MILAN — As innerwear brands struggle to find their footing in a multifaceted market, Parah, the storied Italian hosiery and swimwear company, is undergoing a total revamp under a new owner, which is betting on a lifestyle approach.
Last June, London-based Blackwood Fashion Investment acquired Parah’s IP rights from its previous owner Parahsol. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
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“As a storied brand established in the ‘50s, Parah has strong opportunities, but its positioning was unclear,” said Leonardo Cantagalli, managing director at Parah Group. “It was largely perceived as a swimwear brand, whereas consumers today want continued injection of newness. We are also aiming to ramp up the brand’s positioning in the entry luxury space, with premium prices.”
The first steps in relaunching the 71-year-old company, which had lost some of its zing, include the development of a product assortment embracing a lifestyle-leaning approach and distribution.
The brand recently unveiled its first flagship in Milan, debuting a new store concept hinged on natural materials such as stone and wood, and nature-derivative decor, including life-size, stone-shaped poufs.
The unit, located on Corso Como 11, opposite the famed 10 Corso Como retail emporium, covers 753 square feet and displays the new offer, which encompasses activewear, loungewear and knitwear, in addition to the core swimwear and lingerie categories.
The Milan concept also will be used at Parah’s second retail outpost in Rome, slated to open on Via Frattina by the end of the year. A third directly operated unit is to bow in Paris in 2026.
The new stores hint at the brand’s market strategy.
In reassessing distribution priorities, the new owner shuttered the brand’s existing flagships in Italy and cut ties with smaller stockists, mainly multibrand lingerie stores scattered across Italy’s first- and second-tier cities.
The future business model will rely instead on select direct retail, franchised stores for a wider footprint, and flashy wholesale partnerships.
Cantagalli said Italy and France, which historically were relevant markets, represent the first targets. In addition to flagship openings, the executive plans to debut around 13 franchised doors in Italy over the next 24 months.
Parah’s wholesale model will rely on high-scale linkups with premium shopping destinations. Rinascente in Italy, Galeries Lafayettes in Paris and El Corte Inglés in Spain, among others, have already inked deals with the brand to open corners.
The new product mix will help fuel desirability for the brand at these shopping destinations, Cantagalli said. Leveraging a network of high-end suppliers, which include Italy’s Eurojersey for swimwear, Parah is aiming to boost its credentials as a high-end, high-quality brand.
“We try to design our products with evolution in mind,” said Gabriele Botto, senior executive manager at Parah Group. He shared that the brand will also introduce a small men’s capsule for spring 2025, anticipating a broader rollout of the line in 2026.
The new Parah flagship in Milan.
After consolidating the Italian and French markets, Cantagalli plans to scale up the brand’s overseas footprint, starting in 2026 from what he billed as the Greater Asia region, which includes China, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East.
“I believe that in the five-year term, Greater Asia will account for 70 percent of the Parah business. Just look at these countries’ GDP in comparison with the Western world; theirs is growing faster,” Cantagalli said.
“The old Parah was Italy-centric while I have an international background and approach,” the executive added.
Cantagalli’s business plan for the company is to reach sales of 40 million euros in five years, also thanks to a new e-commerce platform and more investments channeled into digital marketing.
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