Most runways sit inside dark halls with folding chairs and a white floor. This one sat on a suspension bridge, in open wind, at 3,000 metres. GUESS took its ski capsule collection to Glacier 3000 in Switzerland and sent more than 20 models across the Peak Walk, the only suspension bridge in the world that links two mountain peaks. The result was a high-altitude fashion show that doubled as a product launch, a travel postcard and a small piece of industry history.
The show formed the centrepiece of the GUESS Winter Project for the 2024/2025 season. That project had already wrapped gondolas, ski lifts and resort villages in the brand’s branding. Yet the bridge walk did something the branding could not. It put performance ski fashion in the exact weather the clothes were built for, with famous Alpine summits filling every photograph.
What happened on Glacier 3000?
FashionUnited reported the show in December 2024, as GUESS unveiled its winter ski capsule at the recently relaunched Glacier 3000 resort. Models crossed the Peak Walk one by one, high above the glacier, while cameras captured the line against a full circle of snow-covered peaks. Marcolin, the eyewear partner behind GUESS glasses, named the view in its own report. The bridge looks out towards the Eiger, the Jungfrau, the Matterhorn and Mont Blanc, all of them above 4,000 metres.
GUESS also arrived as a key partner of the resort itself. Branded outdoor furniture and dedicated photo spots waited for visitors around the destination, so the show lived on after the last model crossed. Guests could pose in the same setting, with the same backdrop, within hours of the walk itself. In other words, the audience experience and the runway experience shared one stage.
Paul Marciano, the brand’s co-founder and chief creative officer, framed the moment as an industry first. He said the team was incredibly excited to return to the Alps with the Winter Project, because the success of the previous year had inspired them to keep the momentum going. He then called the Glacier 3000 show a real first in the industry and a fantastic setting for promoting the new ski capsule.
What did the ski capsule collection actually show?
The clothes had to read clearly from a distance, against white snow and hard sunlight. So the palette leaned bold rather than shy. Hot pink and mint ski suits led the women’s line, and both colours photograph sharply at altitude. Rhinestone-embellished jumpsuits added the glamour that GUESS rarely leaves behind, even on a glacier.
Which women’s pieces defined the line?
Fair Isle print knitwear softened the technical shell of the collection. That classic alpine pattern gave the ski fashion story a hand-knitted warmth, and it layered neatly under open jackets. Waterproof and windproof pieces carried the GUESS winter peony monogram motif, so the branding sat inside the fabric rather than on top of it. Chunky ski boots and oversized earmuffs finished the looks, and both accessories later proved easy for shoppers to copy.
Statement faux fur pieces and outerwear from the autumn and winter range walked alongside the technical skiwear. That mix matters, because it shows the capsule was never only about sport. A faux fur coat belongs to the chalet terrace as much as the chairlift queue. Après-ski style, in short, shared the bridge with genuine slope kit.
What did the men’s looks offer?
Menswear took a calmer route through the same storm. Nordic wool-blend knitwear anchored the men’s rail, in neutral tones that sat quietly beside the women’s pink and mint. Ski jackets came with matching pants, which kept the silhouette clean and coordinated. Knitted beanies and faux fur trapper hats handled the cold-weather styling, and they echoed the women’s earmuffs across the range.
Readers who prefer structure over shells can compare that layered approach with classic tailoring in our guide to Hickey Freeman sport coats. The settings differ wildly, of course. Still, the styling logic is the same one: build the outfit around one strong outer layer, then let texture do the talking.
How did the Winter Project take over the Alps?
The Glacier 3000 show was one stop on a much wider map. For the 2024/2025 Winter Project, GUESS chose Zermatt, Cortina d’Ampezzo and Gstaad as its headline destinations, according to Marcolin. Branded gondolas and ski lifts carried the logo up the mountains all season. A giant GUESS swing and frosted, alpine-hued versions of the brand mark gave visitors ready-made photo moments.
