Napapijri
Accessories / Active Wear / Apparel / Bags / Denim / Shoes
A brand with an international vocation for technical quality and a sporting and cosmopolitan spirit. A style that is both technical and sophisticated at heart, addressing a modern and dynamic gener...
A brand with an international vocation for technical quality and a sporting and cosmopolitan spirit. A style that is both technical and sophisticated at heart, addressing a modern and dynamic generation always on the move, passionate and curious, spontaneous and playful, yet extremely careful and independent in their choices. Such are the distinctive values of a brand launched 25 years ago, at the end of the ‘80s, when Aosta-based Green Sport Monte Bianco started up a project designated by a Finnish word meaning the Arctic Polar Circle – Napapijri. The choice of such an extreme and adventurous scenario was a clue, right from the start, to the inspiration that was to guide the brand through the long years: travel, meaning the experience of life at every latitude and longitude, authentic symbol of a philosophy of freedom and growth; focused on nature, it has always been instinctively respectful of the planet and the many peoples living on it. The brand started out with technically innovative multi-purpose backpacks and bags, versatile articles that rapidly won over the more demanding sort of traveller who wanted capacious and comfortable bags for carrying objects and emotions to high altitude. Immediate consumers’ consensus on one hand, and the brand’s strong commitment to experimenting with advanced fabrics and new colours on the other, quickly drew Napapijri towards the world of apparel, where it developed a concept of a total look that combines quality, functionality, comfort and style. From snow-capped mountains to urban avenues, from the sea to the most vibrant metropolises across the continents, from crowded airports to endless, empty deserts: Napapijri started to circle the globe, translating performance, adaptability and strength into a full wardrobe of active wear and casual wear for men, women and kids – scoring a real revolution and reversal of the trend in the sports segment. Napapijri’s exponential growth and expansion across different markets led, in 2004, to a strategic turning point in the direction of more “global business”: the brand was taken over by the American VF Corporation – owner of a rich portfolio of sportswear, accessories and denimwear brands. This entailed a process in which all design, distribution and communication operations were centralized in headquarters in Lugano, Switzerland. The brand’s international network was thus upgraded, reinforced also by the opening up of new wholesale channels and the launching of a major retail development programme which currently has over 100 single-brand stores worldwide. Organizational change significantly speeded up the evolution of the brand, which, though remaining faithful to its DNA and creative heritage rooted in a world of explorations and expeditions, successfully combined tradition and innovation, thus raising the collections to a premium level strongly inspired by contemporary lifestyle. Major licensing agreements were entered in the footwear and bags sectors, leading to the creation of a variegated offering of accessories in tune with the apparel and characterized by high quality, impeccable constructions and unfailingly recognizable detailing, such as the Norwegian flag flying on all Napapijri products. Season after season, and over and above technical and functional considerations, the collections have shown a growing emotional aspiration, for they are conceived and designed to encourage a personal journey, not only as a physical but also as a cultural experience, be it around the world or merely around the corner, with a relaxed but sure spirit and supported by reliable traveller’s garments perfect for every new frontier. The various lines combine to make up two offerings, Napapijri Geographic and Napapijri Authentic, distinct but complementary, the former based on the concept of day-to-day garments for town use and leisure, the latter drawing on the natural origins of the brand and on high technical content and performance, developed to offer a flawless wearability in all situations and weather conditions. The first example of this passion is the Skidoo jacket, a Napapijri “icon” that has been constantly revisited over the years, with new materials and colours every time in order to perpetuate the energy of an enduring style capable, above all, of telling a story.Brand Details
Founder
Giuliana Rosset
Brand Strategy
Market segment
Bridge
Core business
Active Wear
Targets
Men, Women, Kids
Napapijri Latest News
Lennon Gallagher and Patsy Kensit for Napapijri
The mother-and-son duo Patsy Kensit and Lennon Gallagher have been named as the newest ambassadors of Napapijri.
Napapijri x Obey
Napapijri and Obey are collaborating to release a capsule collection comprising the former's urban street winter garments with the art prints of the latter's founder and street artist Shepard Fairey.
Christopher Raeburn Takes Over Napapijri
The British designer Christopher Raeburn, renowned for his initiatives on sustainable matters, has been appointed as the global creative director of Napapijri.
Napapijri appoints Silvia Onofri as Brand President
Silvia Onofri, who previously worked at Bally, is now Brand President at Napapijri.
