MILAN — Aspesi is returning to the children’s wear sector with a new partner.
The Italian fashion company, which from 2002 to 2014 produced and distributed a kids’ line in-house, has signed a renewable five-year licensing agreement with high-end children’s wear specialist Il Gufo.
Based in the Veneto region, Il Gufo, which manages the namesake luxury kids’ label, will produce and distribute Aspesi collections for boys and girls ages four to 14 starting from the fall 2022 season.
“This partnership reflects my vision focused on developing licensing agreements with partners that can support us in the development of product categories that are not part of our core business,” said Aspesi chief executive officer Simona Clemenza, who also explained the reasons behind the decision to team up with Il Gufo. “Aspesi and Il Gufo are two companies sharing the same heritage of family businesses and the same values, rooted in Made In Italy quality and attention to details.”
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In addition, Clemenza stressed that there won’t be any overlaps between Il Gufo’s own collections and Aspesi lineups. “The aesthetics of the two brands are very different,” she said, noting that Aspesi children’s wear will be based on “utility sportswear.”
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“We are excited to embark on a partnership with Aspesi, with whom we share values, a love for the product, continuous research and above all the great Italian tradition for style,” said Il Gufo CEO Alessandra Chiavelli. “The licensing agreement will allow us to pass on our knowledge and expertise in the field of children’s clothing, making a consistent contribution to the extension of the Aspesi adult line, which has long been a genuine stylistic benchmark for Il Gufo.”
In keeping with the Aspesi men’s and women’s collections, currently designed by creative director Lawrence Steele, the brand’s kids’ lineups will include signature items, such as puffers, nylon padded shirts, and chambray and Madras pieces. As Clemente highlighted, several items will be crafted using deadstock materials that are normally employed in the adult collections.
Hitting stores starting from July, the Aspesi children’s line will be available at a selection of global high-end retailers. “Il Gufo has a strong and consolidated distribution network and they are currently dealing with the most prestigious shops and department stores,” Clemenza said.
The executive added that Aspesi is successfully wrapping up the spring 2022 sales campaign, that, thanks to the collections developed by Steele, is seeing renewed interest from North American and Japanese stores.
In addition, Clemenza said he company’s retail business is picking up again after the difficulties caused by the pandemic. “Things are going much better especially in the business cities, including Milan, where we had a great September thanks to Design Week and Fashion Week,” she said.
Aspesi operates 15 mono-brand stores and shops-in-shop and sells its collections in 600 boutiques worldwide.
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