White Mountaineering
Japanese designer outdoor brand White Mountaineering announced that its founder and creative director, Yosuke Aizawa, will step down from his role, effective March 31.
The Fall/Winter 2026 collection, scheduled to be presented during Paris Fashion Week on January 24, will be the final collection overseen by Aizawa. Thereafter, the brand will continue operations under the leadership of other members of its management team.
Born in 1977 in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, Yosuke Aizawa graduated from Tama Art University with a major in textile and dyeing design before joining Comme des Garçons, founded by Rei Kawakubo. He established White Mountaineering in the Fall/Winter 2006 season, building the brand around the core philosophy that “all scenes involving clothing are outdoor scenes,” and creating collections that integrate strong design sensibility with practicality and technological functionality.
Aizawa has not disclosed his future plans. He only stated, “At this milestone moment, as I look back on the path I have walked, I also feel a strong desire to challenge the new mountain before me. Therefore, I have decided to move forward into the next chapter of my life with a renewed mindset. Here, I would like to extend my most sincere thanks to everyone who has walked alongside me over the years, as well as to all those who have continuously supported me.”
K-Way
French outdoor apparel brand K-Way, owned by Italian fashion group BasicNet, announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Luca Lo Curzio, has stepped down. Kenny Wilson (pictured below) has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer.
Kenny Wilson is currently a board member of the company and brings more than 30 years of experience in the brand industry. He has held leadership positions at companies including Levi’s and Dr. Martens, with over 15 years of cumulative experience serving as a chief executive officer. Most recently, he served as CEO of Dr. Martens for seven years.
Lo Curzio joined K-Way in February 2025 and previously served as Chief Executive Officer of Jil Sander. He has more than 20 years of experience in the retail and luxury industries and has held positions at L’Oreal, Danone, Bain & Company, Luxottica, and Zegna since 2001.
Under Armour
American sportswear brand Under Armour announced a series of executive appointments:
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Kara Trent has been appointed Chief Merchandising Officer;
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Adam Peake has been named President of the Americas;
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Yassine Saidi will no longer serve as Chief Product Officer and will transition to the role of Senior Advisor.
In her new role, Kara Trent will be responsible for category management and go-to-market initiatives across Under Armour’s global product portfolio. Her responsibilities include overseeing product line architecture, assortment planning, and channel segmentation, with a focus on improving item-level profitability, aligning product investment more precisely with consumer demand, and enhancing profitability across markets and channels.
Kara Trent previously served as President of the Americas, Under Armour’s largest market, where she focused on driving profitable growth, strengthening market discipline, and improving omnichannel performance. Prior to that, she held the position of General Manager for the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region.
In his new role, Adam Peake will oversee the company’s operations across North and South America, including market strategy development, distribution network expansion, and omnichannel growth planning. He has more than 25 years of leadership experience, including 16 years at Under Armour, during which he held multiple senior management roles across U.S. sales, global marketing, footwear, and sports category management.
Going forward, Yassine Saidi will focus on brand design expression and creative coherence, continuing to support the long-term development of the brand’s design philosophy. Since joining Under Armour in 2024 as Chief Product Officer, Saidi has helped refine the brand’s design language and strengthen functional expression across products and platforms.
North Sails Apparel
Italian sportswear brand North Sails Apparel has appointed Cédric Georges as Chief Executive Officer.
Following his appointment, Cédric Georges will be based in Milan, succeeding the departing Victor Duran.
Cédric Georges previously served as head of outdoor apparel brand Odlo. He joined North Sails Apparel’s parent company, North Technology Group, in 2024 as Chief Executive Officer of the Netherlands-based North Actionsports Group, a leading player in the kitesurfing, windsurfing, and wakeboarding equipment sector.
Going forward, he will concurrently serve as President and Chief Executive Officer of both North Sails Apparel and North Actionsports Group.
North Sails was founded in California in 1957 by Lowell North and entered the apparel business in 1989 through a licensing agreement signed in Italy. U.S. private equity firm Oakley Capital Investments (OCI) acquired North Sails in 2014 and subsequently took control of the entire North Technology Group business. In 2022, the group further acquired the apparel division operated by Italian marine specialist Tomasoni Topsail.
｜Sources: official press releases, FashionNetwork, Fashionsnap
｜Image Credit: brand official websites, personal social media accounts
｜Editor: LeZhi
