Kappa designs innovative, high performing sport inspired products for those who need to exteriorize their cultural closeness to the sport both during sport activities and everyday life. All without giving up the Italian style and technology.
1956 – How it started
In 1956, the letter K appears on the socks produced by Maglificio Calzificio torinese, the Vitale family’s historic company. K stands for "Kontrollen," the German word for special attention to quality control. This decision, which later proved to be brilliant, stemmed from the return to the factory of a batch of defective socks. What initially was just a way to signal quality soon became the Kappa brand symbol.
1969 – The Omini logo
The perfect image to represent Robe di Kappa’s soul was taken during a photo shoot for Beatrix, another Vitale family’s brand. A backlighting picture of the silhouette of a boy and a girl, sitting back-to-back. This picture, who has later renamed “Omini”, soon became the brand emblematic Logo.
Kappa’s young CEO Maurizio Vitale approached Giampiero Boniperti, president of Juventus FC, proposing Kappa as the team's sponsor. The Omini logo appeared on the team's jerseys: it was the first time in Italian sports’ history. A revolution for the brand and for the whole sports universe.
1984 – The 222 Banda wins it all
The worldwide recognition of Kappa arrived in 1984, when the iconic Kappa 222 Banda appeared on the U.S. Track and Field Team’s Jersey during the Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Athletes like Carl Lewis and Edwin Moses won wearing the BANDA: from that moment, this iconic style became a must both in sport and in lifestyle.
The Kombat jersey, introduced for the Italian football team for Euro 2000, has been a game changer. A skin-tight garment that transformed sports uniforms’ design with its innovative elastic system. The Kombat jersey first revolutionized football, then all other sports.
2011 – Kappa conquers the ski slopes
Kappa also plays a prominent role in the world of skiing, sponsoring important federations and providing garments who have become not only icons of sport design and functionality, but also a fashion statement.
2016 – Kappa, a sport contamination in lifestyle
Since 2016, through the collections of Gosha Rubchinskiy and Marcelo Burlon, Kappa's iconic 222 BANDA and Omini logo have begun to contaminate the lifestyle world. From that moment, the brand has repeatedly confirmed this trend towards design and fashion, especially through collaborations with sports entities that focus not only on practicality but also on style.
2019 – Logo Omini anniversary
Kappa celebrated Omini’s 50th anniversary at Art Basel in Miami with a performance that reimagined the iconic logo throughout 50 different iterations. A way to homage to the brand's enduring legacy, and to cast a look towards its future.
Since 2016, Kappa has signed numerous collaborations, including with Marcelo Burlon, Juicy Couture, Palace, and others, solidifying its position in contemporary lifestyle. Each partnership serves as a testament to creativity and individuality, celebrating the fusion of cultures and trends through original and liberating garments.
Throughout its journey, Kappa has transformed mistakes into opportunities, consistently embracing innovation, collaboration, and the spirit of revolution. From a manufacturing error to a globally recognized brand, Kappa has left an indelible mark on the worlds of sportswear, fashion and art.