Pinko goes to Pitti Uomo to launch… a women's footwear line!

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Jan 16, 2015

What better way to market yourself, when you’re a mega feminine brand, than to arrive at the hottest menswear show around! With a prominent stand overlooking the very central Piazzale della Ghiaia at Pitti Uomo, Pinko’s debut at the event paid off, sparking the curiosity of many buyers who crowded around the stand.

No, the women’s ready-to-wear brand, which is owned by Italian company Cris Conf, is not joining the menswear sector! It was at Pitti in Florence to launch a fully-fledged footwear line, giving a sneak peak of its bejeweled sneaker line Shine Baby Shine, which will be released for winter 2016. The rest of the collection will be presented in Milan on January 23 and will include nearly 80 pieces in total. 

"After some testing, we realized that we needed to better organize ourselves in order to provide support for our accessories range. And so we created a specially dedicated division headed by a manager with strong experience in the sector, with the aim of also making bags, while production has been moved to Italy with a view to international development," said the brand’s president and founder Pietro Negra. 

The company, which has been undergoing profound restructuring over the past two years, has announced 4-5% growth for 2014 with a turnover of 170 million euros. "Profitability has improved significantly and we also expect a significant rise in 2015," said Negra. 

Italy remains Pinko’s primary market, but its share of total sales has been reduced from 70% to 50%. The brand’s largest foreign market is France (10% of sales). In Paris, where it already has a location at 4 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré (8th arrondissement), the brand plans on opening a second, 2,200 ft2 location in the 16th arrondissement. 

In China, the company is about to enter into an agreement "with a major distributor." Its other major plans concern the United States, where Pinko is increasing its investment this year, both in its wholesale and retail channels, with plans for 3 stores in New York and Miami. 

The brand is also continuing to strengthen its presence in Europe, with a first store in Portugal and a second in Belgium while also looking to open in Spain.