Being a star in one’s sport does not guarantee brand success. Many internationally renowned basketball and soccer players have faced this challenge. Yet Kilian Jornet—accustomed to covering hundreds of miles at record-breaking speeds—is proving otherwise with Nnormal.
In 2022, as the world emerged from the COVID-19 crisis, the trail-running legend partnered with Mallorca-based footwear brand Camper to create a new sportswear label. The journey began with a single-shoe model built on three core principles: high performance, minimalist design, and sustainability.
Kilian Jornet is the leading ambassador for Nnormal, competing in trail races. – Nnormal
Three years later, the brand offers trail competition shoes under its Kjerag line and versatile outdoor footwear with the Tomir range. It has expanded into technical apparel for men and women and is now distributed by over 1,000 retailers worldwide, primarily in specialty running and mountain stores.
“Our approach is to launch one new product per year. Since our inception, we have more than doubled our activity annually. Our goal is to maintain this growth rate for the next two to three years,” said Romuald Brun, brand director for Europe, who declined to disclose revenue figures.
“We initially prioritized Spain, France, Italy, and the United States. We now have 150 retailers in Spain and 100 in France; major sports retailers have shown interest. This is a remarkable achievement for a startup like ours,” says the executive, highlighting that orders increased 140% for the fall-winter season, with the sales campaign concluding a few weeks ago. He also notes that retailers are expanding their Nnormal offerings in their stores.
Last year, the brand generated 60% of its footwear sales from its Tomir 2 model. Nnormal has now introduced the Kjerag Brut, designed for extreme weather conditions. It features reinforced outsoles for icy terrain and breathable mesh uppers for hot climates. The focus remains durability—building products that last over time, a key appeal for environmentally conscious consumers.
The Tomir 2 is driving Nnormal’s sales. – Nnormal
The brand aims to drive product innovation, combining distinctive aesthetics with a unique approach to footwear. As emerging brands like Satisfy and Roa redefine the sportswear market, Nnormal distinguishes itself with performance-driven design.
On its website, the brand offers the KBoix model, priced at €240. It features two interchangeable outsoles tailored for different running distances. This highly specialized product is designed for athletes with specific technical needs.
Nnormal has also implemented a sustainable packaging system developed by Invisible Company, using biodegradable bags that dissolve in hot water, reinforcing its commitment to environmental responsibility.
The young brand has two major strengths in the highly competitive sports footwear market. With a trail-running legend as its co-founder, it has an unmatched ambassador, instantly making it visible among retailers worldwide. For over a decade, Kilian Jornet has dominated ultra-trail races, tackling extreme challenges and leaving a lasting impression far beyond the world of sports. Through films and projects, he has also promoted a message of environmental respect, raising awareness about the threats to natural ecosystems.
Nnormal pioneered the use of biodegradable packaging. – Nnormal
The second major advantage of Nnormal is its backing from Camper. “The brand’s emergence wouldn’t have been possible without the group,” says Romuald Brun. “Camper provides essential support functions, including logistics, IT, and finance. These elements were crucial in meeting demand and keeping us on track. However, we must still focus on profitability, as we operate as an independent entity.”
This support extends to product development. Kilian Jornet collaborates with Mallorcan shoemakers to craft high-performance footwear, while Régis Tosetti, Nnormal’s artistic director, also works for both brands. He oversees both branding and product design, bringing a lifestyle-inspired aesthetic to Nnormal.
The brand’s visual identity, characterized by bold photography and unconventional graphic elements, reinforces its distinct positioning in the sportswear sector while emphasizing its commitment to sustainability. The connection with Camper is also evident in product design, particularly in construction techniques. Camper’s expertise in stitching has been incorporated into the Tomir 2 model, where a reinforced seam links the upper and the sole.
The brand is expanding into alpine disciplines. – Nnormal
Will Nnormal be available in Camper Lab stores or within Camper’s retail network? “That’s not in our plans,” says Romuald Brun. “However, we see real interest from lifestyle retailers drawn to the outdoor industry, including some Camper-affiliated stores. This could present an interesting opportunity.” While its footwear and minimalist apparel may appeal to concept stores beyond the sports sector, Nnormal will not develop products specifically for this market segment.
