The origins of the name lie in its very roots: Moncler is in fact an abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont, a mountain village near Grenoble. Here, in 1952 inspired entrepreneurs René Ramillon and Andrè Vincent founded the company which would go on to produce the renowned down jacket.In the beginning Moncler only made quilted sleeping bags, a single model of a lined hooded cape and tents with a telescopic structure and an external flysheet. These robust, functional articles immediately proved a hit with the public, as the new social phenomenon of mountain holidays began to take hold.The first down jackets were conceived to protect workers who wore them over their overalls against the cold, in the small mountain factory. French mountaineer Lionel Terray first noticed them and foresaw their potential. The ‘Moncler pour Lionel Terray’ high performace collection was born.