And the winning strategy is about having a diverse portfolio, a strategy that a brand like Diadora has well understood by developing both performance oriented products and a retro line of shoes with prestigious collaborations with La MJC for instance. Kappa has the same obkective but took a totally different pathway with a new line of clothing that is inspired by retro sportswear but that isn't per se with jeans for instance.

-Reinvent itself every day-

If these brands don't want to be doomed, they have to prove that they have the means to be innovative in the industry and that they are not simply recycling what worked well in the past. There is never only one good strategy, but the good ones are the daring ones that can capitalize on the past to draw a better future.

written by Antoine Cathelain

How was it possible to move from the image of a corny brand to a trendy one? First of all, it is thanks to a strong legacy that remained in the mind of everyone. Nobody had forgotten these brands and their emblematic logo although they weren’t worn anymore. ‍‍Thus, when people were struck by nostalgia and started pulling their retro sportswear clothes out of the dusty closet, then the brands became trendy again.

-Raised from the dead-

However these brands didn't settle for this and they were right, because they had an opportunity like no other to make their business thrive again ‍‍‍as during the golden age of their business. That’s the reason why they drove the trend of the 90s sportswear style by releasing modern collections while staying true to their roots and aesthetic with boxy fits and oversize logos. By doing so, they resurrected and totally shifted their brand image towards trully genuinely retro-inspired sportswear brands. And the genuine is important, because it is the heritage of these brands that legitimated their presence on this market.

The next smart move achieved by these brands was to reinforce their legitimacy in the fashion idustry thanks to collaborations with praised designer brands, allowing them to target a more premium positioning compared to what they offered back in the time. An example would be the collaborations between Kappa and Marcelo Burlon and Danilo Paura.

-Are the troubles behind?-

Achieving a brand revival is impressive but also rare because the environment is rarely that conducive and the past mistakes might catch up. For these reasons, these sportswear brands are not totally off the hook and their sustainability might be questionable.

Indeed, the retro 90s sportswear trend will not last and if they do not adopt the right strategy, they might know again the terrible fate they already encountered in the past. That's why these brands need to focus on what makes a sportswear brand last if they want to stay in the market with behemoths such as Nike, Adidas, Reebok or Puma which are above the threat of moving trends.

Retro Sportswear brand‍‍‍s revivals: Will they survive for good this time?

  Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed unusual revivals of numerous forgotten sportswear brands such as Ellesse or Fila amongst many others. And these brands are not only back, they are even on the fashion runways as we have seen with the collabs Gosha x Kappa and Off-White x Umbro! But how is that even possible to notice such a come back from brands that had almost vanished from the industry? And more importantly, will these brands know another failure or did they come back from the dead stronger than ever?

Watch the collaboration between Kappa and C2H4