Instead, the brand wants to expand into high-altitude sports and strengthen its presence in major sporting events. Last weekend, it was present with its athletes at the Ultra-Trail Chianti, with a long-term goal of making Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc a key moment for boosting its global recognition.
END. promised it would be going big on its 20th anniversary celebrations and judging by the fashion retailer’s itinerary of events it’s actually huge.
With three events already under its belt in the January-March period, there are over 20 in the pipeline for the rest of the year involving a programme of curated events, pop-ups, activations, collaborations and partnerships “crafted hand-in-hand with brand partners who have journeyed with END. over the last 20 years”.
Participants include a host of big brands including A Bathing Ape, Adidas, Aries, CP Company, Crocs, Needles, Puma, Salomon, Stone Island, Umbro, Universal Works, Y-3, “and many more”.
It’s all in recognition of a brand that has grown from an independent in Newcastle to an international name with flagship locations in Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, London, and Milan, “defining its position as a trailblazer bridging the gap between luxury and streetwear, balancing exclusivity with accessibility with its signature curation of the world’s biggest brands to the most sought-after emerging labels all under one roof”.
The 20th anniversary will also honour the brand’s North East roots and the best of British subculture “focusing on narratives deeply connected to the retailer’s heritage, customers and cultural influences, touching on nostalgic themes from the coast to the corner shop and nightlife to the classic British pub”.
Global threads manufacturing giant Coats Group is quitting its US Yarns business, resulting the closure of its Performance Materials (PM) facility based in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.
It comes after a strategic review of the wider Americas yarns business that has already resulted in the closure of the Toluca, Mexico facility in December. The review, which started in Q4 2024, concludes that the Americas Yarns business doesn’t fit with Coats’ future strategy, noting the exit from this non-core operation “will result in a positive annualised impact to both the PM and Group adjusted EBIT margins”.
The exit process is expected to complete in Q2 and Coats said it anticipates to generate a modest cash inflow, after closure costs, that will “allow management to focus on driving forward and growing other parts of the group’s attractive portfolio.
In 2024, revenues and EBIT for US Yarns was $68 million and $3 million, respectively.
Last month, Coats delivered a trading statement that highlighted “strong delivery, exciting medium-term targets with compounding cash and earnings growth”.
While the business reported a string of positives for the year ended 31 December (total revenues up 8% to $1.5 billion; apparel and footwear revenues up 13%; EBIT up 16%), it also noted that the PM business continued to drag across all North America end markets while there was also structural softness in North American Yarns.
The writing was perhaps on the wall for the future of its US PM ops in a statement that included that its Americas manufacturing footprint had been “right-sized” in Q4 with the closure of the Toluca site “to align to structural softness in North American Yarns [that will] drive immediate margin improvement”.
Poland’s biggest fashion retailer aims to double its revenue to 40 billion zlotys ($10.56 billion) by 2027, driven by the rapid expansion of budget brand Sinsay and its omnichannel strategy, it said on Thursday.
Reuters
“In three years we assume the company will be twice as big,” CEO Marek Piechocki said during a press conference.
Under LPP‘s new three year strategy through 2027, Sinsay is set to account for 75% of the group’s total sales, it said.
The Gdansk-based retailer aims to expand its store network to around 7,500 outlets by the end of 2027, with Sinsay stores making up around 6,000 of those, and to increase e-commerce sales to 10 billion zlotys in the same period.
“As in previous years, the company intends to consistently pursue its policy of sharing the profit generated with its shareholders,” LPP said, indicating plans to maintain its dividend payouts. The management recommended a dividend of 660 zlotys per share to be paid for the 2024 financial year.
The company also aims to double its core earnings (EBITDA) by 2027, compared to last year’s 3.67 billion zlotys, while keeping its debt levels safe, it said.
LPP’s revenue rose by 20% to 20.19 billion zlotys in 2024.