What happens when a technical garment designed to protect against extreme cold becomes a narrative surface? When thermal insulation turns into a visual medium and performance meets illustration? We found out thanks to Thermore, which on the occasion of Milano MuseoCity 2026 presented a project that goes beyond collaboration: a true “artist’s journey.” 

An iconic piece by the Milan-based company, global leader in thermal insulation for high-end apparel was illustrated by Jacopo Ascari, who transformed it into a blank canvas on which he developed a journey between Milan and the mountains, between urban life and winter sports. 

The signature style of Jacopo Ascari, architect and illustrator, is unmistakable: maximalist, urban, layered. His illustrations merge the spires of the Duomo with ethereal references to alpine peaks, celebrating movement and the places we inhabit. 

The jacket, created in collaboration with the London-based brand Contrado, becomes a meeting point between disciplines: art, design, fashion, industry. It is the result of a dialogue between technical expertise and creative vision, between textile research and illustration.

This is precisely where the project becomes interesting: when companies stop limiting themselves to production and begin expanding their horizons. When manufacturing enters museums, and museums step outside conventional spaces to inhabit everyday objects. MuseoCity 2026, with its theme “The Enterprises of Culture,” finds in this project a concrete example of how business can become a cultural device.

Thermore and Jacopo Ascari have created a narrative that begins in Milan, crosses the alpine peaks, and returns to the city transformed into a wearable image. If you would like to see this item-work in person, it will be on display inside the beautiful Palazzo Castiglioni in Milan, at Corso Venezia 47, until February 17.