A wide variety of professions are essential to the smooth running of a ski area like Verbier 4Vallées. From jobs out in the field, such as snow groomers, ski patrollers and electricians, to office-based professions, including human resources, IT and marketing, as well as customer-facing roles – the list is endless.
In this series, we’ll be showing you some aspects of our ski area that usually go unseen.
Verbier 4Vallées wanted a brand that would represent the spirit of the ski area and appeal to everyone who loves the resort, so, in 2018, we launched the “Verbier Addict®” brand, entirely designed and created by our marketing and sales team. In my role as a graphic designer, it was down to me to develop the ideas and design the different collections presented below.
After brainstorming with the team, we decided not to establish a permanent logo for the brand, as we wanted a logo that could be adapted to each collection. As well as clothing, we also stock a range of accessories to fly the resort’s flag.
Iconic peaks
The Verbier Addict® 2018/2019 collection draws on the different energies Verbier instils in us and takes inspiration from the surrounding peaks. Bec des Rosses, Mont-Fort and Mont-Gelé are the stars of the Verbier Addict® brand’s first collection. The simple, stripped-back style echoes and accentuates the mountains’ distinctive silhouettes, each of which is easily recognisable among the many peaks overlooking Verbier. Our ambassadors Maude Besse and Yann Rausis, both riders on the Freeride World Tour, modelled our range of clothing in a photo shoot for the first collection.
The pictures
Bagnes dialect
For the second collection, we wanted to create a design that reflected Verbier 4Vallées’s deep roots in the Bagnes valley. We came up with the idea of delving into the incredible heritage of the Bagnard dialect to design clothing with a range of phrases expressing the emotions experienced on our ski slopes. The “Bagnard Dialect” dictionary, borrowed from the Valais Media Library, was a valuable resource for the development of this idea. To help us with our research, we also contacted an iconic Val de Bagnes celebrity: Eddy Baillifard, also known as the “King of Raclette”.
Armed with this knowledge, we designed three visuals based on the themes of snow and its various qualities, the joy of being in the mountains, and children. By clicking on the phrases below, you can hear Eddy Baillifard pronouncing each one in the Bagnard dialect to help you learn more about the history of our linguistic heritage.
- Boneu – From the French word “bonheur” (joy or happiness)
- An brëtse du boneu – In search of happiness
- Nai – From the Latin word “nive” (snow)
- Nai bourlâye – Burnt snow
- Nai in poeshla – Powder snow
- Nai frëtse – Fresh snow
- Nai dura – Hard snow
- Nai sëtse – Blowing snow
- Nai krotâye – Crusty snow
- Nai schlâra/Nai doeshle – Sticky snow
- Lësta – From the French word “leste” (agile or nimble)
- Se krapoteïn ë lësto komin oùna vardzasse – This little rascal is as agile as a squirrel
Patué dë Banye
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Boneu - From the French "bonheur" (joy or happiness)
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Nai - From the Latin word "nive" (snow)
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Lësta - From the French word "leste" (agile)
The pictures
Verbier vintage
For the latest collection, we decided to give Verbier a more vintage look. Since the area’s first ski lift opened back in 1950, we wanted to capture the origins of the Verbier 4Vallées ski area by giving our range a retro feel based on the hoodies made famous by American universities. Verbier fans can now show that they belong to the resort’s Class of 2020/2021. There are two models available in different colours:
- Verbier Hell Yeah
- Born to ride Verbier
For this collection, we chose to print our visuals on award-winning Fair Wear fabric made from organic cotton and recycled plastic, to meet the sustainable development objectives of the entire Verbier 4Vallées area. Our visuals are printed by Inklab, a local company based in Le Châble. Our ambassadors, the freeriders Sybille Blandjean and Liam Rivera, also got involved and agreed to model our latest range.
The pictures
Verbier 4Vallées
For 2021, we also decided to produce a jumper in the colours of the Verbier 4Vallées ski area.
We worked closely with Ferway, a company that helped to recreate the “Verbier” red (Pantone 485) especially for us. They also developed the embroidered Verbier 4Vallées logo, and we would like to thank them for such a wonderful collaboration.
Verbier Addict store
Our store is located in Médran.
Verbier fans will find a wide range of clothes there (T-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts, hats and accessories).
