MILAN — Slowear is stepping into its next chapter with its new chief executive officer, Piero Braga, who was named to the post in May and is busy mapping out a retooling strategy for the company.
“The company is animated by a lot of passion fueled by a strong community that includes stakeholders, suppliers, partners and end consumers. They are all very close to the project,” Braga said Sunday at the company’s presentation during Milan Men’s Fashion Week.
“I won’t call it a brand because it’s rather a small group of brands sharing the same platform and that’s Slowear,” he added.
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Acknowledging that the company has gone through difficult times in light of the pandemic first and the untimely death of its president and CEO Roberto Compagno in 2021, Braga said it is now on track to embrace new avenues of growth.
At Sunday’s presentation the company’s star brand, pantmaker Incotex, debuted its first suits — crafted from the Royal Batavia and Chinolino trademark fabrics in summery sorbet tones — opening a new direction that expands beyond bottoms.
Together with knitwear specialist Zanone, the brand is a key driver in Slowear’s portfolio, which includes shirtmaker Glanshirt and the Montedoro outerwear label, in addition to the Officina Slowear accessories and footwear division.
Developing the identity of each brand is key for Braga, especially as they have very different distribution footprints. “We’re sure that venturing into other product categories will benefit Incotex and contribute to its development,” he said.
Furthering the community-building function of Slowear is also on the executive’s agenda. Under that name the company has opened 30 boutiques, in Milan, New York, Paris, London and Seoul, for example.
Braga ruled out a further retail push for the time being, but offered that a dot-com platform could serve all the brands in the portfolio. He also teased plans to build the e-commerce destination into a marketplace open to other labels and companies.
The online business accounts for 5 percent of Slowear’s sales, which stood at just below 45 million euros in 2022, and the executive has ambitions to double that rate.
“We really need to leverage our community, which already exists, it’s small but strong and we need to expand our customer base, catering to adjacent communities and tapping ambassadors,” Braga explained.
The executive said he is putting strategies in place to reenergize penetration in the U.S., where the brand has still not fully recovered after the pandemic slowdown.
Overall, the spring collection hinged on timeless wardrobe-builders, working a subdued palette of neutrals, navy blue and whites. It was filled with waterproof peacoats and field jackets, the latter inspired by Walter Albini-designed archival styles, textured knit polo shirts and crewnecks, as well as chino pants in a wide range of shapes befitting different customers.
Also spotlighting signature menswear gear, the company unveiled a collaboration with North Sails revisiting the latter’s signature Sailor jacket, under the Slowear moniker, which in Braga’s view can only be framed as a brand for special projects. It follows a previous tie-up with Sebago on boat shoes.
A seasoned executive, the CEO joined the company founded in 1951 in Mira, near Venice, from Gucci, where he most recently served as executive vice president, strategic adviser and board member. Prior to Gucci, he built his experience in the retail and wholesale sectors at the Ermenegildo Zegna Group and Tod’s.