Wolford, No. 21 Release Capsule Collection
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MILAN — Wolford is adding another chapter to its collaboration playbook, joining forces with Italian brand No. 21 for its latest capsule collection.
After tie-ups with the likes of with Sergio Rossi, Mugler, GCDS, Alberta Ferretti and Amina Muaddi, the high-end Austrian hosiery company teamed up with Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s label on a day-to-night range blending the former’s expertise in skinwear and classic shapewear with the latter’s flair for sensual and feminine silhouettes.
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As a result, the line includes jumpsuits, dresses and leotards embellished with lace motifs or featuring asymmetric cuts, crafted from certified biodegradable material, as well as leggings and miniskirts cut in soft and stretchy vegan leather to further exalt body shapes. Tights, bras and briefs are also part of the assortment.
Wolford chief commercial officer Silvia Azzali underscored that the brands’ “shared values of quality, craftsmanship and timeless elegance make this collaboration a perfect fit.”
Defining Wolford as “a legendary brand that has always stood for quality and innovation,” Dell’Acqua stressed the strong focus on sensuality is something the brands have in common. “We aimed to create a collection that celebrates the beauty and power of women, while pushing the boundaries of design and sustainable craftsmanship,” said the Italian designer.
The collection dropped Thursday, in both companies’ stores and e-commerce platforms, as well as at a selection of international retailers, coming with price tags ranging from $120 to $1,920.
As reported, Wolford has revved up its collaboration game after 15 years of being “a sleeping beauty,” as Azzali put it. Last year, tie-ups with Mugler and GCDS have helped the company to reach new customer clusters and boosted brand awareness.
However, Wolford has a long tradition of teaming with other brands, having forged ties first with Chantal Thomass in 1983, followed by 1989 collaborations with Thierry Mugler and Jean Paul Gaultier. Projects with Giorgio Armani, Zac Posen, Vivienne Westwood and Emilio Pucci also followed over the years.
As reported, earlier this year Wolford named Nao Takekoshi its new artistic director, celebrating the news with a new campaign featuring Grace Jones. Also Takekoshi — who started his career at Issey Miyake in Tokyo, before going on to work with fashion houses including Cerruti, Gucci, Donna Karan, Jil Sander and Calvin Klein — took the helm of the hosiery brand following a capsule collection that debuted in 2021.
Parent company Lanvin Group acquired a majority stake in Wolford in 2018, when it was known as Fosun Fashion Group, the fashion arm of the Chinese multinational conglomerate Fosun International Ltd. The group switched names in 2021, when it also welcomed new investors.
In addition to Wolford and Lanvin, the group controls Sergio Rossi, menswear company Caruso and American fashion brand St. John.
In Lanvin Group’s first round of financial results since the company went public in December, it revealed that Wolford’s revenues rose 16 percent to 126.6 million euros last year, making it the group’s biggest brand in terms of sales.
Meanwhile, according to Milan-based sources, two suitors are interested in investing in Dell’Acqua’s No. 21. As reported last month, a source said Italian fashion manufacturer Gilmar, which already has a 30 percent stake in the brand, is one of the two parties, while the other is a foreign investor whose identity could not immediately be learned.
Gilmar, which produces the Iceberg line, acquired the minority stake in 2112 Srl, the company operating the No. 21 label, in 2015. Dell’Acqua, who established the upper contemporary firm in 2010, maintained a 70 percent majority stake in the company.
The first No. 21 women’s collection was shown in February 2010, while the first men’s show was held at Pitti Uomo in January 2014. The brand also offers a bag line and a footwear range, as well as a children’s line licensed to Brave Kid, owned by OTB.
No. 21 is mainly distributed through the wholesale channel and is available at 450 doors. In 2014 the brand opened its first flagship in Tokyo, followed by units in Hong Kong, Milan, Hangzhou and Wuhan.
In 2020, No. 21 and Tomorrow London formed a creative and business partnership spanning distribution, events, strategy and the mentorship of emerging talent.
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