New York City is one of the most incredible places in the world. Every year, a new crop of young, bright-eyed dreamers arrive into Manhattan all hopeful to catch a break in the big bad world. It’s not an easy pilgrimage. But the hassle of the city – the trains that never come, the taxis caught in gridlock, the price of wine – is always worth it just to be amidst the energy and ambition that coexists in its streets.
But New York City in the 90s? Well, that was a time.
Harking back to the days of oversized tracksuits, cropped halters, shrunken tees and bucket hats, 15-time Grammy winning artist Alicia Keys has teamed up with Moncler to release a very special capsule collection. As per the brand, it’s one that speaks to “the hotbed of hope, pre-millennial anticipation, and colourful street style that made up the 90s.”
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“Moncler and me go way back to when I was a little kid during those New York winters,” says Keys. “A Moncler was something you could see, but not quite reach yet. That high vision of excellence to strive for. This collection is like fulfilling that childhood wish on an epic scale.”
For the campaign, Keys and photographer Ibrahem Hasan cast next-gen, NY-bred creatives; a poet, a musician, an actress and a singer-songwriter. In the series of videos, Keys and the cast swing high above the city’s skyscrapers, a metaphor for those dreamers striving to make their mark in one of the hardest cities in the world.
The second campaign, by photographer Laura Jane Coulson, hones in on the singer’s personality and character in a series of candid and colourful portraits that introduce us to Alicia Keys: the designer.
If you’ve visited NYC, chances are you’ve probably walked along Manhattan’s LES with Keys and Jay-Z’s “Empire State Of Mind” mega-track blaring through your ear pods. No one encapsulates the hope of the city quite like those crashing piano chords and Keys’ lusty bellowing voice.
The Moncler x Alicia Keys collection is available exclusively on Net-a-Porter now and in select Moncler boutiques and moncler.com. Peruse the campaign below.
This article originally appeared on Grazia International.
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