Latest news with #KihachiroOnitsuka
Fibre2Fashion
10-07-2025
- Business
- Fibre2Fashion
Japan's ASICS to launch Onitsuka innovative factory in January 2026
ASICS Corporation announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, SANIN ASICS Industry Corporation—a domestic shoe manufacturing facility—will be renamed Onitsuka Innovative Factory Corporation effective 1 January 2026 and will become a dedicated production base for Onitsuka Tiger, the fashion brand within the ASICS Corporation portfolio. The newly branded facility is scheduled to begin operations in January 2026 and aims to become a world-class hub for innovation and craftsmanship. This transformation marks a return to the roots of the ASICS story. The company was originally founded in 1949 as Onitsuka Co., Ltd. by Kihachiro Onitsuka, who had the ambition to uplift people through sport and movement. In 1977, the company adopted the name ASICS, an acronym for Anima Sana In Corpore Sano—A Sound Mind In A Sound Body. In 2002, the Onitsuka name was revived with the launch of Onitsuka Tiger as a fashion brand. Today, it represents a fusion of Japanese heritage and contemporary design, with a global presence through flagship stores and digital platforms. The transformation of the factory into a dedicated Onitsuka Tiger production site is intended to establish a vertically integrated production system that includes planning and development capabilities, while also strengthening collaboration with the ASICS Institute of Sport Science (ISS) and the Onitsuka Tiger Design Center in Milan. ASICS will rename its SANIN ASICS factory to Onitsuka Innovative Factory Corporation from January 1, 2026, making it a dedicated production base for Onitsuka Tiger. The revamped facility will focus on innovation, premium product lines, Japanese craftsmanship, and talent development, while also supporting regional revitalisation and celebrating ASICS' heritage. The factory will undergo a significant interior and exterior renovation. Plans also include the creation of an Onitsuka Tiger Gallery (tentative name), showcasing the brand's history, iconic archive shoes, and notable collaborations. The Onitsuka Innovative Factory will focus on the following strategic initiatives: Expansion of high-value product lines, including the premium 'NIPPON MADETM' series and the formal/business-oriented 'THE ONITSUKATM' series. Enhancement of product competitiveness through Japanese craftsmanship, emphasising meticulous detailing and specialised techniques not easily replicated in overseas mass production. Systematisation of skill transfer, technical support for overseas factories, and the expansion of training programs for production and technology talent. Establishment of a global talent hub, including hosting the Onitsuka Tiger Global Product Conference. In addition, the facility will support regional revitalisation through initiatives such as offering workplace experience programmes and creating spaces for community interaction and engagement. As ASICS approaches its 100th anniversary, this initiative reflects a renewed commitment to the values on which it was founded. By investing in innovation, craftsmanship, and community, ASICS honours its legacy while shaping the future of fashion and movement. Note: The headline, insights, and image of this press release may have been refined by the Fibre2Fashion staff; the rest of the content remains unchanged. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)
Fashion Network
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Onitsuka Tiger grandly opens its Yellow concept on the Champs-Elysées
Onitsuka Tiger loves the Champs-Elysées. One year after bringing the 19th-century mansion at number 25 Avenue to life during the Olympic Games to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Japanese brand is back in a big way, in yellow and black. This July, the label founded in Kobe by Kihachiro Onitsuka, who later gave birth to Asics in 1977, inaugurates a flagship store in which it deploys its Yellow concept over 500 square meters in the building built for the sultry Marquise de Païva. After inaugurating a London flagship with its Red concept a few weeks ago, the brand is now offering its most cutting-edge universe in Paris, designed by Milanese architecture studio Dini Cataldi. The space extends over two levels. At the entrance, after descending a few steps, the brand's latest creative proposals, mixing premium sneakers and leather shoes with contemporary style, are displayed in transparent yellow Plexiglas columns and on two white neon-lit walls, playing off the black glossy floor. A spacious café adds to the brand experience. Another flight of bright yellow steps leads to a second room with a high arcade ceiling. Here, visitors discover the latest sports-inspired collections, such as the Japan-produced model of the Mexico 66TM NM interpreted in blue-white-red for the occasion, or the brand's perfume. They then wander through a maze of the brand's textile collections on display in Milan, leading to a former vault converted into a fitting room. While Onitsuka Tiger already has a store in the Les Halles district, this flagship store at the foot of the touristy Champs-Elysées avenue marks the brand's evolution in recent years. "Our Les Halles store is much smaller. When it first opened, we were much more focused on the brand's sporting heritage. But today, as a fashion brand, we're growing to, let's say, capture the trend and present the contemporary type of footwear," explained brand boss, Ryoji Shoda, at the flagship's inauguration. "And then, if we