ITALY. Luxottica Group has launched Oakley’s apparel, fashion and accessories (AFA) line in travel retail.
The range was first unveiled through a partnership with London Supply’s Puerto Iguazú downtown complex in Argentina. This was supported by an Oakley pop-up with Lagardère Travel Retail, which ran at Geneva Airport until 25 September. Pieces from the AFA line now feature inflight with TUI, Alitalia and Iberia airlines.
Luxottica said the launch is part of the group’s plan to develop Oakley, which is known for its eyewear and lifestyle products, into a multi-category brand in travel retail and to drive the next phase of growth.
The Oakley AFA line is inspired by the lifestyle of commuters, short and long-haul travellers and active consumers. Accessories include backpacks, duffle bags, travel cabin trolleys and caps.
Oakley was founded by James Jannard in California in 1975. With an initial investment of US$300, Janard worked out of his garage, naming the business after his English Setter which was called Oakley Anne. Oakley has developed into a leading sports lifestyle brand that offers sportswear collections to performance, active and lifestyle consumers across key sports including surf, golf, cycling, mountain biking, sailing and skiing. The brand was acquired by Luxottica Group in 2007. |
Luxottica Group Global Travel Retail Director Enrico Destro said: “We have experienced fantastic success for the Oakley AFA range in domestic markets over the years, so we are very excited to launch the collection in travel retail.
“At Luxottica, our goal is always to meet the needs of the dynamic traveller; the increasingly popular active sports lifestyle presents a great opportunity for us in the channel.”
“Travel retail is a brilliant platform for us to showcase our brands to the world, and we look forward to working closely with our partners to make the Oakley AFA collection accessible to all,” Destro added.
