On Location - Chamonix, Pt.1

For Fall/Winter 2017, we decided to venture to the Alps, ultimately deciding on Chamonix, France as the destination to photograph our latest men’s and women’s collections. The resort is located less than an hour from the Geneva, Switzerland airport and sits at the base of the Mont-Blanc, the highest summit in the Alps. One of France’s oldest ski resorts, Chamonix boasts an outdoor culture that revolves around backcountry skiing. Wherever you turn, skiers are outfitted in harnesses and equipped with off-piste gear to take on Chamonix’s diverse and crevasse-filled terrain. ↓

We put our clothing to the test against bitter-cold winds, high altitudes and vast temperature swings. We took a cable car to the 12,000-plus summit of the Aiguille du Midi, where skiers descend into the Vallée Blanche, the legendary backcountry route that winds around the many peaks of the Mont Blanc range, ultimately ending on the Mer de Glace, the longest glacier in France. (When weather permits, skiers can traverse all the way back to Chamonix’s town center.) We explored the Mer de Glace and its spectacular ice caves, making our way there via the Montenvers Railway, which leaves from town. We drove to the nearby town of Megève, discovering the ski resort’s tiny airport and taking to the skies in a helicopter to have a bird’s-eye view of the Alps’ seemingly endless jagged edges.

We skied and hiked and explored three countries in just as many days (Chamonix is connected to Courmayeur, Italy via a tunnel and, in the summer, a gondola). We found the perfect spot for all of our new pieces, from wool overcoats and waffle knits to down insulated jackets and ski shells. Here, some images from our adventure in the French Alps. ·