The retro brand ELHO kicks off its second winter season — this time with spray cans instead of snow cannons. Together with French-Swedish artist André Saraiva, the man behind the iconic Mr. A smiley, Creative Director Donald Schneider turns performance jackets into wearable works of art.
Ten bomber jackets, spray-painted live, capture a moment where street art, nostalgia, and high-tech outdoor design merge into a new chapter: ELHO Freestyle – for those who prefer to paint over boundaries rather than draw them.
Behind the relaunch of this cult 1970s brand stands Donald Schneider, former Art Director of Vogue Paris and now Executive Chairman of ELHO in Zurich. After a successful collaboration with the estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat in 2024, Schneider continues to define ELHO’s new visual language with Saraiva — one that blends art, youth, and rebellion. The brand positions itself as a freestyle-driven outdoor label for a new generation.
How did the collaboration between André and ELHO come about? André Saraiva: Donald Schneider is an old friend of mine. We met back in the days when he was the art director of French Vogue. We stayed friends ever since. So when he invited me to collaborate on ELHO, the brand he created with his girlfriend and partner Claudia, I was very enthusiastic. Since he knows me so well, he gave me carte blanche, and I sprayed directly onto the pink bomber jackets they specially made for our collaboration.
What excites you about working with the legendary ELHO skiwear brand (1948–1993), now reborn as a new outdoor style label for the next generation? AS: When Donald showed me the project, he explained that ELHO was an old-school brand in Germany and Switzerland, a bit like Moncler was for us in France before it became a mega brand.
How does this collaboration differ from your past projects with Louis Vuitton, Chanel, or Uniqlo? AS: Every collaboration I approached with a creative mind, trying to integrate the brand’s style and designs. But I also paint on clothes the same way I would tag a wall or a subway car. For me, it’s about reaching more people and spreading Mr. A’s cheeky approach to the world.
Do you have a favorite piece from the ELHO collection that you wear or feel especially connected to? AS:I love the neon pink winter jacket with the black Mr. A on the back. It combines my two favorite things: Mr. A and pink. I’m sure with this you will stand out on the slopes this winter.
You’ve created iconic places like Hôtel Amour and Grand Amour in Paris, as well as the legendary nightclub Le Baron. How did the idea of curating spaces come about, and how are your hotels an extension of your art? AS:Creating places where people can come together, thinking about the sound, the smell, and how people interact, is part of my art. I used to create stores where I sold paintings by the meter, or nightclubs, and now hotels. They all come from the same creative mind I use when I paint. They’re all part of my artistic experiments.
How could the André × ELHO collaboration be integrated into your hotels — capsule wardrobes, staff uniforms, pop-up stores? AS: Maybe one day we’ll open a hotel in the mountains, and ELHO will design all our uniforms. We’d have a Hôtel Amour ski team sponsored by ELHO — and they’d win all the medals.
Your work as an artist blends street art, fashion, film, nightlife, and hospitality — what connects them all? AS:My practice of art has always been about painting on all surfaces. I come from graffiti, that’s what we do. We paint on everything, as if the world were an infinite canvas.
How important is it for you to surprise people in everyday life — with humor, love, or small disruptions? AS: Love is what keeps me going.
Is there a dream project you’d like to realize — a total experience combining art, fashion, and space? AS:I’m working on a piece of land I bought, where I’m building an immersive experience in Mr. A’s world.
What do you hope people take away from your world – a feeling, a mindset, a spark? AS: I’ve always seen my art as something that belongs to everyone, that everyone can interpret and make their own.
With ELHO Freestyle, the revived skiwear brand proves that it’s not just back on the slopes but firmly at home in the art and streetwear scene as well. A mix of nostalgia, rebellion, and high-tech design that redefines the boundaries between sport, fashion, and art.
ELHO’s brand ambassadors include freeski star Andri Ragettli and rising talent Zoë van Essen. In addition to its online store, ELHO is now available in around 15 retail locations across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. The Winter 2025/26 collection features the new Astro Down Bomber, crafted from 90% recycled down and ripstop material — a symbol of ELHO’s fusion of high-tech performance, sustainability, and artistic expression.
