Exclusive: Interview With 2 Moncler 1952 Menswear Designer Sergio Zambon

For the uninitiated, 2 Moncler 1952 is part of the wider Moncler Genius project that supports collaborations between designers and other creative types to interpret Moncler’s signature codes. The point underscoring this initiative is reinvention and designer Sergio Zambon was roped in to lead the menswear collection in 2015.

For fall winter 2020, Zambon, together with a collective of Los Angeles-based creatives, offer a collection that harks back to the ‘70s, with a psychedelic pop of colours infused with elements of preppy, hippie and punk. More than just clothes, this collaboration also showcases street art patterns, industrial jewellery and more.

Here, Zambon tells us in an exclusive interview what inspires him and how the consumer habits will change post pandemic.

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Can you tell us what inspired the latest Men’s collection of 2 Moncler 1952, beyond what we already know from the press release?

My main inspiration stems from the desire to work with an interesting place or city that is a cultural hub at the moment. And I was very inspired by the colours of Los Angeles and the street movement. 

Why did you decide on Los Angeles as a spring board for this collection?

Many brands do collaborations with other designers in a literal sense and I thought, why not change things up and collaborate with a city instead and see what happens. There are so many vibrant and interesting cities and so much could come out of it. For this particular collection, I decided to collaborate with the city of Los Angeles through its local artists and creative minds. I chose to work with Balt Getty, Undefeated, AD.III and Libertine, creating a collection that still keeps a very strong tie with Moncler’s DNA. What I like about LA is that it was able to transform itself from a cultural point of view — more than any other cities. It managed to go from an American city to a worldly one. For this reason, the lifestyle in LA is so much more contemporary compared to New York. And for that, many creatives have moved from New York to LA, where the culture is very lively, but at the same time, exudes very laid-back vibes.

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How would you sum up the overall mood of this collection?

It’s a hippie LA aesthetic from the ‘70s with a touch of the ‘90s, plus a little bit of punk, and revisited American basics.

How did you start your design process for this collaboration? 

I attain a final vision by first collecting images. For example, when I decided on the collaboration between Moncler with LA, I wanted to represent the iconic period of LA with the youth movement. So I actually start with the final vision I want to achieve, and from there I envision the entire collection. Then, I go back into the details and go through the technical process. I start with the idea of a style, and what I mean by this is looking at the silhouette, maybe a particular period, and the colours. Colours are very important to me — they are something that I work on right from the start, especially for Moncler.

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What makes this Genius collection different from anything you've worked on before?

Well, definitely starting from one iconic staple and building a world, a collection around that. 

Do you ever run out of ideas?

Not really, it’s a constant process and flow. 

Your most important working experience so far was in Fendi before becoming the creative director to lead the Men’s collection at Moncler. What was the biggest lesson you learnt from your experience at Fendi

The greatest lesson was that nothing is impossible, and layering style with fun.

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During the global lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic, what did you learn or realise? 

Well, I’ve learned that technology, more than ever, can support us in our creativity and day-to-day work. However, I also realised how much I miss travelling and the multiple ways that they inspire my collections, and in general my thinking.

How do you think shopping habits will shift post pandemic?

I believe that once we go back to “normal”, shopping habits will go back to the way they used to be. However, I think a lot of people learned to shop online and these habits will increase. I also think there will be new priorities like taking care of our homes and finding homes with open spaces. I personally discovered how many things were missing in my home in Milan. 

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How do you think fashion companies and creative directors should evolve in response to these shifts? 

E-commerce will need to be more fluid, and products even more visible. Also, customer service will need lots of attention, for example, to ensure that delivery timings are met.

What kind of fashion, art, film and music, were you exposed to growing up and how did that inform your aesthetic today?

I travelled all over the world with my family since I was a kid. As a teenager, everything I approached was the street movements from London and New York. For personal reasons and interest, I also followed the contemporary art scene. 

In your opinion, does street fashion influence high fashion, or is it the other way around?

Historically street fashion has influenced high fashion, and I believe even more so nowadays. Before, it was the designer who used street fashion as inspiration, today instead it’s more of a meeting between fashion houses and their collaborators.