In Zermatt, the brand renewed its partnership with Iglu-Dorf, the village built from snow and rebuilt by artists each winter. The custom GUESS igloo, themed “In the Heart of Ice”, worked as both an exhibition and an immersive installation. GUESS fashion and home pieces appeared inside a room made of the very material the collection celebrates. Travellers planning a Swiss winter trip can pair stops like Zermatt and Gstaad with the ideas in our guide to the best place in Switzerland to visit in winter.
Gstaad received retail rather than runway that season. GUESS opened two winter pop-up stores there, and one of them sat inside the five-star Le Grand Bellevue hotel at 1,050 metres. The previous year had set the pattern, with brand takeovers at Cortina in Italy, Zermatt in Switzerland and Hochzillertal-Kaltenbach in Austria. Those earlier takeovers featured a branded igloo, an outdoor ice bar area, and GUESS deckchairs and blankets waiting in the snow.
Ski accessories carried the branding furthest of all. Branded ski poles, gondola wraps and eyewear from the Winter Ski Capsule put the logo in places a coat could never reach. A guest might ignore a billboard, after all. That same guest still holds a ski pole for six hours a day. Small, useful objects therefore became the project’s quietest advertising, and they spread alpine glamour into everyday resort routines. Few winter fashion show campaigns manage that kind of daily visibility.
Why are fashion brands racing to the slopes?
GUESS is hardly alone on the mountain. Numéro Netherlands traced fashion’s long love affair with ski-chic in a 2025 feature, and the history runs deep. Elsa Schiaparelli and Emilio Pucci both skied, and both sold sportswear under their own names. Brands such as Moncler and Bogner then grew out of that stylish, practical skiwear boom. Miu Miu even staged its autumn and winter 2021 collection in the Dolomites, mixing slip dresses with faux fur mountain boots.
The current wave is broader and more commercial. For the 2025/2026 season, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani and Chanel all fielded ski collections, while Gucci and Casablanca entered ski clothing for the first time. Designer ski wear now spans technical shells, Fair Isle knits, monogram prints and full accessory lines. Earmuffs, sunglasses, snow boots and shearling bags all carry serious design attention, because the chalet wardrobe sells far beyond the lift pass.
Social sharing fuels much of that growth. A runway on a bridge produces images that travel instantly, and platforms reward exactly that kind of spectacle. Our explainer on Douyin and fashion trends shows how short video turns one striking outfit into a global shopping cue. Likewise, our look at fashion as a reflection of social movements explains why clothing staged in extreme places tends to carry meanings far bigger than warmth.
Climate and cost still shape the story, though. High resorts guarantee snow for cameras, and they gather wealthy winter travellers in one small village. A brand that shows at altitude therefore borrows the resort’s prestige along with its weather. That logic explains why alpine fashion has shifted from a niche category into a headline season for so many houses, a shift already visible across 2024’s dynamic fashion trends.
What happened next in Gstaad?
The mountain runway show turned out to be a format, not a one-off. For its 45th anniversary, GUESS returned to altitude with a show in Gstaad, staged among the sculptural snow igloos of Iglu-Dorf. CPP-LUXURY reported that GUESS became the first fashion brand to present a collection in that distinctive Alpine setting. Transparent, crystalline structures, inspired by minerals and quartz, rose from the snow around the runway.
That show unveiled the Fall/Winter 2026 Ski Capsule beside a curated preview of fashion looks. Layered volumes, plush faux furs, sculptural outerwear, cosy knits and tactile finishes defined the line, according to CPP-LUXURY. The event belonged to the GUESS Winter Takeover, which reached Zermatt, Bormio, Courchevel and Glacier 3000 across Switzerland, Italy and France. About 60 guests attended the Gstaad presentation, REGIA Magazine reported, and a live violin performance played as the light faded over the peaks.
Two winters, two summits, one clear strategy. GUESS now treats altitude as a signature stage, much as other houses claim a particular city or venue. Anyone touring the region between shows can use our wider guide to the best place to visit in Switzerland for route ideas, or browse places to visit near Zurich by train for rail-friendly stops.
How can you build ski outfit ideas from the show?
