Whether you’re a heli-boarder or an après-skier – or both – we’ve got you well covered.

At MR PORTER, we make no apologies for taking our time over things. Our first forays into the winter sports market came back in 2013, when we began to offer a small line-up of specialist skiwear from Kjus. That was joined shortly thereafter by Peak Performance, and then two years later by Bogner, Burton and Moncler Grenoble. Now, in 2016, the department has a more complete feel, with a few more brands arriving this year so that we have something for skiers and snowboarders of all abilities, from the nursery-slope novice to the off-piste expert.

The reason for this unhurried approach is quite simple. While there are plenty of good winter sports brands on the market, our goal is to offer only the very best. As you slalom through the following images, which were shot on location in Portillo, Chile, you’ll learn more about MR PORTER’s newest arrivals while being reintroduced to a few of our more established names. We’ll cover some of the most iconic names in snow – brands such as Bogner, Salomon and Colmar, which can trace back their histories more than half a century – alongside others, such as Aztech Mountain, which launched in 2013.

“We’ve built our ski offer to encompass something for everyone who’s looking to get out on the slopes this winter,” says Mr Joe Scott of the MR PORTER buying team. “That includes cutting-edge Gore-Tex and four-way-stretch pieces capable of handling the harshest of conditions, right the way through to luxurious styles that allow you to meander down groomed pistes straight into the nearest chalet for more après-focused activities.”

Here MR PORTER presents the nine brands every skiier should know.

Founded by Mr Georges Salomon in 1947 in the Haute-Savoie town of Annecy, eastern France, Salomon boasts an Alpine heritage some 70 years in the making. The company originally specialised in bindings and steel edges for skis, but it was through its innovations in ski-boot design – most notably with the Salomon SX91, first released in 1984 – that it became one of the 20th century’s best-known and most trusted ski brands. This legacy lives on today, not just through its boots and bindings, which are still regarded as some of the best in the business, but also through a smart selection of ski jackets, base layers and salopettes. The brand’s Icerocket ski jacket, seen here, is a great all-rounder.

Taking its name from the state abbreviation for Alaska, home to some of the world’s most demanding mountain terrain, Burton offers a range of high-tech snowboarding gear that’s made to withstand anything the elements can throw at you. Its ski jackets, gloves and salopettes are designed in close collaboration with WL Gore & Associates, and make use of the brand’s patented weatherproof material, Gore-Tex. “It’s the ideal brand for those who want to transition from back country to park,” says Mr Scott. If you’re planning on sticking to the blue runs, then Burton’s top-end [ak] line is a probably a bit beyond your requirements. If, on the other hand, your idea of a well-spent afternoon is bombing through the back country, deep in fresh powder, look no further.

Moncler’s goose-down jackets have become so popular with well-heeled urbanites over the past few years that you could be forgiven for not recognising it as a mountaineering brand at all. The name provides a clue to its true origins, Moncler being an abbreviation of Monestier-de-Clermont, a small town in the French Alps that was home to the brand’s founder, Mr René Ramillon. The now Milan-based brand references this Alpine heritage with Moncler Grenoble, its dedicated skiwear line. Boasting the same sleek looks that have made its down jackets such a hit, this is functional, high-concept gear that’s as fit for schussing down the slopes as it is for hitting the bar for après-ski drinks.

If you like your ski resorts to boast as many Michelin-starred restaurants and five-starred hotels as they do black runs, then Bogner will be right up your street. But while this Munich-based provider of sophisticated skiwear has made a name for itself as the international jet-setter’s brand of choice, that’s not to suggest in any way that it represents style over substance. As the official outfitter to the German team at every Winter Olympics since 1936, Bogner knows a thing or two about making skiwear that succeeds in more than just aesthetics. The Team-T ski jacket, seen here, is a case in point, and is every bit as tough and uncompromising as it looks.

The newest name to feature in MR PORTER’s ski department, Aztech Mountain was founded in Aspen just three short years ago by Messrs David Roth and Heifara Rutgers. The brand quickly gained the approval of pro skier Mr Bode Miller, who was so impressed with its range of jackets during a photo shoot that he sought out the owners and ultimately became an equity partner. (You can read more about his involvement with the brand in our exclusive interview, here.) Luxurious yet functional, Aztech Mountain easily holds its own alongside more established high-end names. Its down-filled Nuke Suit jacket, pictured here, is one of the finest cold-weather ski jackets on the market. “This is a true insider brand that’s sure to turn heads on the slopes this winter,” says Mr Scott.

Taking its name from the earliest known bird, archaeopteryx, whose fossilised remains form the company logo, this Vancouver brand has earned a reputation for creating some of the best, most technically advanced outerwear in the world. Of particular relevance to winter sports enthusiasts is its range of Gore-Tex ski jackets. The lightweight Rush jacket, modelled here, is designed specifically for back-country skiing, its resilient shell layer providing ample protection from branches and foliage. The brand also offers resort-specific jackets such as the Cassiar, named after a ghost town in British Columbia, which provide a little more warmth when you’re shivering away on the ski lift.

Don’t let Patagonia’s recent surge in popularity with the urban hipster crowd fool you. This is a mountaineering brand, through and through. Designed to stand up to the kind of extreme conditions you’d expect to encounter in the rugged, unforgiving South American region from which it takes its name, Patagonia’s range of down-filled jackets is more than up to the job of keeping you toasty on your next ski trip. Snow Peak is an outdoor brand formed in the late 1950s by keen Japanese mountaineer Mr Yukio Yamai. Alongside its range of clothes, which is infused with a typically minimalist Japanese design ethic, it also does a fine line in camping equipment.

The brainchild of Mr Lasse Kjus, a retired Norwegian Olympic skier, this high-performance ski brand – the first to be stocked on MR PORTER – provides a perfect blend of form and functionality. Using high-stretch materials that allow for easy movement in every direction, it’s designed to remove any barrier between rider and mountain, protecting you from the elements without encumbering you or limiting your flexibility. “Kjus is a staple of our winter sports offer,” says Mr Scott. “It has long been a favourite of the hardened skiers in the MR PORTER office because of its combination of cutting-edge tech and sleek minimalism.”

Founded in 1923 by Mr Mario Colombo (the name Colmar is a combination of the first three letters of his surname and first name), this family-owned Italian brand built its reputation in the second half of the 20th century as a producer of hyper-aerodynamic, competition ski suits. The skiwear that Colmar makes for the consumer market is considerably less snug – you don’t need Vaseline to get into it, in other words – but is nevertheless designed and built with the same innovative spirit and dedication to excellence. Take the brand’s base layers, which incorporate graphene, a honeycomb lattice of carbon just a single atom thick with incredible heat-conduction properties. “It’s an essential piece with which to preach the virtues of heat management to your companions over a lunchtime fondue,” says Mr Scott.

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