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Sailing and mountain specialist Helly Hansen looks to strengthen its position in urbanwear

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January 15, 2026

After winning over mountain and sailing professionals and enthusiasts, the historic Norwegian brand Helly Hansen– approaching its 150th anniversary and acquired in 2025 by the American group Kontoor Brands– is looking to strengthen its position in the urbanwear segment. And to achieve this goal, the Italian market plays an important role, as Italy country manager Michele Battocchio explains to FashionNetwork.com.

Helly Hansen at Pitti Uomo 109 – Photo: FNW/LG

“We develop garments for those who have to face the cold of Greenland; we are leaders in sailing, so why not offer this expertise to those who also want to wear a technical, high-performance garment in an urban setting?” the manager says. “We are at Pitti Uomo for the second season precisely because we want to strengthen our urban and sportswear line, which already exists but has significant growth potential.”

In 2025, Helly Hansen posted global revenue of approximately €750 million; Europe is the main market, with Italy accounting for around 4% of sales. “We aim to exceed €1 billion in revenue within five years. At present, the markets where we are investing most are North America, the home territory of the new parent company, and the Far East, particularly China, where within a couple of years we have expanded into around a hundred stores with a local partner,” the manager adds. “Italy is important not so much in terms of revenue as in terms of image; it is one of the countries with the highest levels of tourism, so it is essential to have selective distribution and a premium brand perception.”

The new Arctic Patrol Down parka
The new Arctic Patrol Down parka – Photo: FNW/LG

In Italy, Helly Hansen currently operates a single-brand store in Courmayeur and is stocked in around 250 multi-brand retailers, roughly thirty of which feature shop-in-shop concepts, mainly within prestigious seaside and mountain resorts.

“We generate 80% of our business through wholesale, and we want to continue to strengthen this channel through dedicated branded spaces,” Battocchio concludes. “Our long-term plans, over the next five years, also include opening further single-brand stores.”

Returning to professional products, Helly Hansen used the platform of Pitti Uomo 109 to present its new Arctic Patrol Down parka, developed with input from glaciologists and researchers from The Greenland Project, who provided insights into the conditions they face living and working in polar climates on a daily basis.

Specifically, the new parka has been designed to feel light on the shoulders, keep you warm even on the coldest days, and withstand hostile environments. The insulation is Allied’s HyperDRY, a special water-resistant down known for having the best weight-to-warmth ratio. For additional protection against the cold, the parka features a faux-fur trim on the hood, ideal in particularly snowy and windy conditions, which can be removed when not needed.

Every feature of the product has been designed with the feedback and needs of Arctic scientists in mind: the pockets and side zips are strategically positioned to be compatible with the use of a safety harness while wearing the parka; large pull tabs on the pockets allow them to be opened even when wearing gloves; and the outer fabric is reinforced with Cordura, a material resistant to rips and tears. Other functional features include a double-slider front zip with a double wind flap, generous internal pockets, and adjustable hem, hood and cuffs.

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Gabriela Hearst names Cohen its new president

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January 15, 2026

Gabriela Hearst has made a major leadership team announcement with Michele Cohen becoming its president, effective 15 January. It’s a new role that has been “defined to reflect the brand’s continued commercial momentum and to support its next phase of global growth”.

Michele Cohen – Photo: Max Fargo

It means Cohen will be leading the brand’s global commercial strategy, overseeing wholesale, retail, and e-commerce. She’s been tasked with expanding the business across markets, channels, and categories “while preserving the craftsmanship, responsibility, and long-term vision that define Gabriela Hearst”.

This is an internal promotion with Cohen having joined the business in 2015 as global head of sales and having “played an instrumental role in the brand’s growth and evolution over the past decade”.

The company cited her “deep expertise across global markets and hands-on leadership approach,” as well as the fact that she’s worked closely with founder Gabriela Hearst to “help build the business while preserving its commitment to craftsmanship, values, and long-term thinking”.

Hearst, who earlier this decade was also creative chief at Chloé before leaving to focus on her own label, said that of “all the announcements in my career this is the one I am the most proud of. Michele understands our values and culture of true quality, integrity, authenticity because she helped build it. It is extremely rewarding having worked along side her for the past decade to see her grow into her leadership. I can’t be more excited for the future of our house”.

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Gap goes Hollywood with new chief entertainment officer

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January 15, 2026

Gap Inc. has tapped former Paramount executive Pam Kaufman to be its first chief entertainment officer, a sign the company is looking to grow its media presence. 

Apparel brand Gap is eyeing the entertainment sphere

Kaufman will help scale Gap’s entertainment and licensing platform in areas including television, film, and gaming, the company said in a statement. 

The new role, an unusual one for retailers, is especially meaningful for the company run by Richard Dickson, the executive who helped turn the Barbie doll into a movie sensation. Dickson is already bringing the company into the digital age, using flashy marketing campaigns and celebrity advertising to excite shoppers. 

Gap is also opening a Los Angeles office on Sunset Boulevard as part of its push toward what it calls “fashiontainment.” Last fall Gap also added Jody Gerson, CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group, to its board. 

“Fashion is entertainment, and today’s customers aren’t just buying apparel, they’re buying into brands that tell compelling stories and drive cultural conversations,” Dickson said in the release.



