Louis Joseph has sped down mountains around the world, but he took a particularly daring leap in late 2014, leaving his job as global director of strategy and innovation for PUMA to found alpine sportswear line Alps & Meters. The Boston-based men’s brand has been selling its wares online and in a handful of stores in spots like Vail and Stowe; now they can also be found at a new pop-up shop, an intimate space near Fenway. It’s open through the end of the year for shopping and special events, like a screening of the Robert Redford drama Downhill Racer that helped inspire Alps & Meters’ new Classic Shell Jacket. We tapped Joseph to learn a little more about the line.
How did the idea for Alps & Meters start? I’ve skied all over the world, and the genesis for the brand was an old knitwear piece that I’ve worn in Argentina, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, places in Europe. Wherever I went, people would pull me aside in the lift lines and the ski lodge to ask about that particular garment. It got incredibly consistent to the point where I felt like “Somebody should build something like this.”
Where did you find it? I bought that in Åre, Sweden. It’s a northern resort in Sweden, a well-known destination among skiers. I bought it in an old thrift store there. It’s a proper ski sweater. Rarely are people knitting garments nowadays. Everything is very synthetic. We’re knitting the piece that was derived from that sweater, which is called the Shawl Collar Jacket. But the original is buried somewhere in my ski closet. I’ve probably had that sweater now for 10 or 15 years. I bet it would still hold up if I brought it out and dusted it off, but now I’ve got plenty of Alps & Meters to do that particular job.
What’s your favorite piece from the new fall/winter collection? My favorite piece is the Alpine Winter Trouser. It’s a personal favorite of mine because there’s no other pant like it in the market. If you can bring to mind an old tailored ski pant with wonderful paper characteristics, woolen-face fabric, a beautiful traditional suspender kit, and bundle that with today’s contemporary technology, I think that describes the product we produced. That piece really resonates with me and captures the personality of the brand. But the favorite of our digital director is our Alpine Anorak, which is inspired by garments worn by the 10th Mountain Division in World War II.
What are some of your favorite places to ski? I grew up skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire. I have a real affinity for very traditional mountain environments. I cut my teeth and learned my pizza wedge at places like Cranmore and Attitash. I spent a lot of time at Sugarbush here on the East Coast and plenty of time on the snow on mountains like Alta and Jackson Hole. It’s hard to be East Coast and not put Cannon or places in Vermont like Stowe at the top of our list, but I think out west it’s sort of a Jackson Hole, Alta universe in Utah for me. It sounds corny to say, but I love every place I ski. I’m not the hard-charging soul I used to be. I just love being in the mountains. If I’m with good friends and there’s good snow—I’m not a snow snob—it’s a slice of heaven for me.
Alps & Meters, 1369 Boylston St., Boston (802-798-3137) alpsandmeters.com
Cold Calls
9 Reasons to Get Pumped for the Snowy Season
By Jacqueline Houton | Photo Credit: Louis Joseph: Dave Bradley; Alps & Meters: Shem Rose | Oct. 28, 2016
Serious Slope Style
Louis Joseph has sped down mountains around the world, but he took a particularly daring leap in late 2014, leaving his job as global director of strategy and innovation for PUMA to found alpine sportswear line Alps & Meters. The Boston-based men’s brand has been selling its wares online and in a handful of stores in spots like Vail and Stowe; now they can also be found at a new pop-up shop, an intimate space near Fenway. It’s open through the end of the year for shopping and special events, like a screening of the Robert Redford drama Downhill Racer that helped inspire Alps & Meters’ new Classic Shell Jacket. We tapped Joseph to learn a little more about the line.
How did the idea for Alps & Meters start? I’ve skied all over the world, and the genesis for the brand was an old knitwear piece that I’ve worn in Argentina, in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, places in Europe. Wherever I went, people would pull me aside in the lift lines and the ski lodge to ask about that particular garment. It got incredibly consistent to the point where I felt like “Somebody should build something like this.”
Where did you find it? I bought that in Åre, Sweden. It’s a northern resort in Sweden, a well-known destination among skiers. I bought it in an old thrift store there. It’s a proper ski sweater. Rarely are people knitting garments nowadays. Everything is very synthetic. We’re knitting the piece that was derived from that sweater, which is called the Shawl Collar Jacket. But the original is buried somewhere in my ski closet. I’ve probably had that sweater now for 10 or 15 years. I bet it would still hold up if I brought it out and dusted it off, but now I’ve got plenty of Alps & Meters to do that particular job.
What’s your favorite piece from the new fall/winter collection? My favorite piece is the Alpine Winter Trouser. It’s a personal favorite of mine because there’s no other pant like it in the market. If you can bring to mind an old tailored ski pant with wonderful paper characteristics, woolen-face fabric, a beautiful traditional suspender kit, and bundle that with today’s contemporary technology, I think that describes the product we produced. That piece really resonates with me and captures the personality of the brand. But the favorite of our digital director is our Alpine Anorak, which is inspired by garments worn by the 10th Mountain Division in World War II.
What are some of your favorite places to ski? I grew up skiing in North Conway, New Hampshire. I have a real affinity for very traditional mountain environments. I cut my teeth and learned my pizza wedge at places like Cranmore and Attitash. I spent a lot of time at Sugarbush here on the East Coast and plenty of time on the snow on mountains like Alta and Jackson Hole. It’s hard to be East Coast and not put Cannon or places in Vermont like Stowe at the top of our list, but I think out west it’s sort of a Jackson Hole, Alta universe in Utah for me. It sounds corny to say, but I love every place I ski. I’m not the hard-charging soul I used to be. I just love being in the mountains. If I’m with good friends and there’s good snow—I’m not a snow snob—it’s a slice of heaven for me.
Alps & Meters, 1369 Boylston St., Boston (802-798-3137) alpsandmeters.com
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