A Weekend in Val d’Isère

There are ski resorts you visit for the skiing, and there are ski resorts you visit for everything that happens around it.

Val d’Isère gives you both.

Come late January, the Christmas crowds have disappeared, the mountain is properly snow-covered and the season is in full swing. Mornings begin under that unmistakable pale-blue Alpine light, afternoons have a habit of disappearing over long lunches, and by the time the lifts close, nobody is quite ready to go home.

For a long weekend, it’s exactly our kind of place.

And when we pack for Val d’Isère, we keep it simple: one ski suit, styled three ways, and everything else built around it.

FRIDAY — ARRIVE, UNPACK, APRÈS

There is something about arriving in a ski resort that immediately makes real life feel very far away.

The transfer winds its way higher into the mountains, the temperature drops, chalets start appearing between snow-covered roofs and suddenly you're checking the forecast every five minutes and discussing where to ski tomorrow.

Friday evening isn't for overcomplicating things.

Check in, unpack, order something cold and decide which version of yourself you're going to be for the weekend: black, red or blue.

The beauty of travelling with a one-piece is how little else you actually need. The Paparazski suit does most of the work, so we build the rest of the wardrobe around it: a fine merino roll neck, great goggles, a statement pair of sunglasses, gloves and après boots.

Add an oversized knit or fur for evenings and you're done.

Well, almost.

There's always room for another pair of sunglasses.

SATURDAY — SOLAISE & A VERY LONG LUNCH

Set the alarm early enough to regret it.

Val d’Isère mornings are worth getting out of bed for.

Coffee first, preferably accompanied by something warm and French, then boots on and out before the morning light has lost that icy blue colour.

We like to start on the Solaise side, when the pistes are still relatively quiet and there is that glorious sound of skis cutting across freshly groomed snow.

This is what the Paparazski suit was originally designed around: a full day that doesn't involve going back to the chalet to change.

Underneath, keep things light. A fine merino or technical base layer works perfectly. The suit's double-lined thermal core provides warmth without needing endless bulky layers underneath, while the sculpted silhouette means you still feel pulled together when the helmet comes off at lunchtime.

And lunch in Val d’Isère should never be treated as a refuelling stop.

It is an event.

By midday, make your way towards somewhere sunny, order something excellent and settle in.

This is when ski style really comes into its own. Helmet off. Aviators on. Zip slightly down. Hair doing whatever ski helmets have decided it will do that day.

The red suit loves a bluebird terrace. The black is impossible to get wrong. And cobalt blue against white snow might be one of our favourite combinations of all.

Stay longer than you intended.

You are in the Alps, after all.

SATURDAY AFTERNOON — ONE MORE RUN...

There is always a point during a mountain lunch when someone says:

"Shall we just do one more?"

This can mean one of two things.

One more run.

Or one more bottle.

Choose wisely.

If skiing wins, head back out for the afternoon and make the most of the last few hours on the mountain.

If the terrace wins, congratulations: you have discovered après-ski.

Either way, this is precisely why we have always believed ski clothes should work beyond the piste.

Paparazski was created because we wanted technical skiwear that still felt like fashion. Something you could genuinely ski in all day, but wouldn't want to immediately take off the second you stopped.

Ski hard. Lunch longer. Après accordingly.

SUNDAY — LA DAILLE & THE LAST-DAY FEELING

Sunday mornings always feel slightly different.

Your legs are a little heavier. Your alarm feels considerably more offensive. And everyone has started saying things like, "We really should do this more often."

Start slowly.

Black coffee. Croissant. Goggles in pocket.

Then head towards La Daille for the final day.

There is something particularly beautiful about this side of Val d’Isère when the sun is out: huge stretches of white, dramatic mountain backdrops and the kind of light that makes absolutely everything look better.

Including ski suits.

Take the photographs.

We are firmly against pretending not to care about getting a good photo on a ski trip.

Find the mountains. Find the sunshine. Take your goggles off. Get the shot.

Future you will be glad you did.

And then put the phone away and ski.

WHAT WE'RE PACKING

Our rule for a short ski trip is simple: pack less, but pack well.

For three days in Val d’Isère, the Paparazski packing list looks something like this:

The suit. Obviously.

Two good base layers, so there's always a fresh one ready. One pair of goggles. Sunglasses — ideally aviators. Proper ski gloves. A great pair of après boots. A warm layer for evenings. SPF. Lip balm.

And lipstick.

Always lipstick.

The joy of a one-piece is that your ski wardrobe suddenly becomes very straightforward. There is no jacket-and-trouser combination to think about each morning. No excess layers destroying the silhouette.

Zip up. Belt on. Go.

48 HOURS LATER...

By Sunday afternoon, the weekend has developed its own little rhythm.

Coffee. Ski. Lunch. Ski — potentially. Après. Sleep. Repeat.

Your cheeks are pink from the cold. There are approximately 400 new photographs on your camera roll. Your legs hurt in places you had forgotten existed.

And somebody has inevitably started looking at dates for the next trip.

That's the problem with Val d’Isère.

A weekend feels like enough time to fall completely back in love with the mountains.

But never quite enough time to want to leave.

See you on the slopes.

PAPARAZSKI

More than a ski suit.