K-Way's latest exhibition 'In Y/Our Life' will open during Art Basel Paris

Few cultures love a great brand as much as Italy and France, and they meet this month in Paris, when K-Way, a French brand owned and loved by Italians, presents “In Y/Our Life,” the latest iteration of a unique celebration of brand and art.

Conceived as a “lyrical celebration of the poetry hidden in everyday life,” In Y/Our Life also celebrates the 60th anniversary of K-Way, a Parisian label controlled today by a Piedmontese group. In Y/Our Life is also a rare mix of internationally renowned artists, designers and illustrators reinterpreting everyday objects and materials; to reimagine them as new works of art.

Originally presented in Milan in February, the debut In Y/Our Life included drawing, sculpture, painting, installation, video and performance. A second edition was held in the United Kingdom in May at Somerset House, during Photo London. The Paris edition will take place at the historic Atelier Richelieu from October 23 to 26, coinciding with Art Basel Paris Week. All three featured notable brands such as Bic, Bialetti, Borotalco, Borsalino, Chupa Chups, Moleskine, Moon Boot, Polaroid, Pongo, Post-it Brand, Rollerblade and Scotch Brand.

Among the dialogues between art and brand in Paris will be “Sweet Torture”, an art installation by Olimpia Zagnoli, in collaboration with Chupa Chups, which creates a fantastic beach hut with interior walls embedded with 9,000 of the brand's lollipops. There is also a musical moment: Linda Messerklinger's a cappella performance, in homage to Maurice Ravel's “Boléro” on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of her birth.

Plus, two new artistic additions: German artist Nadine Fecht will present drawings created with hundreds of Bic pens, transforming this everyday object into an artistic medium. There will also be a tribute to renowned street artist Daniel Baugeste, who in the 1980s brought giant K-Way billboards to China and organized a spectacular series of public interventions on the Great Wall.

At a multi-brand gathering, visitors are also invited to share their personal K-Way memories by writing on the Moleskine shelves with Bic pens and securing them with tape.

And leading independent retailer Sarah Andelman, a former Colette collaborator, will oversee a special installation by Japanese designer Kunihiko Morinaga's Anrealage, which will feature LED interventions.

FashionNetwork.com spoke with K-Way CEO Lorenzo Boglione to get his take on the latest edition of In Y/Our Life. K-Way is the largest brand within BasicNet, which includes Superga and Kappa, which together achieved annual sales of €409 million in fiscal 2024.

Fashion Network: What is the reason you created this concept?
Lorenzo Boglione: We wanted to celebrate our 60th anniversary and we started brainstorming. What could we do to give some value to the people who attended the birthday?

We wanted more than a party. Something cool and fun that fits culturally. Sharing the energy, heritage and history of a unique brand. So, we thought about joining forces with brands that have similar values.

That share the same iconicity, in a story-telling experience. And we think, not just brands. Let's add artists to this already chaotic situation. Asking them to interpret what these marks represent and why they are in a dictionary.

FN: Why do you open in Paris?
LB: Well, our first edition in Milan had overwhelming interest! So this spring we went to Photo London, where the brand is less known. But Photo London is very big. Many people came and were curious about the brand. The UK is a new market for us. And we believe that interest in the brand will inspire sales in the future as we develop there.

FN: What do you plan to do differently in Paris?
LB: We added two very interesting new artists, Nadine Fecht and Daniel Baugeste. Unlike Milan, there will be no related fashion show. But there will be some cooks available, together. And there's a K-Way Café, an ode to Parisian cafes, presented and curated by Momus, which adds a different touch each time to In Y/Our Life.

FN: What does the concept say about Italy or Europe today?
LB: There were no geographical limitations. We only want to celebrate brands that go beyond time and space and that are truly part of our lives. Hence the name. Our idea was to make people value the brands that are in their lives. It's also about engaging more people with K-Way in the future, working on their feelings and cultural antenna rather than pure commercial instinct.