Eastpak’s iconic daypack has been and still is a hot item in Europe, thanks notably to the efforts of a dynamic French-based distributor, Kostia Belkin, in the 1990s. It also enjoys a strong popularity in Asia, which was the first export market for the brand. Founded in Boston in 1952 and acquired by VF Corp. in 2000, it added a line of wheeled travel bags in 1999. Targeting mainly the fashion and lifestyle segments of the market, Eastpak has now launched a dedicated U.S. internet platform, us.eastpak.com, after being marketed in the U.S. by global e-tailers like Asos and Ssense, in addition to a few selected retailers. The brand’s expansion in the U.S. is being led by Nina Flood, a 17-year veteran of VF who was made president of Eastpak last year, after working for Nautica and Kipling. Since the beginning of this year, she has also been responsible for a more technical VF brand of backpacks, JanSport, which is already well distributed in the U.S.

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