Freddy turns 50 and focuses on teamwear

Freddy's payoff - The art of movement - expresses not only its closeness to the world of sport, but also the very philosophy of the company, founded 50 years ago by Carlo Freddi, who is still solidly at the helm: the ability to interpret the movements, the evolutions, of the market, of technology and of the style of sportswear.

Founded in 1976 in Chiavari, where it still has its headquarters, Freddy experienced its first major expansion when it caught the aerobics boom in the 1980s: "Gyms, previously an almost exclusively male world, were opening up to women for the first time. And we, with our creations that already combined technique and style, were in the right place at the right time," says Carlo Freddi, who, with his observational skills, has grasped another fast-expanding segment, on which Freddy is in fact focusing.

"We have created a new division dedicated to teamwear, serving sports clubs directly, with which we will produce uniforms for the Gymnastics Federation of Italia, with which we have had a partnership since 2002, recently renewed, and the Italian Volleyball Federation," he explains. "The world of sport has great potential, the number of gyms is increasing, young people are rediscovering these spaces and taking care of their bodies from both an aesthetic and health point of view. This strategy also includes the recent acquisition of Sigoa, a company in Lissone (Monza-Brianza) specialising in the production of high-quality leotards for men's and women's artistic gymnastics, known for its ability to combine style and performance: 'These are tailored creations, embellished with embroidery and crystals, which we had difficulty producing but which represent a very promising niche, especially abroad, and which we were interested in presiding over,' the entrepreneur continues.

Freddy is also appreciated for its propensity for research and innovation, which in these 50 years has generated several patents, such as that of the Wr.Up trousers, a great 'lifestyle' success: 'The theme of wearability is crucial,' notes Freddi. 'We have great know-how in this sense and the market recognises it. In March, we received approval for a new international patent, again related to the trousers, which is our core product: two bands made of a special silicone will prevent them from dropping, as often unfortunately happens after particularly complex exercises. And in 2027 we will also launch a new seamless technology, for products without seams, but only heat-sealed, which we believe will be very useful for athletes'.

The creations of the teamwear division, like the others, originate in the style office housed in a 15th century villa in the hills of Verona, and are then made entirely in Italia: 'In our sector, I would say that we are the only ones to do so,' explains the entrepreneur. 'Of course, sportswear in general and in the strict sense, traditional, has lost market, but our formula, linked even more closely to sport, works, also because we work hard on building our own community. Competition is not only with prices, but also and above all with the substance of the products. With a turnover of around 30 million today, we expect growth of 7%. We are present in 50 countries, Italia remains the first market and we are reorganising others that are more affected by the crisis, such as the United States. And we are also evaluating the acquisition of other prestigious companies in our world, which can enrich our history and our vision'.