The Mountain Office

Nested among the old timber buildings in Zermatt’s historic village centre is The Mountain Studio’s global head office. In the summer, flowers cling to its sun-warmed walls. In the winter, we sometimes have to shovel our way in – and out – after a snowstorm.

Inside, upcoming collections and rough prototypes hang side by side. Fabric swatches cover the only table. A gravel bike rests next to a pair of skis, not far from a Peter Doig painting. Some might call this chaos – to us, it’s all part of the creative process.

The office is located mere minutes from the lifts, giving us immediate access to one of the most iconic ski areas in the Alps. This is where we ski powder or perfect corduroy before work in the wintertime. This is where we hike, bike, or have lunch in the summer sunshine. This is where we test our new products in real time, in real conditions. There’s no better lab for us than the actual mountain.

“There's no better lab for us than the actual mountain.”

Living here also shapes our thinking about clothing. In a place like this, where any given day might include three or four different activities, constantly having to switch outfits would be unreasonable. We hike in the morning, work through the day, then get on our bikes and head out for nine holes of golf in the evening. We might ski powder laps before a meeting, and change from boots to shoes at the office. This is why our clothes are made to do more than one thing. Our gear needs to deliver technical performance and versatility. It’s just common sense to us.

When we chose the name The Mountain Studio, it wasn’t so much a branding decision as a reflection of our lives. This is our home, our playground, and our test environment. We’ve spent most of our lives in the mountains, and building our brand here was the only logical step. After all, once you’ve given your heart to the mountains, there’s no going back.