Pitti Uomo 94: Rossignol taps Damir Doma to design Spring/Summer 2019 collection
Rossignol presents a new creative collaboration at Pitti Uomo 94, the Florentine menswear show which kicks off on Tuesday. The French mountain sport specialist, owned by Norwegian investment fund Altor, will unveil its new Spring/Summer 2019 collection, a part of which has been styled by Croatian designer Damir Doma. And while last year Rossignol tapped Italian designer Andrea Pompilio for a capsule collection, it also continues to collaborate with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, and has confirmed its co-branding plans with Tommy Hilfiger.
Rossignol’s ‘Urban Mobility’ capsule collection has a decidedly metropolitan feel. It consists of about sixty items, 35% of them for women and 65% for men, ranging from sleeved items to trousers, sweaters and t-shirts. “The collection is very Rossignol: it reflects our signature traits, the Alpine world, sports and the great outdoors, and the use of technical fabrics and details,” said Alessandro Locatelli, CEO of Rossignol Apparel, the French group’s apparel division, created in 2015, talking to FashionNetwork.com.
Damir Doma, who is based in Milan since 2015, was chosen for his talent and for “truly respecting the Rossignol identity. We also greatly appreciate his openness to dialogue,” added Locatelli. Doma’s collection is big on functionality and visibility, featuring high-viz details and ultra-light garments.
For example, the windbreaker made of wool and nylon and incorporating the Luminor membrane, developed by Italian fabric manufacturer Reda, which allows the jacket to store the sunlight in the course of the day and gradually release it as darkness descends. The garments are all designed to allow maximum mobility and to be highly resilient.
Locatelli underlined how Rossignol’s spate of acquisitions in the last few years, from that of trail-running specialist Raidlight-Vertical to bicycle manufacturers Felt Bicycles and Time, to the recent one of Dale of Norway, renowned for its winter sportswear, allowed the group to exploit these companies’ know-how and strengthen its position in the outdoor apparel sector.
The ‘Urban Mobility’ collection will be available at Rossignol’s multibrand retailers - about 1,000 stores - and at its monobrand shops (7 of them directly operated, in Oslo, Lyon, Megève, Chamonix, Crans Montana, St. Moritz and Courmayeur, 3 franchises in Méribel, Val Thorens and Courchevel, and 3 outlets), on its e-shop, and as part of Rossignol’s ongoing collaboration with UK fashion e-tailer Farfetch.
Rossignol’s main markets are the Alpine countries of France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, altogether accounting for 60% of the group’s revenue, France being the largest market. “We are active on all markets, also in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and the USA, where we have made significant progress and we are looking to further expand through our local subsidiary,” said Locatelli.
Rossignol is distributed in the USA via 211 multibrand retailers, including leading department stores like Barneys, Nordstrom and The Webster. The group wants to open directly operated monobrand stores in the country, while continuing to expand in Europe, with negotiations under way for a Paris opening. Rossignol is also about to shift to a higher gear in Asia, having sold a minority stake to IDG Capital, a leading foreign investment firm in China.
“Between 2015 and 2018, the Apparel division’s revenue has tripled. We are forecasting €40 million for the 2018-19 financial year, and we plan to top the €50 million mark by 2020,” concluded Alessandro Locatelli.
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