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FGF Industry brand Blauer expands into Scandinavia and the Balkans, women’s and kid’s wear performs very well

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January 15, 2026

There has been positive momentum between the end of 2025 and the start of 2026 for Italian apparel group FGF Industry, headquartered in Montegalda. Under owner Enzo Fusco, the company has consistently delivered strong margins and revenues, and achieved a turnover increase of over 6 per cent, as he had forecast six months ago. “€80 million in apparel turnover which, with accessory licences- especially footwear- adding a further €14 million, took us to €94 million at the end of 2025,” the owner and founder of FGF Industry, Enzo Fusco, tells FashionNetwork.com.

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

At retail, Blauer opened a store in Bari in the second half of the year. The Trieste opening was moved to February, but in December another directly managed 120-square-metre Blauer mono-brand store opened on Brescia’s most prestigious street. “We want to get to a point where all mono-brand stores are directly managed. At the moment, four or five are not,” says Enzo Fusco about Blauer, which has around 10 directly operated stores, while there are five franchises. “With Trieste opening, and then Naples, in 2026 we will reach a minimum of 12 directly operated stores. As for the franchises, when the contracts expire, we either take them over 100 per cent or open new ones, because we now prefer direct management.”

After reopening markets in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and having begun distributing Blauer in Denmark and Sweden for the winter season (around a dozen clients with the first summer collection, ed.), Blauer’s international expansion continues, with the aim of increasing the brand’s foreign sales to at least 50% of the total, up from the current 30%. “For the winter season we already plan to reach 40% abroad. I predict that by the end of 2026 we could be talking about 45–50% of turnover generated outside Italy. With our regular customers, those who have been with us for many years, we have sell-through rates of 70–75% before the sales, and that’s a lot,” says Fusco.

Enzo Fusco, owner of FGF Industry
Enzo Fusco, owner of FGF Industry

The leading markets for the group after Italy are in the DACH region, especially Germany and Austria, which continued to grow last season, followed by Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic. “Portugal is also doing very well,” says Enzo Fusco, “however, now, having opened the Balkans, Turkey, France, Denmark, the Netherlands and Belgium, these countries will bring us an increase in 2026, raising the bar for the value of our exports relative to Italy. Within two or three seasons, I hope to generate more turnover abroad, always remembering that Italy is the nation that allowed Blauer to become what it is now. In our home market we are aiming for a more carefully controlled and more upmarket distribution.”

Enzo Fusco is very satisfied with the sales results of the childrenswear lines, up 20 per cent on the previous year. Womenswear accounted for 45% of sales in Autumn/Winter. “From the data I have, this year we may even bring it up to 48% of the total,” he stresses.

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27
Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

The 4,500-square-metre expansion project of FGF Industry’s headquarters is also well underway. “We plan to move in between May and June, because the building is already there- it’s the interiors that need to be finalised.” The old headquarters will also be renovated, while the company store, which faces the street in front of the plant in a recently renovated 800-square-metre warehouse, will be enhanced in the future- Fusco hopes within a year- by a Caffè Blauer.

Blauer is distributed to about 1,600 clients (around a hundred more than last year) between Italy and Europe, while Ten C can be found in 280 stores worldwide.

It is Ten C in particular (with its clothing and outerwear made entirely in Italy from fine Japanese fabrics) that has especially pleased Fusco. “Thanks to the new sales director, with Ten C we are off to a good start in South Korea, because the group that distributes us there has already opened two stores in shopping centres, and three more are set to open in 2026, bringing the total to 10 boutiques in two years. And we managed to open in the UK- two corners in Manchester and London. Thanks to Liam Gallagher, the lead singer of Oasis, who performed between 10 and 15 concerts in England wearing our jacket throughout. And it was his choice, it wasn’t arranged, unintentionally giving Ten C’s marketing an incredible boost.”

Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27
Blauer, Autumn/Winter 2026/27

The collection presented at Pitti Uomo in January 2026 features no fewer than 350 references, offering a total look. There are 14 employees, including those who work in the stores. “The important thing is that we always have balance sheets in the black. I want to say that, because it’s no small thing, with EBITDA in 2025 standing at 22%. We think we’re working well,” concludes the entrepreneur from Veneto.

Finally, this year Blauer celebrates 25 years in Italy and the union of American heritage with the Italian vision of fashion, with an event curated by creative director Felice Limosani in the Salone d’Onore at Triennale Milano, entitled “Blauer– 25th Anniversary.” The installation is conceived as an immersive experience: a dialogue between photography, architecture, design, and sound design that transforms the hall into a visual orchestra, in which Blauer presents “Family Grammar,” a project that is not corporate but rather “a cultural installation that stages a shared language, where art, business and contemporary sensibility dialogue in harmony,” Limosani explains.

Founded in Boston in 1936, Blauer has become a benchmark for technical police and military uniforms, embodying the values of quality, performance, and durability. Thanks to the foresight of Enzo Fusco, Blauer entered Italy in 2001 without losing its identity. Under the leadership of the Fusco family- Enzo, Silvana, and the next generation, Federica Fusco D’Amore and Giuseppe D’Amore- the brand has become a point of reference for those seeking style, authenticity, and performance. A family story that believed in the brand’s potential and supported its growth through to the acquisition of a 50% stake via BWF (Blauer World Fashion).

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