Moncler’s Remo Ruffini on the Power of Short Emails and the US President He Considers a Guru
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For the last 16 years, Remo Ruffini has been the chairman and CEO of the Franco-Italian ready-to-wear and accessories company Moncler, turning its puffer jackets and skiwear into a must-have luxury product for the slopes and the streets. The brand has since reinvented the notion of the down jacket beyond its standard best sellers by tapping big-name designers like Thom Browne and Giambattista Valli to reinterpret the cold-weather staple. He’s even gone so far as giving Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli free rein to re-create the jackets as regal floor-length capes. Here’s how he keeps his cool outside the office.
What have you done recently for the first time?
I had a beautiful enduro ride on Moroccan dunes.
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What, apart from more time, would make the biggest difference to your life?
A sense of lightheartedness.
What apps do you use the most?
Instagram, Spotify and weather-forecast apps. At Moncler we love the cold.
First thing you do in the morning?
I check the latest news.
What in your wardrobe do you wear most often?
I have worn the same belt for almost 30 years.
What do you most crave at the end of the day?
Silence.
Who is your guru?
Obama.
What song is currently in your head?
The Gladiator soundtrack.
What’s the most recent thing you’ve added to your collection?
A hangtag on my travel bag.
The most recent thing you regret not buying?
A candelabra I saw at Frieze London.
Who is your dealer, and what do they source for you?
Christophe Charbonnel sculptures.
What’s the most impressive dish you cook?
Beef bourguignon.
What does success look like?
Being yourself and doing what you love.
If you could learn a new skill, what would it be?
To play the piano.
Where do you get your clothes?
Around the world, from Italy to Japan. I buy most of my clothes tailor-made and others when I stumble across things I like.
Drive or be driven?
Can I have both?
Which are your regular tables in London, New York and LA?
In London: Dinings. In New York: Carbone. In LA: Matsuhisa.
Are you wearing a watch?
I am wearing an Apple watch.
If you could stick at one age, what would it be, and why?
Forty-nine. The perfect age—experienced and young enough.
Last box set or Netflix binge?
La Casa de Papel.
When was the last time you completely unplugged?
My last trip in South and Central America, across Colombia and Mexico.
How would you describe your look?
Repetitive . . . even if I continue to design new collections at work.
What’s your favorite hotel?
Chiltern Firehouse in London.
Whom do you admire most?
Those who never compromise with their ideas.
If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would you be?
Exactly where I am now.
What is your e-mail etiquette?
Short and to the point.
What’s always in your hand luggage?
Cables for devices so I am never unplugged.
What is the car you are most attached to?
My Land Rover.
What’s worth paying for?
As you know, the most important things in life cannot be paid for even if they cost a lot, like energy.
Do you still write letters?
Little cards in selected circumstances.
Wine of choice?
Not wine, sake.
What’s your most treasured possession?
Good-luck charms looking like a chili pepper.
What’s your favorite neighborhood in your favorite city?
All Istanbul neighborhoods.
What was your favorite children’s book?
Alice in Wonderland.
What are you afraid of?
Lack of creativity and ideas.
What was the last live performance you saw?
Vanessa Beecroft at the Moncler House of Genius opening event in Milan.
What causes are important to you?
The protection of kids.
Bowie or Dylan?
Lucio Dalla.
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