Skiwear is increasingly fashionable and Italy is a leader in exports

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 dominated by almost all luxury brands. With collections of clothing and accessories to show off on the slopes, as well as exclusive snow events dedicated to top clients and collaborations with multi-brand retailers from the most prestigious European and international ski resorts.

King George, who passed away in September, had made sport (and winter sports) a distinctive feature of his identity, so much so that he outfitted the Italian national teams several times at the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The next occasion will be Milan-Cortina 2026 , a significant opportunity for other fashion and sportswear brands: Salomon , the official licensee, will present the uniforms of 20,000 volunteers, torchbearers, and all the staff involved in organizing the Games next week. And Moorer has just launched the Skii capsule collection, inspired by the upcoming Winter Olympics.

Moorer Skii

Italy is one of Europe's three pillars in the export of winter sports products outside the EU. According to a recent Mediobanca report on Sport & Outdoor , Italy ranks second only to Austria in terms of the value of non-EU exports of winter sports products: with approximately €167 million in exports in 2023, it accounts for approximately one-fifth of the total value of European exports. This share rises to 76% if we consider the top three countries in terms of value of goods sold outside the EU: Austria, Italy, and France. Italy—which boasts excellent districts such as Asolo and Montebelluna for mountain footwear and ski boots, to name just one—is also the leading exporter of ice skates to non-EU markets.

Among the "new" winter sportswear markets, China also stands out, having increased its presence on the slopes after the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and also investing heavily in ski destinations, especially in the Xinjiang district, but also with indoor facilities such as the L+Snow theme park in Shanghai, the largest in the world.

Major hotel groups are also investing heavily in ski destinations, especially in high-end properties: in the Dolomites, for example, the new Aman Rosa Alpina is preparing for its first winter season; Rosewood will open Courchevel Le Jardin Alpin in the famous French enclave in December; and in Aspen—where Moncler will present its new Grenoble collection on January 31st—Chalet Alpina, the largest ski resort in the Rocky Mountains, is about to open. These locations are magnetic to luxury brands' clientele, which is why they launch or strengthen their ski and après-ski collections.