EDITORIAL
In 1987, Yvon and Malinda Chouinard took the decision for Patagonia to settle here at the foot of Mont‑Blanc and we were the first outdoor brand to open our doors in the French alpine resort of Chamonix. The first Patagonia store in Europe, Chamonix was a natural choice over rivals such as Zermatt or St. Anton. As Yvon said in his book Let My People Go Surfing: “Chamonix is the most cosmopolitan of the Alpine towns. I had fond memories of my time there and believed it was an ideal place to showcase the Patagonia line and create a direct relationship with a wide range of European customers. I wanted to create a local hangout, staffed with international hard-core skiers and climbers.” As with all Patagonia retail stores, we chose a historic site – on the Rue Docteur Paccard - and worked to preserve the integrity of the building, honouring its surrounding history and culture. Thirty years later, an iconic global destination for all things powder and home of “le grand ski”, Chamonix is a Mecca for those with a love of snowsports and mountaineering. I first set foot in Chamonix in September 2012, while climbing in Switzerland and France. I’ve been fortunate enough to return a dozen times since, across all four seasons. I still get that same feeling of excitement, deep in my stomach, each time I drive into the valley. The mountains, the town and the community – they all offer you something different, every day of every visit. As a business, everything that we do at Patagonia goes back to our mission statement: Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. This was true 30 years ago, when the Chamonix store opened its doors for the first time, and it is just as true today. Issues such as air pollution in the valley and the receding Mer de Glace threaten the future of Chamonix. That’s why we work with local NGOs such as Inspire and Boutch à Boutch, who continue to fight for the protection and sustainable development of this fragile environment. It feels right that we should mark our adventure of the last thirty years (and counting) by paying homage to Chamonix itself and the people who have helped to make it the exceptional place it is today. Here are their stories.
Ryan Gellert General Manager, EMEA Patagonia