K-Way reopens Milan flagship, will open in London and star in exhibition during Milan Fashion Week

Lorenzo Boglione, vice president of the Italian fashion group BasicNet, which sold a 40% stake in its K-Way sportswear brand to Permira last October, comments on how the brand has become synonymous in Italy with a specific product, a windbreak. (just as 'hoover' now means 'vacuum cleaner' in the UK), saying that “nowadays, on the list of things every child would take for an outdoor trip there is a K-Way, but if [the latter] “If it became a luxury brand, this would no longer apply.”

Boglione was in Milan for the reopening of K-Way's local flagship store, completely transformed after a renovation. He spoke about the brand's upcoming initiatives, designed to underline K-Way's iconic character and celebrate its 60th anniversary. The next K-Way showcase will take place in February in Milan during women's fashion week. In addition to presenting a parade, K-Way will participate in an exhibition at the Permanent Museum, open to the public. The sportswear brand will be joined by other brands whose names have become synonymous with a product, in Italy and elsewhere, such as Bic for pens, Chupa Chups for lollipops, Moon Boots for après-ski shoes, Pongo for clay and historical hats. manufacturer Borsalino with his characteristic hat.

“We invited around 15 brands whose names, like K-Way, have become synonymous with products, and we worked with an independent artist on each brand, producing a cultural study that after Milan will tour the world, stopping in Paris , Seoul and London,” Boglione said. In London, K-Way is about to open a store on King's Road, the first step in an international expansion plan focused mainly on Europe. Currently, the main markets of the brand born in Paris are Italy, France and Belgium.

In the future, BasicNet intends to expand its portfolio, which includes Superga and Sebago, by acquiring other brands with “an iconic product and history, as strong and recognizable as ours.” Boglione stressed that “we like the idea of ​​not being simply a fashion product, our challenge is to always be ourselves, to have our own style. A style that must remain democratic. Although an investment fund specialized in luxury has bought a stake [in K-Way]nothing has changed: our main product is a €140 jacket, because K-Way is and will always want to be an affordable brand.”