LONDON — Remo Ruffini, chairman and chief executive officer at Moncler SpA, will be honored with the Trailblazer Award for his leadership and creative vision in guiding the company through disruptive ideas like Moncler Genius at the Fashion Awards, slated for Dec. 2 at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the British Fashion Council, said: “We are thrilled to honor Remo Ruffini with the Trailblazer Award for his immense contributions to the fashion industry and continued commitment to championing British design talent on a global stage.
“Ruffini has reimagined Moncler’s approach, building a brand that wholeheartedly embraces creativity, innovation and collaboration across disciplines, ultimately setting a new standard for the luxury industry entirely. His work with Moncler Genius exemplifies the pioneering spirit at the very core of this award,” added Rush.
Regarding the honor, Ruffini said, “Creativity lives where dreams meet energy. This is how we build our creative vision in Moncler, in a constant pursuit of the extraordinary. I’m grateful to the brilliant minds — both within and beyond the company — who’ve joined us on this journey, and am excited for those yet to come, each sharing their unique ‘genius’ in shaping our creative journey together.”
The Trailblazer Award was created in 2018 to celebrate innovators and creatives in fashion whose work in the past year has significantly shaped the industry. Kim Jones, artistic director of Dior menswear and former artistic director of haute couture, ready-to-wear, and fur collections for women at Fendi, took home the honor that year.
Edward Enninful, global creative and cultural adviser of Vogue, current Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele, and Givenchy’s new creative director Sarah Burton were awarded the recognition in 2023, 2021 and 2019, respectively.
Since taking over the helm of Moncler in 2003, Ruffini has undertaken a global brand reset and elevated Moncler to a luxury positioning. He led the company to a listing on the Milan Stock Exchange in 2013 and expanded Moncler into a fashion group with the acquisition of Stone Island in 2021.
In 2018, Ruffini launched Moncler Genius, which deepened the brand’s cultural relevance in the digital era, via pioneering collaborations with British talents such as Craig Green, Jonathan Anderson, Richard Quinn and Simone Rocha.
In 2019, Ruffini was named the winner of the Business Leader award at the British Fashion Awards. British Fashion Awards was rebranded as The Fashion Awards in 2020.
Moncler Genius now is a platform for co-creation, with partners in art, design, entertainment, music, sport and culture.
Last month, the Moncler City of Genius spectacle landed in Shanghai with its latest roster of creative talents, including Rick Owens, Jil Sander, Edward Enninful, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Donald Glover, Lulu Li, Mercedes-Benz by Nigo, Palm Angels, A$AP Rocky, and Willow Smith showcasing their codesigned collections at the China Ship Pavilion by the Huangpu River.
Inside the Moncler City of Genius spectacle in Shanghai.
Courtesy of Moncler Group
The Fashion Awards is the primary fundraiser of the BFC Foundation, which aims to support the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on education, grant-giving, and business mentoring.
Having unveiled nominees for the 2024 Fashion Awards, Tom Ford as the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement Award, Issa Rae as the winner of the Pandora Leader of Change Award, and recipients of the Special Recognition Awards, which will go to Sophia Neophitou-Apostolou of 10 Magazine, as well as Margaret Barbour, and photographer Tyler Mitchell for the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator, more details are expected to be revealed in the coming days leading up to the main event, which counts Pandora and The Peninsula London as key sponsors and Kojey Radical and Maya Jama as hosts of the night.