How to be a star on the slopes — and après

If you’ve not been to see Ridley Scott’s high-fashion hamathon House of Gucci yet, then what on earth have you been doing? The pacing might be patchy and the characterisation hurried, but one thing the movie gets spot on — care of brilliantly talented British costume designer Janty Yates — is the clothes.

No ensemble is more enviable than actor Adam Driver’s ski look, which he sports as ill-fated scion Maurizio Gucci on the slopes of St Moritz. A dazzling flex of cold, white sartorial muscle, the shell suit itself has a touch of early 007 about it (more Roger Moore, less Sean Connery), while the clotted-cream Aran sweater he wears for drinks after a day on the slopes is peak après chic. Beyond simply looking pretty on the big screen, however, Driver’s turn on the slopes offers lessons for us as we head planks first into the 2022 ski season.

When it comes to your core skiwear, for instance — the serviceable stuff you actually wear to careen down the mountain — it’s better, in my opinion, to make like Maurizio and opt for pieces in matching block colours. There’s something incredibly striking about a monochromatic silhouette cut against the backdrop of a paper-white piste (though in Maurizio’s case he rather blends in, which is equally chic, if a little dangerous).

If tutto bianco is too much of a challenge, you could go for all black instead. At the blowier end of the budgetary blizzard, the best brands to visit are Fusalp and Moncler Grenoble. Cut with expert precision and designed to work hard on the slopes, both brands’ skiing basics are second to few. For a more functional aesthetic (think oversized bellows pockets and multiple fastening straps) with no less style, Holden — a brand founded by snowboarder Mikey LeBlanc with designer Scott Zergebel in 2002 — is also worth a look.

For something considerably zhuzhier, you would be well advised to head to Fendi. The Roman brand’s “FF”-clad ski jackets might come in at around the same price as a second-hand car, but you’ll give the Guccis a run for their money in the style stakes when you rock up on the ski lift wearing one of these bad boys (£2,650, fendi.com).

Should your tastes run a little more retro (and, in turn, to the more affordable), Italian brand Colmar does an excellent line in primary-hued, panelled ski jackets with a “trackies on the terraces watching Torino” appeal. When it comes to insulating undergarments, consider Sease, as all the brand’s pieces are made in Italy from 100 per cent natural fibres (though it’s important to note that Uniqlo’s Heattech base layers will do the job just as well for a fraction of the price).

For goggles, it’s either Anon or Oakley (you don’t want to scrimp on these — snow blindness is pas chic); and when it comes to your beanie, the best can be found at St James’s hatters Lock & Co, where the primary-hued, ribbed cashmere head toppers feel like wearing a hug (£155, lockhatters.com). Glove-wise, it’s got to be Prada — the Milanese super-brand’s finger-coverers come complete with handy, logo-clad zipper pouches at the back, for storing your ski pass and so on (£780, prada.com). And when it comes to sun protection, Dr Barbara Sturm’s lipid-rich Ski Cream will keep your skin both safe and smooth on the piste (£90, en.drsturm.com).

Slope gear sorted, the final thing to consider is your après look, which I’m hoping, at this point, will be a facsimile of the one worn by Driver: namely, a perfectly knitted Aran sweater draped with much the same “look at me I’m wealthy” elan as demonstrated by Driver.

For an entry-level Aran knit, your best bet is to head to the source. Knitted on the Irish island of the same name, nestled in the armpit of Galway Bay, historic brand Inis Meáin’s sweaters are extra-delicious in their ultra-authentic crunchiness (£450, mrporter.com). A little further up the food chain, British brand Toogood does an excellent line in Aran-style fisherman jumpers that are a touch softer on the skin than the originals (£895, matchesfashion.com). Failing that, you could, of course, head to Gucci, where a cable-knit sweater finished with the brand’s classic web detailing at the base can be yours for a cool £1,000 (gucci.com).

We know which Maurizio would prefer.

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