24 January at select Moncler stores and on the brand's website. If you're not quite sure what to snag, take a scroll through the lookbook below.
