Parajumpers Ski Wear: American Inspiration, Italian Style

by Deb West (RSS feed)
Dec 30th 2009 at 8:01AM

The new winter 2010 ski wear line from Parajumpers is out and again demonstrates how well Italian design can interpret a very basic American item and make it chic.

People often remark when they travel to Italy, that while the Italian woman standing next to them may be wearing an almost identical outfit, she looks chic, and they look, well, just not. When American culture is looked at through an Italian lens the result tends to be a perfect confluence of good old-fashioned practicality and hip European design.

The Parajumpers ski wear line is no exception. The new 2010 line is clearly influenced by American military wear. In fact, according to the web-site, the name Parajumpers is inspired by the 210th Rescue Squadron stationed in Anchorage Alaska. Apparently this elite group is trained for the toughest missions around the globe and use their intense training to save lives. The ski wear line is the brain child of Massimo Rossetti, an Italian sportswear designer, who has spent years crossing the United States to gain inspiration for his fashion lines and introducing iconic American brands such as Woolrich to the Italian marketplace. He has also worked with some of the biggest names in fashion such as Valentino, Ferre, Coveri, Canali, Benetton, and many more.

The brand has attracted a following of stars from both the the world of sport and the silver screen. Actors Jennifer Garner, John Hamm and Mario Lopez have been spotted wearing the jackets as well as star skiers Janne Ahonen from Finland and Anja Paerson from Sweden. It seems that this further illustrates the point that this line of ski wear is both fashionable and appropriate for those who plan to use it for more than just strolling around a ski town during a film festival.

The 2010 jackets can be found on-line at ski.com at prices ranging from $525 to $899 depending on the model and at retailers world-wide.

Tags: jennifer garner, JenniferGarner, mario lopez, MarioLopez, Massimo Rossetti, MassimoRossetti, Parajumpers, parka, ski wear, SkiWear