The Dish on Moncler Grenoble’s Fall/Winter 2017 Waltz

Moncler sure knows how to put on a show thanks to wizard producer Etienne Russo and a booming skiwear and outerwear business. You wouldn’t be caught dead on the slopes of Aspen without your Moncler ensemble would you? This season had quite a few inspirations for wintrygetaway. “There was a bit of Disney fairytales and Game of Thrones in there,” said Russo. “There was a bit of Paris is Burning…it was a mix of things we put together and created our own. We also wanted it to be a bit romantic since today is Valentine’s Day.” The production included an icy stage, waltzing models (and some non-models straight from Broadway), and Derek Blasberg as the MC. The clothing? Floral print, plaid, check, snow leopard and brightly hued ski suits for standing out while zipping down your favorite black diamond in Aspen, Chamonix, or Gstaad. This year’s Moncler presentation took up to six hours of rehearsal time. We caught up with those involved in the grand production to find out what it was like behind-the-scenes!

Derek Blasberg :
Have you ever narrated a fashion show before?
Never a fashion show! I don’t know if I have much experience in narration in general! At CNN, we call it tracking. This was far more emotive and fantasy filled than CNN.

Was there anything nerve racking about the experience?
All of these models in their underwear! That’s a little nerve racking! [Laughs] No, not really. A winter’s ball is sort of in my wheel house.

There were a lot of moving parts here!
I sort of had an easy job. I showed up yesterday, got fitted in this Tuxedo, which was super stylish and very warm. Today I showed up, did a rehearsal and narrated the ball. I think it all came together pretty spectacularly.

You seem to wear quite a bit of Moncler based on the looks of Snapchat!
I do wear Moncler, and especially in this weather! Are you kidding? That’s all I wear! I can’t get by without a fur coat. They actually made some cute exotics and stuff. It’s that time of year when I feel like everyone wakes up and asks themselves, “Am I going to get dressed up and look cute today, or do I want to warm?”

You also seem to be in a different climate everyday! How do you keep it straight?
There’s an app I use that tells me!

Bradley Schlagheck, dancer:

Have you ever been in a fashion show before?
I have not. This is my first time in a fashion show and my first time in New York Fashion Week.

Kind of major, no?
It was amazing. Waltzing around for 20 minutes was something I’ve never done before, but being here all day in hair and makeup and being around the clothing was pretty exciting.

Are you a part of a dance group?
No, I’m just a freelance dancer! I was just in an American in Paris on Broadway. This is my first time being in this kind of world.

Did it go through your head that there are some pretty important editors, models, and celebrities watching you?
It’s going through my head now! It all happened so fast that I didn’t really have time to think it through.

Did you get dizzy at all?
Yes! And having the mirrored floor and the lights and everything didn’t help. Luckily I’m a dancer, so I’m used to it–we have ways to not get dizzy. But yes, it was a lot of spinning.

Emma Harris, model:

What was the best part about being in this show?
Wearing the clothes and getting to watch the ballroom dancers dance—that was really interesting. It was a cool, big production. It wasn’t like a normal fashion show!

What do you prefer?
I like both, but these are more fun because it’s different than your everyday show.

There are so many people here!
It’s crazy! Probably the most amount of people I’ve ever had watching me before.

Have you modeled for Moncler before?
I have! My first season we had eyebrows that looked like they were icicles, which was really interesting. It’s really fun.

What was rehearsal for Moncler like?
There were so many people so we had to get everything right and practice a bunch of times. I think in the end it was worth it because we were all on the same page.

Who else have you walked for?
Dolce & Gabbana in Naples, which was kind of similar…ish. It was a production. I’ve also done Dior and a couple of others.