The Olympic Effect
Brands want in on ski culture, what countries are wearing to the Olympics, and the Oregon ghost town supplying wool to team USA
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Hello readers!
Kellyn here. I’m writing to you through the soft glow of jet lagged eyes after a lovely week in France. It was an all women’s trip with Peak Performance where we watched the Freeride World Tour, ski toured from a beautiful little refuge, and explored Val Thorens. I’m feeling especially fond of the unique way that sports can bring people together.
And now we stand on the eve of the Olympic Games, the culmination of one of humanity’s greatest accomplishments. And it’s the Winter Olympics! Every Olympic year, I’m deeply moved by the way the world decides, collectively, to care. To sit down and watch someone we’ve never met dedicate their entire life and body to something great and in doing so, the rest of us become—even if briefly—a more unified world because of it.
As an often heartbroken American—someone who does love this country but is horrified at its present state—the Olympics offer a glimpse into our better nature. We are represented not by political parties, but by a group of hard-working athletes who still use their voice to speak up for injustices, but model diplomacy and respect. People who are walking examples of grit, determination, patriotism, and passion.
And I’m so glad that global affairs are not entirely ignored during the games. Polite protest has always been a part of the event and athletes have used this world stage as a platform to show what they believe is right or wrong for decades. In the 1968 Mexico City Games, American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised black-gloved fists during their medal ceremony to protest racial injustice in the U.S. During the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, teams from fifteen countries marched in the opening ceremony with the Olympic flag (rather than their national flags) as a form of protest for the Summer Olympics being held in Moscow after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan.
The Olympics are so human, and so they too are complicated. They’re imperfect. But at their core, they represent the best of individual and collective human effort.
And every Olympic season, the world becomes even more enamored with sport. And lately, companies have been especially obsessed with one corner of the athletic universe— skiing.
Everyone wants in on ski culture
Whenever you have a sport with a community as devoted as skiing’s, a strong subculture forms. It develops its own look, language, and norms, and that kind of authenticity naturally pulls in people from outside the circle. Fashion is always drawn to style that’s carved by a community and its history, rather than one that’s been manufactured.
Skiers have always known what a special thing it is to spend time in the mountains and glide through snow, so what they wear reflects that— it is worthy of something marvelous!
Après-ski culture, especially in the mid 20th century, was all about see and be seen. At a resort, you’re skiing for half the time and watching from the chairlift for the other. Someone hot-dogging under the lift carries the same energy as the fitted fur trimmed one piece at après. Look at me!
More than ever it seems, a growing number of brands are embracing ski and après-ski culture in an effort to break into the culture.
Here are some of those brands:
The Frankie Shop’s Cortina Après-Ski collection—
This collection has some gorgeous pieces for a special occasion ski trip (but aren’t they all?)
Jill Sander x Moncler—
This collection had my jaw on the floor. There were also ski outerwear pieces in the show, but these off-mountain looks were my favorite.
Jill Sander is no stranger to ski collaborations, this Arc’teryx collab from 2021 has taken up a permanent residence in my mind—
Holzweiler’s Ski Club—
For Holzweiler’s ski themed collection, they also partnered with Sweet Protection to make a helmet and goggle. I love to see a brand that did their research and collaborated with a high quality helmet/goggle brand— that’s how you do it.
Moncler Grenoble—
Moncler, of course, is already a ski outerwear staple. But for their FW26 show in Aspen this past month, they really tapped into western ski and classic mountain heritage motifs. It was truly spectacular. There were so many delicious shades of greens and browns, amazing layered textures, great neck scarves, and classic silhouettes.
Ilia x Halfdays
Even cosmetic brands like Ilia are finding a way to get in on skiing. Last winter, they partnered with Halfdays for a collection in their most popular lip shade “confidence pink.”
J.Crew—
J.Crew made a big splash last month with their Olympic themed collection that leaned into skiing specifically. I love that they also did their research and made a proper vintage-style pointed ski hat for this collection. That’s a good ‘IYKYK’ ski culture style.
This collection brings us conveniently back to the upcoming Olympics in Italy…
Milano Cortina Winter Games
It’s been 70 years since the last time the Winter Olympics were held in Cortina.
