Kappa (company)

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BasicNet S.p.A.
Image:kappa.jpg
Type Private
Founded 1916
Headquarters Turin
Key people • Marco Daniele Boglione, Administration Council President and Massimo Boidi, President
Industry Textile
Products Footwear
Revenue 16 millions
Website www.basicnet.com

Kappa is an Italian clothing company that started as a sock and underwear manufacturer in 1916 in Torino (Turin).

Contents

[edit] Logo

A silhouette of a man and woman sitting back to back supporting each other. Its origin is described on Kappa's website:

http://www.kappastore.com/UK/help.asp?testo=228&lingua=uk&Tipohelp=A&rif=20

[edit] Company structure

Kappa and its sister brands are owned by the holding company BasicNet.

[edit] Brands

  • Kappa
  • Robe di Kappa or RdK®
  • Jesus Jeans
  • Superga®
  • K-Way®

Kappa is a corporate sponsor of world football; their boots are worn on many pitches by players throughout the world. The company also is the current kit supplier for the Italy national rugby union team.

[edit] Football teams who have Kappa as kit sponsor

[edit] National teams

[edit] Club teams

[edit] Popular culture

In the United Kingdom, Kappa-brand clothing is associated with the chav subculture, so called Kappa Slappers. The term comes from British magazine Viz which includes a character called Tasha Slappa, an exaggerated teenage female chav. [1] (The character was originally called "Kappa Slappa" until the Kappa company filed a lawsuit against Viz.

Also, in North America the brand is associated with Gino culture: young men (and women) of European descent who wear the Kappa sweatsuits and a lot of baby blue, have Invicta backpacks, and spike their hair. They also listen to "Ginobeats" - loud, pulsing club music.

Canadian singer Jason McCoy wears a beach hat with the Kappa logo on it as part of his gimmick with The Road Hammers.

Popular Glaswegian band Mogwai often wear Kappa clothing, recorded a song titled "Kappa" on the Album "Come On Die Young", and were rumored to have been sponsored by Kappa at one point.

[edit] See also


[edit] References

  1. ^ Billen, Andrew. "Common problem" (HTML), New Statesman, 2005-02-28. Retrieved on February 24, 2007.

[edit] External links

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