MILAN — Roberto Compagno, president and chief executive officer of Slowear, has died at age 62, the fashion company revealed on Wednesday via a brief statement without specifying the cause of death.
The executive was the son of Carlo Compagno, who in 1951 founded the Venice-based high-end fashion company, parent to pants-maker Incotex; Zanone knitwear; Glanshirt shirtmaker, and Montedoro outerwear labels as well as Officina Slowear accessories and footwear.
An affable, down-to-earth executive, Compagno spearheaded the growth of the company, which in 2018 sold a minority interest to Nuo Capital, an investment vehicle backed by Hong Kong’s Pao Cheng family.
“A brave innovator and entrepreneur, Roberto Compagno, together with his brother Marzio, led and brought Incotex at the top of the market, respected and recognized as the brand offering the best trousers in the world,” read the statement. “His talent and his predisposition to change have led the group to constantly update itself in order to face the challenges of the times.”
A strong believer in delivering experience through brick-and-mortar stores, Compagno oversaw the retail expansion of Slowear, which counts more than 30 stores in the world’s main shopping capitals, including Milan, Florence, London, Paris, New York City, Munich, Tokyo and Seoul, as well as key international department stores.
For instance, the company unveiled last year a new store concept on Milan’s Via Solferino, where it already operated a more traditional flagship. Named Slowear 18, the experiential shop combines a retail area, carrying a range of urban and activewear garments including outerwear by Arc’Teryx, mountain-ready footwear by Roa and technical performance apparel by Isaora, with a mixology bar and café.
In 2020, Slowear also inaugurated shops in Hamburg, Chicago and New York’s Brooklyn.
