With the slopes of St. Moritz as his backdrop, Giorgio Armani breathed new life into his skiwear business with a runway show in the snow. Some 300 guests—including Emily in Paris’s Lucas Bravo, model-turned-actor Pepe Barroso, and legendary socialite Nati Abascal—looked on as the 88-year-old designer reclaimed territory he first entered in 1985. These days it’s big bucks: alongside Armani, both Louis Vuitton and Emilio Pucci were promoting ski-oriented capsule collections this weekend in St. Moritz, where every snow-covered street is studded with fashion boutiques from Prada to Hermès, all featuring window displays dedicated to the alpine wardrobe.

Armani relaunched Neve—the Italian word for snow—four years ago after he had success with his sportswear line E7. In a contemporary fashion landscape where city and performance wardrobes cross-pollinate, skiwear-inspired fashion is a gold vein. “What makes Neve different is the balance of performance and style, and the span of the offer, which is dedicated both to skiing and après ski,” the designer said before the show, which took place in a decidedly Armani-fied wooden box in front of St. Moritz’s circa 1928 Olympic stadium. “You won’t find bright colors in it, and the selection is not limited to technical fabrics.”

While the Neve collection—which is already in stores—offers authentic skiwear with all the gear the sport demands, the show was mainly a demonstration of the urban fashion wardrobe that the slopes inspire. Fitted padded trousers and matching puffer jackets had the cool appeal of streetwear, knitted flares and body-con sweaters echoed the current appetite for lounge- and shape-wear worn as fashion, and the parade of formidable faux fur coats that closed the show was an authentic fashion moment. This is a lucrative approach. In the past week alone, Armani has sold ski garments worth some €500,000, a representative confirmed.