Brands have been flocking to ski towns including Aspen, St. Moritz and Gstaad. Considering the crowding in these markets, traditional skiwear brands like Bogner and Fusalp are now looking elsewhere to acquire customers.
There is a growing trend of fashion brands launching skiwear collections. That includes luxury players Moncler, Pucci and Jimmy Choo. Even trendy retailer Revolve and its high-end sister site FWRD have expanded their focus to Aspen and its affluent crowd, though skiwear is not their focus. Together, they’re currently hosting their first-ever Apen-based pop-up, which runs until March 17. Along with selling a range of fashions, accessories and beauty products, the pop-up hosts unique experiences and partnerships, like private dinners and collaborations with famous designers. Other brands showing up in Aspen this year include Balmain and Chanel, which are hosting pop-ups, and Ferragamo, which opened a local store in December.
For its part, 90-year-old Germany-based skiwear brand Bogner has long had a presence in Aspen at retailers Gorsuch and Miller Sports. But it’s been expanding its product categories since 2022. And in December, it expanded its retail footprint to include New York, L.A. and London.
Bogner now has a ready-to-wear line, a sports range and a ski range. The company’s subbrand, 34-year-old Fire and Ice, is more focused on performance wear and sits alongside the expanded Bogner assortment in-store. Globally, Bogner has 30 owned stores and 60 franchise stores, as well as a wholesale presence. The brand plans to sell through Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Selfridges starting in 2024.
Bogner currently does around €190 million, or $206 million, in annual revenue and maintains a balanced customer split between its local German-Austrian market, the U.S., Asia, and France and Switzerland. The brand’s London store, which opened on December 1, is a pop-up that it plans to transition to a permanent location next year. Since opening, it has seen increased foot traffic, with customers looking for winterwear essentials rather than skiwear.
New stores in urban markets and an expanded product assortment are allowing skiwear-native brands to reach a broader customer base.
“Currently, winter-season [products account for] a 70% share of our total business globally. But we wanted to be a yearly seasonal brand,” said Kristof Risse, who took over as Bogner’s chief commercial officer in December and is leading the brand’s expansion strategy. “We want to compete with the ready-to-wear brands now. With women, we see our products as an entryway to Max Mara, and with men, as the entry-price piece toward Loro Piana.” The brand’s products range in price from $100-$2,500, with ready-to-wear styles focusing on “quiet luxury” and ’80s-style après-skiwear.
Risse emphasized that Bogner’s skiwear customers have come to look to the brand for apparel for various settings, including ski trips, dining out and summer activities. The brand’s strength lies in outerwear and knitwear, offering quality cashmere at competitive prices. Popular items include a signature “B” logo quarter-zip sweater and pullovers that have become favored for layering.
“Our advantage, compared to the other brands, lies in our omnichannel approach,” said Bogner. “For those hot brands in the skiwear space, 80-90% of the product ends up in wholesale [channels], with no [owned] retail presence and then a little bit of digital. But we’re strong in all three channels.”
Risse plans to enhance the brand’s marketing approach to offer a more comprehensive and connected experience, moving beyond social media and in-store features. Despite the success of Bogner’s ski videos and outdoor content, the brand needs to better link these efforts to consumer interests, he said. The videos featuring outdoor content receive double the likes and engagement of other posts, on average. Risse also acknowledged that there is value to a strong social media presence, but stressed that physical engagements like pop-up shops and in-store events are crucial for local connection and brand presence. The brand has 116,000 Instagram followers.
For its part, 71-year-old skiwear brand Fusalp has also been innovating with its collection, mainly through product collaborations that it promotes on its social channels. It announced a collaboration with creative agency Crosby Studios in October, followed by a collaboration with Italian luxury brand Pucci in November.
“The aim for seasonal athleisure brands like Bogner is to sell products that resonate with customers seeking to embrace the luxurious ski lifestyle, rather than just the functional aspects of skiing,” said Anne Gardner, luxury retail advisor at strategy studio StudioThree. “This shift in focus reflects a broader effort to create a consistent and appealing brand narrative that transcends seasonal boundaries.”
However, Gardner said, even the most prominent go-to luxury athleisure brands have faced challenges in persuading customers to embrace their ready-to-wear collections, and the majority of their business remains concentrated within a narrow segment of their product offerings.
