North Sails re-launches apparel business

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Jan 23, 2015

For fall-winter 2015-16, North Sails’ menswear will be completely overhauled. Last June, investment firm Oakley Capital and Dutch businessman Eric Bijlsma, the former head of Scotch & Soda, purchased the brand. It was integrated into the North Technology group.

The new management has started to review the brand’s fundamentals, starting with the menswear range it presented at the last Pitti Uomo in Florence. "We’ve worked on North Sails’ identity, said the new CEO. There’s no typical consumer profile. We’re inviting everyone to come and see what we do and to stay if they like it." 

And so the recovery strategy is beginning with menswear. For next fall, the brand is offering three lines, designed under the direction of creative director Mauro Taliani, who has worked at Hugo Boss, Sergio Tacchini, Jean Paul Gaultier and Calvin Klein. 

The line furthest afield for the brand is Black, featuring a very masculine collection with a good deal of black, as the name suggests, with elements borrowed from the world of sailing and then reworked to become urbanwear. The line will be aimed at a premium distribution. 

Deep Blue is a more traditional sportswear line—a preppy line inspired by the world of sailing.

Ocean Blue, meanwhile, is inspired by the universe of surfing—a deep study in blue, with innovative washes and salted effect finishes.

Finally, the brand reinterprets 23 key nautical pieces with its Icons series. These core menswear pieces are intended to be reinterpreted every season and will feature special packaging. 

The tone having been set for men’s collections, creative teams are now working on its women's collection. The new identity, which will borrow from sailing, as well as chic nautical reinterpretations, will be unveiled next summer in time to be released in stores for spring-summer 2016. 

The brand is carried in about 1,500 multibrands throughout the world.