Over the years, many brands have looked to the mountains for inspiration, and who can blame them? Traditional ‘tracht’ (German for ‘costume’) from the ‘deutschsprachig’ regions, has long intrigued creative minds in the fashion world, allowing pieces such as Lederhosen, dirndls and four pocket wool jackets to slope down the mountain and onto the catwalks. For example, Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel’s Métiers d’Art 2014/2015 Salzburg collection, Dolce & Gabbana’s Autumn/Winter 1993 offering and most recently, Prada’s apron-obsessed Spring/summer runway show all bore the hallmarks of Alpine attire.
But notions of heritage and craftsmanship that this traditional wardrobe embodies are not restricted to only influencing the theatre of high fashion; in recent years contemporary brands have also started to find value in these pieces. Case in point: the unisex footwear brand Montà, founded in 2025 by Romain Kremer.
The French designer works directly with ‘tracht’s’ functional codes: construction, durability, and quality of materials. And the Haferl shoe, a traditional Bavarian side-laced, hard-wearing style built for mountain terrain, sits at the core of the Autumn/Winter 2026 collection. Kremer has cleverly refined the silhouette, but celebrated its design identity; the recontextualised shoe and clog iteration feel sleeker, cleaner than their forefathers.
Complemented by other alpine – adjacent models, some styles feature classic leather soles with reinforced toes, while others use Vibram soles for added grip and everyday comfort. And if you’re hankering after an Alpine vista, the collection’s colour palette of black, deep brown, soft grey and muted pink will transport you to a mountainside at first light.
Text GIULIO POLVERIGIANI
