Lorenzo Boglione on building a global brand with K-Way

K-Way presented its latest runway collection on Sunday, a sporty and technological collection presented inside its headquarters at BasicVillage. We sat down with CEO Lorenzo Boglione to find out how his team has made the brand such a huge success.

A decade ago, no teenagers were found dead on K-Way, a French label whose glory days stretched back to their grandparents' time in the '60s. Now, K-Way's signature three-color zipper is nearly ubiquitous in Milan and Paris, in one of the most surprising brand resurgences in recent history.

And Sunday's show offered some explanations. Focusing on geometry and shape and done in strong primary colors, the collection underlined the key drivers of K-Way's resurgence.

There were multiple expressions of K-Way's Le Vrai 3.0 jackets, flowing into long skirts or billowing into long trains. Plus some cool scuba gear styles, seen on sweatpants, tops, and asymmetrical skirts. Shown alongside sustainable furs.

Lots of matelassé puffers in iridescent shades and some fantastic puffer jackets and bustiers, which looked practical but sexy.

In a show driven by techno dance music in a space filled with a series of inflated statues and coats of the artist Anna Franceschini. All within BasicVillage, a former rubber factory that now has its own restaurant and craft brewery. Founded by Lorenzo's father Marco, BasicNet also controls sports specialist Kappa, sneaker brand Superga, port brand Sebago, winter sports brand Briko and Jesus Jeans.

So, over a cappuccino, we sat down with Boglione to hear all things K-Way.

Fashion Network: What did you want to say on today's show?
Lorenzo Boglione: Each event has its points of identity. Last year we wanted to highlight the history of the brand, that's why our story began in a cafe in Paris. This year we want to highlight color and technology. Color, as we were born in color, with our blue, orange and yellow zipper.

And emphasize technology. We love it and invest in it, to make sure we remain contemporary. So, we made a white box for a very colorful collection. We find the talented artist Anna Franceschini, who plays with the air and the wind that she blows on the fabrics. Dancing to the rhythm of the music. Ideal for our brand. Our classic jacket is called a windbreaker for a reason. That's K-Way's DNA.

FN: Why did you decide to show up at your new headquarters?
LB: One of the reasons we got this place was so we could exhibit. And strengthening the brand identity by linking it to a place that people know is very useful. We are not a typical runway brand.

FN: How important is the change to BasicVillage?
LB: Vital. It is a 4,000 square meter complex that we bought and renovated and includes around 800 meters of exhibition space for large events. We rent some spaces to friendly companies and then we have nine apartments on the top floor. Used for clients and our people who come from abroad or from other departments of Turin. We wanted to create a village to welcome many customers from many worlds.

FN: What are your plans for the K-Way connection with Orient Express for the Copa América?
LB: We are the windbreaks: the wind is our natural habitat. So there is no better showcase than the Copa América. It is the most fascinating and historical event. The highest level of performance. We go back over 170 years and still use the most advanced technology by the richest people in the world. We are equipping the crew of the Orient Express yacht. It has also just launched Silenas, the definitive sailboat: hyper-luxury with only 50 cabins.

Overall, athletes are the new fashion royalty, most of them are big influencers nowadays. They have a talent that generates a lot of attention. Prada has been investing hundreds of millions in the Copa América. Louis Vuitton sponsors it. Attracts everyone. It's huge, and now we will be.
sponsor and important partner in a yacht that will take place this year in front of Barcelona.

FN: What other projects do you have in the pipeline?
LB: We're working with an amazing guy, Titouan Bernicot, a 25-year-old guy from Tahiti, who is rebuilding the barrier reef in the Pacific Islands. We fell in love with this project. And it's a job that requires people to get in and out of the water in small boats and they need protection. That's why we support them in creating a line of products so they can do their job: plant corals.

FN: In the luxury sector, French groups are famous for buying and developing Italian brands. How have you been able to change the situation?
LB: Oh, we play in a different league than LVMH. When we bought K-Way, it was already owned by an Italian company and the brand was bankrupt. This was not a big fight between conglomerates.

FN: Where will K-Way's future growth come from?
LB: Everywhere, hopefully; We are still scratching the surface. We are mature in France and Italy, but we are growing very strongly across Europe and, despite Brexit, we will be opening a store in London in the coming months, near Kings Road.

FN: What is your financial outlook for the future?
LB: The group had income in 2023 similar to 2002, around 400 euros. Although K-Way grew by double digits.