The Avirex Group, known for its famous Top Gun jacket and its Chinos trousers, associated with the history of aviation, has agreed to acquire Post Card, the sports fashion brand of the Belfe group. At the same time Alfredo Cionti, who is currently representing Avirex in Italy, will become the new chief executive of Belfe.
Avirex, an international group with multiple investors which is mainly known for the military garments it produced in the USA during and after World War II, has performed particularly well in Italy. Hangar, a Milan-based firm in which Cionti acts as a partner and as chief executive, will also have a European license for one of Avirex’ main lines, called C&MT for Civilian & Military Tailors, starting next January.
Meditex International, an investment fund that took the over control of Belfe from the Festa family in 2003, says it chose this solution because of Cionti’s entrepreneurial abilities in leading a company with a strong historical heritage to perform in today’s markets. He takes over just as Marco Zonchella’s contract as chief executive is expiring.
Zonchella is credited for having lowered Belfe’s cost base. Its skiwear has suffered from the poor snow conditions of the past two years, but its Spring/Summer 2008 collections enjoyed a 30 percent sales increase.
