Bianca is part of the LaMunt Crew, a ski teacher and mountain lover. We interviewed her to understand her relationship with the mountains, which is woven with a attention to sustainability and women's empowerment.
Bianca, when did your love for the mountains begin?
There is no specific date. I would say since I can remember. As a child, my parents often took me to the mountains. I have very lucid memories of when I was a little girl: going to the mountains for me was the best vacation of the year and I wanted to live there and become a ski instructor. On the chairlift, whoever I had next to me would be found listening to my flowing tales of how much I adored the mountains: it was and is an irrepressible love. I was born and raised in the city and always suffered from not having the mountains close by. My parents did not have a particularly close relationship with the mountains; my mother did not even ski.
As a girl, I never skied competitively because my father - a sports doctor - always prevented me from doing so out of fear of injury. It was a dream I didn't want to stop cultivating, though. When I was 23, I became a ski instructor in Switzerland, and there came the crazy proposal from the school director: "Do you want to join the Swiss national team for the sprint kilometer?" Adrenaline, speed beyond one's limits and challenging oneself. All ingredients that led me, in a few short moments, to decide for yes.
After two years of training, I competed in the 2017 World Cup by coming second. It was an extraordinary experience and - I must say - very formative. It was there that I experienced the concept of sisterhood for the first time. The French competitor, who by the way arrived first in the same competition, helped me before the race by motivating me and giving me some tips that I put into practice during the race. I think it's the idea of competing against oneself to leave no room for competition with others; this is perhaps one of the things I like most about this sport and which, then, I also brought into my daily life.
What are the 3 things you like to do most in the mountains?
For me, the mountains are hiking. I like hiking and would do it every day in the mountains, which I did during Covid. I have a great passion for skiing. While doing activities in the mountains I like to study it, explore it, observe it. And also mountain biking; I am not a 'pro,' but I appreciate it and there is a lot of exploration in this sport as well. Cycling through the valleys you can feel the passage of time, how people lived in the past and how they live today. In general in the mountains the body changes, it feels free, more at ease.
Why did you accept LaMunt's invitation?
I was already following the LaMunt Crew and dreamed of being part of a group of women who shared the same passion as me. Despite everything, I have few people around me who are truly passionate about mountains. I agreed to be part of the Crew because they gave me the concepts of sisterhood, female empowerment, but also beauty and elegance combined with the technicality of the garments. Many times I had to buy men's clothes for the mountains, having to adapt to a standard that didn't make me feel completely comfortable while pursuing my passions.
What do you take home from Crew Events?
What I loved about both Crew Events I took part in is the specific attention to details, all of them. From the practical steps of the event itself to the details of the products, nothing is left to chance. In addition, having the opportunity to interact with the team dedicated to making this great project happen is a unique opportunity. What inspires me most of all is LaMunt's vision: to disrupt an existing market with a positive impact that can meet the favor of a segment of consumers who are still underrepresented. What I found special about the events was the passion, the love, the affection, the community. This is what I take home: inspiration from each of the women I meet.
I know you have tried the Irmi ReMOCA Pad® Jacket, the iconic FW23 jacket. Can you give us some product feedback?
The first feedback is that I've never had a jacket as versatile as this one. It's double-sided - purple and ice white - so basically two jackets in one, to choose from depending on the occasion, and it goes with everything. It covers a wide range of temperatures and situations. I've used it a lot for skiing, but also in the city to go to meetings, for example. I have tested it from -30° in Japan to the Italian, Swiss, French, Austrian Alps... I like the concept of recycled material, which by the way comes from the waste of a processing by the same company and therefore acquires a second life. I used it so much that I wanted to make an improvement to the product. I communicated this to the team, who immediately applied it. I think that's what the brand vision of "By women for women" is all about: helping to create a product that truly reflects the needs of the consumer it's designed for.
LaMunt was born in 2020. How important do you think it is for a brand today to be sustainable?
It is fundamental. I would say it cannot be otherwise. It is the only way forward. In my opinion, a brand that is born with a view to fulfilling needs that were not fulfilled before, must also fulfill that need for sustainability that we all have, as we are born in this temporal and social context. And if I may say so, in my opinion, women are also more sensitive than men to the issue of sustainability.
