LuisaViaRoma Gives In to Soccer Fascination
TAKING THE FIELD: Not only fashion brands but retailers are looking more and more into all things sporty.
LuisaViaRoma is the latest company to tap into the fascination with soccer by collaborating with BasicNet Group-owned brand Kappa and Florence’s main soccer team ACF Fiorentina to develop a special design for the club’s fourth kit of the season.
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The tie-up, which intends to celebrate the retailer’s connection with its hometown, marks a first both for LuisaViaRoma and the soccer team.
The kit honors the club’s signature purple color by playing with a gradient violet shade over a black base. A key feature of the special jersey is its old-school collar recalling a polo shirt, while the logos and sponsors are featured via an iridescent effect.
The Kombat Pro version of the jersey designed for peak performance is crafted using ultra-light fabrics and stretch nylon stitching to ensure comfort and freedom of movement, as well as the Hydroway Protection Technology that provides breathability and effective body heat release.
The limited-edition jersey is available in 1,926 pieces, in a nod to the year ACF Fiorentina was established, and comes in a dedicated black box.
The fourth kit also includes shorts, socks and an anthem jacket that the players will unveil as they take the field before the Fiorentina-Genoa match on Sunday, when the team will wear the collection for the first time.
Available at the LuisaViaRoma stores and online at all parties’ e-commerce, the collection is priced between 19 euros for socks and 150 euros for the jersey.
“We are thrilled to announce this collaboration, the first in the history of LuisaViaRoma with Fiorentina and Kappa, two iconic partners in the world of sport,” said the retailer’s chief executive officer Tommaso Maria Andorlini. “This project represents an important step for us and celebrates the unique bond between fashion and sport, two worlds that share creativity, passion and dedication to excellence.”
Andorlini’s know-how in the sportswear area and sneakers category, in addition to his two decades of experience in the fashion industry, are likely to have played a role in propelling the collaboration. He helmed Holding IT, the parent company of FFW Srl, which has created and managed e-commerce sites for fashion brands since 2011, and Playground Srl, which operates luxury sportswear stores under the banner SOTF. As reported, last year LuisaViaRoma acquired Holding IT, establishing the new LuisaViaRoma Group.
The deal followed Andorlini’s appointment as LuisaViaRoma’s CEO in 2023. He succeeded Alessandra Rossi, who joined the company in October 2021 following the closing of the deal with Milan-based private equity firm Style Capital. As reported, the fund, helmed by CEO Roberta Benaglia, invested 130 million euros to acquire a 40 percent stake in LuisaViaRoma.
The retailer’s president Andrea Panconesi — whose grandmother Luisa Jaquin planted the seeds of the family company’s success by opening a small concept store on Florence’s Via Roma in 1929 — retains a 60 percent stake in the company.
Panconesi masterminded LuisaViaRoma’s digital foray in the early 2000s with the launch of its e-commerce platform. Ever since, this has been enhanced with new sections — including the introduction of LVRSustainable in 2019 — and the selection of clothing and accessories for men, women and children, as well as beauty products and home goods, from more than 500 international luxury brands.
Still, Panconesi has always highlighted the importance of physical retail and IRL events for the company’s success. To this end, in addition to its location in Florence, the retailer opened its first international outpost in New York’s NoHo last year.
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