You do not need a glacier, a bridge or a fashion week invitation. The collection’s styling rules translate neatly to an ordinary winter wardrobe, and most of them start with layers. Try these ski outfit ideas, drawn directly from the looks reported on the Peak Walk:
- Pick one bold suit colour, like hot pink or mint, and keep every other piece quiet.
- Add a Fair Isle knit under an open jacket, because pattern warms up plain technical fabrics.
- Choose waterproof and windproof outer layers first, then judge them on fit and colour.
- Wear chunky boots with slim trousers, so the volume sits at the ground rather than everywhere.
- Finish with one oversized accessory, such as earmuffs, a trapper hat or a knitted beanie.
- Swap the shell for faux fur after skiing, because that single change creates the après-ski mood.
Colour discipline does most of the work here. The GUESS stylists paired loud suits with neutral knits, and neutral men’s looks with textured hats. Each outfit therefore had one hero and several supporting pieces. Copy that ratio, and even a rental-shop jacket can look deliberate rather than borrowed.
Texture deserves the same care. Faux fur, wool blends, quilted shells and rhinestone details all catch mountain light differently. At altitude, flat fabrics can disappear against snow, while textured ones keep their shape in photographs. That is precisely why alpine fashion leans so heavily on tactile finishes this season.
What should you check before buying designer ski wear?
A glacier runway proves a look photographs well. It cannot prove the jacket survives your own ski week, though. So run a few plain checks before paying designer prices for any ski capsule piece. Start with the weather protection, because fashion labels sometimes sell resort pieces that only pretend to be technical. Look for clear waterproof and windproof claims on the label, and treat vague wording as a warning.
Fit comes next on the checklist. A ski jacket must close over a mid-layer without pulling at the shoulders, and the sleeves should still cover your wrists when you raise both arms. Trousers need room at the knee for bent legs on a lift. Try the full outfit on together, ideally with the boots you plan to wear. Pieces bought separately often clash in length, colour and bulk.
Finally, judge the piece by its second life off the slopes. A Fair Isle knit works at home all winter, and a faux fur coat earns its place at any cold-weather dinner. Even chunky boots can anchor casual outfits long after the holiday ends. Versatility like that separates a smart buy from a souvenir. The GUESS capsule understood this balance well, since nearly every runway look had a clear role back in the village.
Frequently asked questions
Where was the GUESS high-altitude fashion show held?
The December 2024 show took place at Glacier 3000 in Switzerland. Models walked the Peak Walk, the suspension bridge that links two peaks at 3,000 metres, as part of the GUESS Winter Project for 2024/2025.
What is a ski capsule collection?
A ski capsule collection is a small, focused range built for the slopes and the resort around them. The GUESS version mixed performance ski suits and waterproof shells with faux fur outerwear, Fair Isle knitwear and accessories, so the pieces worked together as one winter wardrobe.
How many models walked in the Glacier 3000 show?
Reports from Marcolin and 365 Fashion put the cast at 20 models. FashionUnited described the show as featuring more than 20 models showcasing the skiwear collection on the bridge.
What did the GUESS ski collection include for men?
The men’s line featured Nordic wool-blend knitwear, ski jackets with matching pants in neutral tones, knitted beanies and faux fur trapper hats. FashionUnited reported those pieces alongside the women’s hot pink and mint ski suits.
Did GUESS stage another mountain runway show?
Yes. GUESS later presented its Fall/Winter 2026 Ski Capsule in Gstaad, among the snow igloos of Iglu-Dorf, during its 45th anniversary Winter Takeover. CPP-LUXURY described crystalline, quartz-inspired structures and a snow-covered runway set within the alpine landscape.
Why does this show still matter?
The Glacier 3000 walk lasted minutes, yet its images still define how the industry stages winter launches. Brands learned that a real location can out-perform a rented hall, because the setting tells the product story before any caption does. Shoppers learned something simpler in the process. Ski fashion now begins with genuine weather protection, and only then adds the glamour. Keep that order, and the après-ski polish follows almost by itself.
