Creativity and upcycling: find out what happens to the ESF Val Thorens’ old outfits!

The ESF team of ski instructors is instantly recognisable thanks to their famous red uniforms with blue and white accents. In the heart of the resort and on the slopes, they're impossible to miss! Renewed every two years, these outfits are worn by almost 350 winter sports professionals in Val Thorens.

So what happens to them when they are no longer in use? As part of its commitment to environmental responsibility, ESF Val Thorens has developed an innovative solution: selling products made from its used textiles. 

Originally, ski instructors wore a black jumper, then a navy blue jumper with a tricolour stripe. In 1958, red was adopted on the initiative of Henri Tholière, a ski instructor at ENSA (École Nationale de Ski et d'Alpinisme), as part of the filming of a promotional film on Christiania Léger, an ancient ski-turning technique.

Gaston Cathiard, founder of the SNMSF (Syndicat National des Moniteurs du Ski Français), was won over by the all-red uniform, and it has become a standard in ESFs. However, each school can choose its own supplier, so the clothing is quite different, but retains the red hue that allows instructors to be identified quickly and easily.

The outfits worn by the ESF teams are renewed every two years. This frequency is justified by the number of hours the professionals wear them (around 1000 hours per season), but also by the impact of their working environment. Cold, damp, icy conditions and temperature variations have a significant impact on clothing, which wears out more quickly and loses its technical quality.

A few years ago, unwanted clothes could be incinerated or donated to international aid organisations. These solutions were far from ideal and were becoming increasingly difficult to implement. The Val Thorens ESF decided to innovate by recycling its clothing through the manufacture of everyday products. Purses, clutches, toiletry bags: the clothes are given a new lease of life and a second lease of life through committed items available at the school's two sales outlets.

Since autumn-winter 2023, the resort has been working with Tricolor, a brand specialising in clothing designed for mountain professionals. The aim? To increase the lifespan of the outfits from 2 to 3 years, improve their technical features and give priority to short circuits. The aim is also to adapt the clothing to the increasingly frequent temperature variations in Val Thorens. Tricolor has therefore designed a unique, lightweight suit, complete with a zipped down jacket.

The number of panels and seams has been reduced to minimise wear and tear on the garment. Of course, the colour red remains to preserve the ESF's brand image and respect the fundamental reference point it represents. Come and discover them during your next stay in the resort!