Fusalp History: From Annecy in 1952 to Luxury Ski House

Fusalp is a French luxury ski and ready-to-wear house founded in 1952 in Annecy, on the shores of Lake Annecy, by two local tailors, Georges Ribola and Rene Veyrat. The name joins “fuseau”, the stretch ski trouser, with “Alpes”. Coveti stocks the women’s Fusalp collection across luxury skiwear, knitwear and accessories.

Where is Fusalp from?

Fusalp is from Annecy, in the Haute-Savoie department of the French Alps. The company was born there in 1952 and its headquarters are still in Annecy today. Ribola and Veyrat were tailors first and keen skiers second, and that order matters. Their idea was to bring a tailor’s eye for line and proportion to clothes that had to perform on a mountain.

Annecy is also where the brand tests what it makes. Since 2018 its Quality and R&D laboratory has been based in the town, running more than 8,000 tests a year on fabrics and finished pieces. We cover the testing and the factory map in detail in where Fusalp is made, and the in-house warmth scale in Fusalp warmth levels explained.

What does the name Fusalp mean?

The first product was the “fuseau des Alpes”, a fitted stretch ski trouser, and the name was later shortened to Fusalp. Fusalp did not invent the fuseau itself. French sources note that stretch fuseaux already existed in the 1930s, notably from Allard. What Fusalp did was industrialise the fuseau des Alpes and refine it, adding pre-formed padded knees and elastic side panels. That trouser was named the Elastiss.

The fuseau is still the house signature. The modern Elancia Ski Pants in Black keep the pre-shaped knees and a close line from hip to boot, and they are the clearest link between the 1952 workshop and the current collection. Our Fusalp fuseau and ski pants guide compares every style we carry.

How did Fusalp come to dress the French ski team?

Fusalp worked with the French Ski Federation to dress the national teams, and the brand’s competition years are the core of its reputation. The key dates are worth setting down plainly:

The 1966 suit made an impression. Marielle Goitschel, quoted by the brand, called it “a sensation”. The champions who wore Fusalp in that era include Jean-Claude Killy, Leo Lacroix, Guy Perillat and the Goitschel sisters. A 1968 film clip held by France’s INA archive shows Killy, Lacroix and Perillat in a new Fusalp suit in Megeve. French Wikipedia also records that Killy reportedly won three times wearing Fusalp trousers.

Fusalp in the 1970s and 1980s

Through the 1970s and 1980s Fusalp was a market leader, known for fitted sweaters and fuseaux. The Montant sweater, popular with ESF ski instructors in the 1950s, became one of its best-known knits and was relaunched later. Ownership changed in this period. Baron Empain headed the company in 1976, and in 1984 the business passed through the commercial court and became Creations Fusalp.

The knitwear thread runs straight into today’s range. The Andromede Sweater in Black and Snow carries the contrasting V-shaped stripe that Fusalp’s own copy calls a House signature. For thermal layers and knits, see our guide to Fusalp base layers and sweaters.

Who owns Fusalp today?

Fusalp is owned by the Lacoste family (Philippe Lacoste and Sophie Lacoste-Dournel). The siblings bought almost 80% of the company through the commercial court in 2014 and became co-presidents. This is a family investment, not a Lacoste group brand. Philippe’s wife, Mathilde Lacoste, became artistic director and leads the Paris tailoring workshop.

Antoine Deneriaz, the 2006 Olympic downhill champion, lent his image to the brand after the relaunch. In 2022 the Mirabaud fund invested to support growth, especially in the United States, and the house has been led since 2024 by CEO Pascal Conte-Jodra, previously CEO of Y/Project. Fusalp is also the official partner of the GB Team.

What kind of brand is Fusalp now?

Fusalp is a luxury ski brand that also makes city outerwear, knitwear and ready-to-wear. Wikidata describes it as a French luxury ready-to-wear brand specialising in ski apparel. It runs a network of around 60 boutiques in the Alps and in cities such as Paris, London, New York and Aspen. A few markers define the modern house:

• Tailored, close cuts that come from the original fuseau.
• Fusalp credits itself with inventing bi-stretch fabric and with its own three-layer softshell.
• The tricolour embroidered Fusalp badge, seen on knits such as the Cosmic Beanie in Navy.
• The V-shaped chevron, which appears as quilting on the Delphine Ski Jacket in Navy.
• Down certified to the Responsible Down Standard and wool certified to the Responsible Wool Standard.
• Collaborations with Chloe and Pucci, and membership of the Fashion Pact.

The brand’s history is also told at length in the book “Joy of Movement: A History of Fusalp, the Iconic Sportswear Brand”, published by Abrams. If you are weighing up the label against its peers, our honest Fusalp review and our round-up of the best luxury ski brands set it in context.

The Fusalp pieces that carry the story

More than seventy years of history are easiest to read in the clothes. These are the styles at Coveti that link most directly to the archive:

• Clarisse Ski Suit in Navy and Black: a close-fitting one-piece with the slim competition-era silhouette, rated 4 out of 5 for warmth.
• Elancia Ski Pants in Black: the modern fuseau, with pre-shaped knees.
• Barsy Down Jacket in Black: an oversized down ski jacket rated 5 out of 5, for cold down to -30 degrees Celsius.
• Misha Coat in Black: the long down coat that takes the ski heritage into town.
• Andromede Sweater in Black and Snow: the V-stripe knit.
• Cosmic Beanie in Navy: wool, with the tricolour badge.

If I had to choose one piece to explain Fusalp to someone new, it would be the Elancia. Everything else in the collection follows from that trouser. For sizing across all of these, use our Fusalp size guide, and browse women’s ski suits for the full one-piece edit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Fusalp from?

Fusalp is from Annecy in the French Alps. It was founded there in 1952, on the shores of Lake Annecy, and the company is still headquartered in Annecy, where its Quality and R&D laboratory has been based since 2018.

What kind of brand is Fusalp?

Fusalp is a French luxury ski brand that also makes city outerwear, knitwear and ready-to-wear. It is known for tailored stretch ski pants, fitted ski suits and down jackets, designed in France and tested in Annecy.

Who founded Fusalp?

Fusalp was founded in 1952 by Georges Ribola and Rene Veyrat, two tailors from Annecy who were also keen skiers.

What does the name Fusalp mean?

The name comes from “fuseau des Alpes”, the stretch ski trouser that was the brand’s first product. It joins “fuseau” with “Alpes”.

Who owns Fusalp?

Fusalp is owned by the Lacoste family (Philippe Lacoste and Sophie Lacoste-Dournel), who bought almost 80% of the company in 2014. It is not part of the Lacoste group. Since 2024 the house has been led by CEO Pascal Conte-Jodra.