Kappa has found a new outlet for its football archive: Superdry, a British fashion group focused on casual and lifestyle apparel. The two companies have signed a long-term co-branding agreement covering the design, development and distribution of apparel and footwear, with the first collection launching for the spring/summer 2027 season across the UK and select European markets.
For Kappa, an Italian sportswear and athleisure brand owned by BasicNet, the agreement creates an additional route into fashion-focused consumers through Superdry’s retail and distribution network. The brand traces back to Maglificio Calzificio Torinese, a Turin apparel maker founded in 1916; Kappa itself was created in 1978 and is best known today for its football heritage, its Omini logo and its presence across team sports and sports-inspired lifestyle apparel. Superdry’s design team has been working from the Kappa archive in Turin, combining the brand’s sporting heritage with Superdry’s approach to fit, fabrication and color.
The agreement makes Kappa the first sportswear name in Superdry’s licensing roster. Founder and chief executive Julian Dunkerton has struck two other collaborations in the past six months, with workwear label Stan Ray and streetwear brand Bench. Dunkerton called the Kappa archive “extraordinary” and said each brand in the portfolio has “its own DNA” without competing internally.
The deal comes as Kappa’s owner is on steadier footing.
BasicNet closed 2025 with consolidated revenue up 1.6 percent, its second consecutive year of growth. Superdry, by contrast, is still rebuilding after a sharp drop in sales, though it returned to profit in its most recent fiscal year.
Kappa’s success relies on a broader industry trend: retro football aesthetics and terrace-inspired sportswear have become increasingly visible, with brands ranging from adidas Originals and PUMA to Umbro drawing on archival designs and football heritage. For Superdry, this is a chance to tap into that heritage without building it from scratch.
