K-Way partners with Bluebell Group to launch in Hong Kong

French outerwear brand K-Way is launching in the Hong Kong market in partnership with the Bluebell Group as part of its global expansion plans.

K-Way, known for its windbreaker, lifestyle fashion and sportswear, will be launching its products to Hong Kong consumers with a local website, online k-way.com.hk, before opening a physical store in October at Pacific Place under the Swire Group, one of Hong Kong's most premium shopping malls.

In a statement, K-Way, said it was “on track to rapidly expand beyond its homebase,” and that it would utilise Bluebell Group’s expertise in the region to manage the brand's overall presence including an online e-commerce shop, local marketing activation, and overall retail operations.

K-Way, which is part of BasicNet, an Italian company that also owns Kappa and Superga, added that Hong Kong is an “important milestone” in its Asian development, and it expects to grow its brand footprint further in Hong Kong and into Mainland China later this year.

K-Way plans expansion in Asia with Bluebell Group, starting with Hong Kong

BasicNet executive vice chairman, Lorenzo Boglione, said: "We are very proud to open the first K-Way mono-brand store in Hong Kong and happy to embark on a path to a long presence in the city for the brand and for a long partnership between BasicNet and Bluebell."

Bluebell Group managing director for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Samy Redjeb, added: "We have no doubt K-Way will become an anchor brand for us in Hong Kong, where retail today is geared solely on local consumption. The brand offers a desirable and accessible lifestyle unisex fashion and kidswear, which is one of our core focus for the development of this market.

“BasicNet has some very exciting global growth plans and hype collaborations for K-Way and we are pleased to play a role in bringing something fresh and playful to our Asian consumers."

Bluebell Group is a joint-venture partner of Owndays Japan, a brand under L Catterton Asia portfolio and is present in Japan, South Korea, Mainland China, Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan, Macau SAR, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Australia. It operates more than 150 brands across the region through its distribution network of flagship stores, shop-in-shops, counters, its own multi-brand concepts, as well as a highly selective wholesale network, together with both direct e-commerce and marketplaces, covering both domestic and travel retail.