May 2025 marked a noteworthy milestone: sixty years of life for K-Way, the lightweight, foldable rain jacket that millions of people around the world have slipped into their backpacks or tied around their waists at least once before heading out.
An idea born in the rain
It all began in Paris in May 1964. Léon-Claude Duhamel, a young entrepreneur, was sitting at a table at the Café de la Paix and watching passers-by rushing through the rain. Umbrellas were turning inside out, jackets were heavy and uncomfortable. Then he noticed a woman with two children, dressed in red nylon, which was light and dry.
The idea came suddenly: to create a waterproof jacket that was comfortable, practical, and foldable into a pocket. From that moment on, the K-Way – then called “en cas de,” meaning “in case of rain” – took shape. The final name originated from a marketing insight: the ‘K’ recalls the French sound of ‘cas’, and the word ‘Way’ was chosen simply because it sounded nicaly and international.
It was an instant success. In the first few months, 250,000 pieces were sold, and in just a few years, sales exceeded one million. It became so popular that the name “K-Way” ended up in dictionaries around the world, as a synonym for a lightweight, rainproof jacket.
From glory to crisis
In the 1970s and 1980s, the brand experienced rapid growth, expanding beyond France. K-Way became a symbol of urban sportswear, and over time, the range of colours, styles and collections multiplied. However, not all seasons are favourable. In the 1990s, international competition became fierce; a fire destroyed the main factory, and the brand entered a period of crisis. Sales plummeted, the company changed ownership several times, and, for a period, K-Way virtually disappeared from shop windows.
A recovery Made in Italy
In 2004, Italy entered the scene. Marco Boglione, a Turin-based entrepreneur and founder of the BasicNet holding company, decided to invest € 8 million to purchase the brand, which had not sold a single jacket in years. It was a bold move, but not a new one for him: he had already successfully relaunched historic brands such as Kappa, Robe di Kappa, and Jesus Jeans.
K-Way poses a different challenge: to revive a forgotten icon and make it trendy again. Since then, the brand has found a new lease of life. Based in Turin, the heart of the BasicNet group, K-Way is now a global company with a presence in 90 countries and operates over 100 single-brand stores worldwide.
The relaunch focused on three key pillars: maintaining the original design, innovating with new materials, and forging partnerships with the fashion world. Thus, in recent years, the jacket created for “en cas de pluie” has made its way to the catwalks through partnerships with brands such as Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Saint Laurent, Comme des Garçons, and Versace.
The distinctive feature has always remained the same: the zip with blue, yellow and orange stripes, registered as a trademark in 2006. It is the detail that conveys continuity between past and present and makes even the most technical or sophisticated version of the jacket instantly recognisable.
A new generation at the helm
In 2024, BasicNet welcomed Marco Boglione’s sons, Alessandro and Lorenzo, into K-Way’s governance, continuing the brand’s family leadership. In the same year, the Permira private equity fund acquired a 40% stake in the company, aiming to accelerate growth in both the Asian and American markets. It is a clear sign: K-Way still has a lot to say, even outside Europe.
Today, the brand is worth around half a billion euros, and it is a prime example of how Italian manufacturing can enhance, reinterpret and relaunch brands that originated elsewhere. Because in this case, “Italian” does not just refer to where something is produced, but also to how it is conceived: in terms of vision, management and the way tradition and innovation coexist.
Sixty years of lightness and vision
The sixtieth anniversary, celebrated in 2025, is not just a symbolic occasion. It is the culmination – and at the same time a new beginning – of a story in which rain has never been an obstacle, but an opportunity to create something new.
K-Way continues its journey, proving that even a garment designed to “save you from a storm” can become a cultural icon that crosses generations and borders.
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