were to develop this part, we obviously need a larger surface area to accommodate a large number of customers with different tastes." The avant-garde design of the premises is a clear departure from the brand's previous Paris-based universe, a sign of the brand's turnaround a few years ago, first in Asia, then in Europe in recent months. The brand is on the offensive, offering a cultural and lifestyle immersion that highlights its positioning announced for 2019 in its direct sales outlets, after having considerably reorganized its distribution in recent years to focus on its flagships. After Barcelona and London, given the European economic climate, the brand is likely to limit openings on the Old Continent in the coming months. "We think the important markets in Europe have been covered for now," explained the brand's general manager. "Being in these cities allows us to be in contact with European customers who travel. For us, however, it's not just about opening stores. We've done a lot of work on our e-commerce, and our business is flourishing, enabling us to sell all over Europe." Between Milan, where the brand will continue to parade, Barcelona, London and Paris, Onitsuka Tiger has major flags in Europe's tourist capitals. It could strengthen its market positions through relationships with certain department stores. In fact, Europe is gaining in importance, as is the United States for the brand, which still relies primarily on its business in Asia, particularly China and Japan. According to Shoda, the brand's turnover is 120 billion yen (705 million euros), almost double that of six years ago, with sales of its heritage range still accounting for the majority of its sales, and generating substantial profitability.
Fashion Network
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Fashion Network
Onitsuka Tiger grandly opens its Yellow concept on the Champs-Elysées
Onitsuka Tiger loves the Champs-Elysées. One year after bringing the 19th-century mansion at number 25 Avenue to life during the Olympic Games to celebrate its 75th anniversary, the Japanese brand is back in a big way, in yellow and black. This July, the label founded in Kobe by Kihachiro Onitsuka, who later gave birth to Asics in 1977, inaugurates a flagship store in which it deploys its Yellow concept over 500 square meters in the building built for the sultry Marquise de Païva. After inaugurating a London flagship with its Red concept a few weeks ago, the brand is now offering its most cutting-edge universe in Paris, designed by Milanese architecture studio Dini Cataldi. The space extends over two levels. At the entrance, after descending a few steps, the brand's latest creative proposals, mixing premium sneakers and leather shoes with contemporary style, are displayed in transparent yellow Plexiglas columns and on two white neon-lit walls, playing off the black glossy floor. A spacious café adds to the brand experience. Another flight of bright yellow steps leads to a second room with a high arcade ceiling. Here, visitors discover the latest sports-inspired collections, such as the Japan-produced model of the Mexico 66TM NM interpreted in blue-white-red for the occasion, or the brand's perfume. They then wander through a maze of the brand's textile collections on display in Milan, leading to a former vault converted into a fitting room. While Onitsuka Tiger already has a store in the Les Halles district, this flagship store at the foot of the touristy Champs-Elysées avenue marks the brand's evolution in recent years. "Our Les Halles store is much smaller. When it first opened, we were much more focused on the brand's sporting heritage. But today, as a fashion brand, we're growing to, let's say, capture the trend and present the contemporary type of footwear," explained brand boss, Ryoji Shoda, at the flagship's inauguration. "And then, if we were to develop this part, we obviously need a larger surface area to accommodate a large number of customers with different tastes." The avant-garde design of the premises is a clear departure from the brand's previous Paris-based universe, a sign of the brand's turnaround a few years ago, first in Asia, then in Europe in recent months. The brand is on the offensive, offering a cultural and lifestyle immersion that highlights its positioning announced for 2019 in its direct sales outlets, after having considerably reorganized its distribution in recent years to focus on its flagships. After Barcelona and London, given the European economic climate, the brand is likely to limit openings on the Old Continent in the coming months. "We think the important markets in Europe have been covered for now," explained the brand's general manager. "Being in these cities allows us to be in contact with European customers who travel. For us, however, it's not just about opening stores. We've done a lot of work on our e-commerce, and our business is flourishing, enabling us to sell all over Europe." Between Milan, where the brand will continue to parade, Barcelona, London and Paris, Onitsuka Tiger has major flags in Europe's tourist capitals. It could strengthen its market positions through relationships with certain department stores. In fact, Europe is gaining in importance, as is the United States for the brand, which still relies primarily on its business in Asia, particularly China and Japan. According to Shoda, the brand's turnover is 120 billion yen (705 million euros), almost double that of six years ago, with sales of its heritage range still accounting for the majority of its sales, and generating substantial profitability.
