Skiwear is increasingly in fashion and Italy is leading in exports
Gucci also joins the growing number of brands signing collections for the summits. One fifth of Europe's exports of winter sports products come from our country
The pioneer, as in many other cases, was Giorgio Armani, who in the mid-1990s launched the Neve line dedicated to those who wanted to ski in style. Thirty years later, the skiwear segment is presided over by almost all luxury brands. With collections of clothing and accessories to show off on the slopes, but also exclusive events on the snow dedicated to top clients and collaborations with the multibrands of the most noble European and international ski resorts.
King Giorgio, who passed away in September, had then made sport (and winter sports) a hallmark of his identity, so much so that he had dressed the Italian national teams several times at the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The next occasion will be Milan-Cortina 2026, an important chance for other brands in the fashion and sportswear sector: Salomon, the official licensee, next week will present the uniforms of 20,000 volunteers, torchbearers and all the staff involved in the organisation of the Games. And Moorer has just launched the Skii capsule, inspired by the upcoming Winter Olympics.
Italy is one of the three European pillars in the cross-border sale of winter sports products. According to a recent report by Mediobanca dedicated to Sport&Outdoor, in fact, our country is second behind Austria in terms of the value of extra-EU exports of products in the winter sports segment: with about 167 million euros of goods exported in 2023, it absorbs about one fifth of the total value of European exports. This share rises to 76% if we take the first three countries by value of goods sold beyond the EU borders: Austria, Italy and France. Our country - which boasts districts of absolute excellence such as those of Asolo and Montebelluna in mountain footwear and ski boots, to name but one case - is also the leading exporter of ice skates to non-EU markets.
Among the 'new' winter sportswear markets is China, which after the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has increased its presence on the slopes and is also investing heavily in ski-related destinations, especially in the Xingjang district, but also with indoor facilities such as the L+Snow theme park in Shanghai, the largest in the world.
In the Dolomites, for example, the new Aman Rosa Alpina is preparing for its first winter season; Rosewood will open the Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin in the famous French enclave in December, and in Aspen - where Moncler will present the new Grenoble collection on 31 January - Chalet Alpina, the largest ski resort in the Rocky Mountains, is about to open. These are magnetic places for the clientele of luxury brands, which are therefore launching or strengthening their ski and après-ski collections.
