The Refuge
Moncler’s collaborations with Rick Owens have been something to witness. From customising a tour bus in the California desert to developing temperature-controlled, oxygen-filtered Sleep Pods, each concept has been reassuringly bonkers. For this season, Rick and Moncler have collaborated on a “demountable mountain refuge” inspired by an Alpine lodge owned by Michèle Lamy.
The refuge, which takes the form of a large square vessel, has a stainless steel monocoque shell and is composed of twenty thermally insulated panels that provide both structure and temperature retention. It sits on adjustable steel legs with ball-and-socket joints so it can rest on uneven terrain and has an airlock at the entrance to fight against the harsh weather conditions outside.
If you’re wondering how you’re meant to survive inside the refuge, it is fully powered by integrated photovoltaic roof panels, as well as solar arrays and a wind turbine. There’s also a sustainable water and waste treatment system, a log-burning stove and electric heaters. In a nod to the German artist Joseph Beuys, the interior is lined with Moncler duvet nylon and felted wool blankets, felt being a material often used by Beuys in his artworks.
Naturally, there’s also a coordinated clothing collection for you to wear inside the vessel. Soft organic cotton long johns and duvet bodysuits that zip up into sleeping cocoons for hibernation. If the end of the world happens soon, we know exactly where we want to be!
GALLERY