Retail Week sat down with the founder of new luxury trainer brand Born Outside Italy, to discuss opportunities in the UK market, the importance of physical retail and why there’s still an opportunity within the struggling luxury market.
In a turbulent market for fashion and luxury players, is there room for the launch of another premium trainer brand? Born Outside Italy founder and creative executive officer Alfredo Bandini thinks so.
Formerly chief strategy officer at activewear and streetwear brand The Giving Movement, Bandini and co-founder Daniel Pe first launched the new ‘it’ trainer brand in May last year.
Inspired by quality and comfort, and offering customers a fusion between streetwear and luxury, Bandini told Retail Week that he saw a gap in the market and unlike many luxury players, the products are 100% made in Italy with luxury leathers via traditional Italian craftsmanship.
With a price point of around £370 per pair, and being sold online in the UK, Italy and the Middle East, as well as being available in department stores across the Middle East including Harvey Nichols and Ounass, Born Outside Italy means business.
On track to generate $1m (£783,000) in revenue in its first 12 months and with global expansion plans on the horizon, Alfredo talks to Retail Week about why physical retail is fundamental to growth, its plans to target Selfridges and Harrods in the UK, and why customers will opt for Born Outside Italy over its famous competitors.
How did Born Outside Italy come about?
“The brand came into fruition just short of two years ago. I had been in fashion for less than a year as a chief strategy officer in Dubai, but that process led me to fall in love with fashion and the industry. The brand is the reflection of a lot of my personal values. I think it’s very genuine and in today’s world, it’s important to have a brand that’s authentic to the founders.
“Growing up Italian, I’ve been fascinated by founders of brands and one thing that fascinates me is the artisanally. In the last five to 10 years, many brands, luxury brands in particular, have had to put a lot of attention into their marketing, whether it’s celebrities or influencers. But in fairness, they’ve decreased their product cost a little bit and doubled their price.
“It felt right to try and create a brand that brings streetwear and quiet luxury together in a way that I think they can coexist. We are paying attention to traditionality, quality and a certain sense of elegance rather than logos and big prints.
“When it comes to product and opportunity in the Middle East, there is a stronger market that is not struggling at the moment when it comes to luxury. People are used to buying luxury products and appreciating quality. I thought that being the first ever luxury sneaker brand that’s home grown but 100% made in Italy was an opportunity.”
Who do you see as competitors in the market?
“The luxury players are our competition rather than the streetwear. I don’t want to be playing in that category. Our customers are both male and female but more male than female so far.
“We are seeing lots of people that are buyers of the likes of Loro Piana and Valentino, and they might buy from Hermes, as well as Golden Goose or On Running for a matter of comfort. However, it’s definitely more the luxury shopper.
“Golden Goose in terms of price point is a direct competitor. When we talk about the product, we want to have the quality of Zegna with the comfort of New Balance at a price that’s less than Golden Goose.
“We’re also trying to hammer down a lot on comfort because historically the more you’ve spent on trainers, the more uncomfortable it was.
“So we saw it as a huge pain point and something we could do within luxury that uses the best materials that you can wear all day, without having to switch back to your New Balance at the end of the day.”
What are your expansion plans moving forward?
“We have two targets when it comes to expansion, one immediately would be the UK. Selfridges and Harrods are home to a lot of people of the Middle East, and we think we already have a success story to bring. We would like to be in there as soon as possible. The UK is absolutely a priority, starting with London of course because it’s mainly where Middle Easterners are shopping in the UK.
“The other global priority is Italy. Being an Italian brand and having strong roots there means it makes sense to be tactically present, and there is an influx of Middle Eastern people in Milan.
“It’s a good stamp of validation for an Italian brand to be in some of the top shopping destinations there.
“Physical retail is absolutely fundamental to our strategy. Despite only being five months old, our products will launch this month in both Harvey Nichols across the Middle East and Ounass. Being in five luxury locations across four key markets will be a major focus of our marketing efforts in the coming months.”
What are the biggest challenges as you grow in the market?
“Entering the luxury sneaker market is notoriously challenging due to the high technical requirements involved in manufacturing, ensuring durability, and the substantial cost of developing molds. To overcome these hurdles, we focused on building a team of experts in both design and product development, as well as partnering with top-tier suppliers.
“We all worked closely to create a trainer that stands out in terms of comfort, surpassing other luxury options. While the market might seem crowded, we believe there’s a significant opportunity in the $500 (£390) price range for a product that offers the quality typically found in more expensive trainers.”
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