- Mercedes-Benz and Moncler expanded their collaboration at “The City of Genius” show in Shanghai with a new brand campaign and art piece, a limited-edition G-Class and capsule fashion collection
- “Mercedes-Benz Project G-Class Past II Future” is a new art piece that catapults 1990s spirit into contemporary lifestyle – inspired by fashion designer, music producer and creative director, NIGO
- The one-off art piece is the inspiration for the new, limited-edition series, Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future
Stuttgart/Shanghai. At The City of Genius show in Shanghai on October 19, 2024, Mercedes-Benz and Moncler took the bold next step in their collaboration. Alongside the launch of the brand campaign, “Past Forward. Where the Future is Driven by the Past”, the partners unveiled a one-off art piece, “Project G-Class Past II Future”, inspired by NIGO. It’s based on a G-Class from the 90s that was completely restored. NIGO reworked numerous design elements inside and out to revive the design and brings it into the cultural landscape of the present. The G-Class Past II Future is a new G-Class model with a limited run of only 20 cars and is inspired by the art piece. At the show, the audience also got a sneak preview of Moncler’s new collection of urban, gender-neutral fashion designed by Mercedes-Benz and Moncler together with NIGO. Both the limited-edition G-Class and the capsule collection will be launched in April 2025. Alongside Mercedes-Benz and NIGO, the Shanghai event additionally hosted several other artists, who presented their own respective collaborations with Moncler: A$AP Rocky and Willow Smith, Edward Enninful (OBE), FRGMT by Hiroshi Fujiwara, Gilga Farm by Donald Glover, LuLu Li and Palm Angels. In addition to the Moncler Genius 2024 lineup, special showcases were presented by Rick Owens and Jil Sander.
“NIGO’s immense creative talent and our co-creation with Moncler are taking us into an exciting urban setting. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future is a very special new ‘twist’ on our icon. This limited edition is a fresh take on 90s style and the character that’s made the G-Class a timeless favourite. Going from inspiring art to engaging products marks an important step in our creative cooperation and offers a new brand experience captured by the zeitgeist.”
Bettina Fetzer, Vice President Communications & Marketing Mercedes-Benz AG
Art piece Project G-Class Past II Future inspired by NIGO
NIGO’s creation is the second art piece to emerge from the collaboration between Mercedes-Benz and Moncler. Like the PROJECT MONDO G, launched at Moncler’s “The Art of Genius” show in London in February 2023, this art piece merges the distinctively quilted aesthetic of the Moncler puffer jacket with the unmistakeable edginess of the G-Class. Measuring 4.5 metres in length, 1.9 metres in width and 2.0 metres in height, the art piece features a minimalistic, matte two-tone contemporary colour palette in olive green and grey, which is offset by striking exterior accents in black and gold. The clean lines of the classic G-Class cabriolet give it a contemporary attitude. Hallmark G-Class functionality and design cues are retained and reinterpreted. These include the iconic spare wheel on the rear tailgate, black steel wheels in the 90s design, a foldable windscreen, and a gold-coloured fuel can. The interior has also been reworked. Among other elements, G-Class enthusiast Devon Turnbull – known for his immersive audio installations – has designed a sound system that fits perfectly into the vehicle concept, both technically and visually. The music “boom boxes” are mounted on the convertible top linkage and – like the entire roof and the speakers – can be removed. Its chequered seat upholstery pattern is an interpretation of a design element typical of earlier G-Class models. Accents in orange and gold draw parallels with the collaborative fashion collection by Mercedes-Benz, Moncler and NIGO.
“For me, the 90s were among the most influential decades from a cultural and creative standpoint. Electronic music and the hip-hop scene arose as a new expression of urban character. I wanted to integrate that vibe and energy into the design of the Project G-Class Past II Future by interpreting that legacy for a new contemporary era.”
Fashion designer, music producer and creative director, NIGO
Limited edition Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future
Both the limited-edition G-Class and the capsule collection are the collaboration’s first products available for purchase. As a crowning moment in the 45th anniversary year of the G-Class, the new edition shows how timeless this brand icon remains, and how capably it adapts to contemporary lifestyles. The Mercedes-Benz G-Class Past II Future references NIGO’s one-off art piece and is based on the new G 450 d (combined energy consumption: 10.0-8.7 l/100 km | combined CO₂ emissions: 261-227 g/km | CO₂ class: G)[1] and the new G 500 (combined energy consumption: 12.3-10.9 l/100 km | combined CO₂ emissions: 281-248 g/km | CO₂ class: G)1. It has two-tone exterior paintwork in green and grey, the G-Class typical chequered upholstery and a rear-mounted spare wheel with the collaboration logo on its cover. Black exterior accents include the window frames, light metal alloy wheels and the signature bumper guard running the full length of the flanks. The latter features the Past II Future lettering. In the interior, this lettering can be found on the grab handle. On the centre console, the vehicle’s “1 of 20” limited series number is inscribed. The 20 cars will be delivered to customers in April 2025.
The capsule collection
The gender-neutral fashion collection incorporates 90s influences with contemporary street style elements. Following “The City of Genius” show preview, the pieces shown will be winnowed down into a capsule collection that will be available for purchase starting in April 2025. It will mainly consist of souvenir and college jackets, hoodies, checked shirts and Bermuda shorts as well as lightweight down and field jackets, parkas and windbreakers with a vintage look. The colour palette is classic: Blue, black, green and white dominate – complemented by orange accents. Many of the garments feature elaborate prints that merge archival photos of the collaboration partners. Jackets and pants are made using raw denim, with one exception: a satin jacket that combines the visual language and logos of both brands. The jacket captures the spirit of their collaboration, especially in combination with the grey checked shirts.
Brand campaign “Past Forward. Where the Future is Driven by the Past”
The unbreakable bond between past and future is reflected in the brand campaign accompanying this next step in the Mercedes-Benz x Moncler collaboration – together with NIGO and photographer Thibaut Grevet. With the motto, “Past Forward. Where the Future is Driven by the Past”, it visualises the evolution of the collaboration from an imaginary cosmos to its arrival in metropolitan life. A city rooftop symbolises the campaign’s urban look and feel. The rooftop’s angular metallic surfaces provide the perfect backdrop for showcasing the streetwear collection by the partners Mercedes-Benz, Moncler and NIGO. The campaign’s aim is to highlight the overarching theme of taking inspiration from the past, harnessing creativity and translating it into something new. The global campaign will be rolled out across each brand’s respective websites and social media channels. In addition to the main campaign film, a making-of video by Theodor Guelat gives a closer, behind-the-scenes peek into the collaboration with NIGO.
The creative team:
- Idea, concept and realisation: team x
- Creative director: Thibaut Grevet
- Director of photography: João de Botelho
- Sound design: Pierre Rousseau at Stereo Image