Under the leadership of Patrizio di Marco, the renowned American sneaker brand, founded in 1949 on the basketball courts of Boston, has opened its first flagship store in partnership with Gente Roma at 192 Via del Babuino, in the heart of the capital’s luxury district.
The space is designed as a laboratory, intended to foster a community, host events and gather direct market feedback.
“It was an exciting opportunity that we wanted to seize and it’s already bearing fruit; we’re delighted. We launched it in collaboration with a partner and it’s this approach that we intend to maintain in the future, sharing both investments and profits,” Patrizio Di Marco, former CEO of Gucci and Bottega Veneta, former chairman of Golden Goose and former head of Autry, which now owns 55 per cent of Pro-Keds, told FashionNetwork.com.
“We’re working on developing the European market, while also keeping a close eye on Asia – particularly China, Hong Kong, Korea and Japan – and of course, the United States, the brand’s home country. If these markets get off to a good start, they could allow us to grow from one million euros in revenue last year to 50 million euros within seven years; that’s my goal.”
Pro-Keds, which operates as a Milan-based joint venture with American billionaire Jay Schottenstein (head of American Eagle Outfitters and DSW, among others) as the other shareholder, is now available in over 250 retail locations worldwide. In Italy, the brand is distributed in stores such as Biffi, Gente Roma, Dell’Oglio and FlowRun; in Europe and the Middle East, at Smets, The Corner, Beymen, Level Shoes and Ounass. In Asia, this recent market entry is supported by strategic partners such as B1OCK, Lane Crawford and Tmall in China and Hong Kong; the brand is also making its debut in the Korean market.
