Kappa appoints French executive Rémi Garnier as chief commercial officer

Kappa has appointed Rémi Garnier to lead its commercial operations. The French executive has spent the past fifteen years developing the Italian sportswear brand in France. He reports to Federico Trono, an experienced executive at BasicNet, the brand’s owner, who assumed the role of Kappa’s general manager in the spring.

In charge of the French market since 2023, Rémi Garnier joined the brand in 2010, when it was being developed by Kappa’s licensee in France, Sport Finance. BasicNet brought its French operations back in-house in 2019. Initially director of operations, he was promoted the following year to sales and marketing director, overseeing major French accounts, partnerships with professional football and rugby clubs (Stade Français, UBB, AS Monaco, OGC Nice, FC Metz…) and several high-profile initiatives. 

He also supported a number of projects in his capacity as country director for France, including a partnership with the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a football collaboration with McDonald’s, a sponsor of France’s Ligue 1, and initiatives with the Alpine motorsport team.

Under his leadership, Kappa has also expanded its lifestyle offering, entering into collaborations such as the recent tie-up with skate label Hélas, while spotlighting the brand’s premium line, Robe di Kappa.

Now refocused on the commercial side, the executive is tasked with consolidating the business of the brand founded in 1967, with the aim of strengthening ties with partners in existing markets, while also seizing new growth opportunities. Following the relaunch of the creative line Kappa Authentic, the brand has recently signed collaborations that are opening doors to new customers, including Acne Studios and the 433 digital football community.

Kappa is the biggest contributor to sales volume within the Boglione family’s BasicNet group, which includes K-Way, Superga, and Sebago. At the time of its first-half 2025 results, the brand boasted 1,173 points of sale worldwide under its own banner or in shop-in-shops. Over the first six months of the year, BasicNet reported a 4.3% increase in sales volume, across commercial activities and production licences, to 567 million euros.