Aquascutum Active posts 66% growth, readies womenswear launch for spring/summer 2027

Aquascutum Active, the sportswear line of the historic British brand founded in 1851 by John Emary (now owned by China’s Shandong Ruyi Group), ended 2025 with turnover of €6 million (40% generated in Italy), up 66.7% on the previous year. Launched in 2023, the line was conceived by Rome-based company Icon, which holds the manufacturing and distribution licence.

“We proposed to the parent company that we take this heritage brand into advanced sportswear by using technical fabrics, more modern fits, and high-performance, sustainable, non-animal padding,” explains Damiano Ferretti, owner of Icon, to FashionNetwork.com. “The collection includes outerwear, with both urban and sportier lines; our plan is to introduce professional sports apparel- football, for example- by creating a dedicated division. For now, the line is menswear only, but already 20% of our clientele is female, who appreciate our more genderless offerings; for SS 2027 we will introduce a dedicated womenswear capsule.”

Starting with a focus on outerwear, over time Aquascutum Active-whose production is split between the Mediterranean basin (Italy, Albania, Turkey, Tunisia) and China- has evolved increasingly towards a total look: the AW 2026-27 collection comprises 120 styles, 30% of which are outerwear. Positioned in the premium segment, prices range from €250 to €800 for jackets, €55 to €85 for T-shirts, and €80 to €130 for polo shirts.

“We aim for a premium segment but with competitive prices,” the entrepreneur notes. “Today we are in 450 upper-mid to high-end stores, 280 of them in Italy. Internationally, we are present in the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France, Spain, and Eastern Europe; within a couple of seasons we aim for full coverage of Europe. In addition, we are entering Japan and North America, and we have a direct e-commerce site operating worldwide, which accounts for 15% of sales and is growing rapidly.”

From a stylistic perspective, starting with AW 2026-27 Aquascutum Active has begun a collaboration with Alessandro Pungetti, a leading figure in advanced sportswear, which is set to continue in the coming seasons. In addition, at Pitti Uomo 109 the brand is presenting a capsule with Societas, the label founded by Mirko Borsche, a designer recognised globally for redefining the relationship between football, fashion and visual culture.

The project draws on a creative universe deeply connected to English football, not as a mere sport but as a cultural phenomenon. As part of the collaboration, the trench coat- an emblem of Aquascutum Active- is reimagined through contemporary materials and construction: the silhouette meets a softshell bonded with fleece, creating a technical yet sophisticated garment designed for modern urban life; inside, custom heat-sealed seams carry the brand’s logotype as a hidden detail.

In addition, the historic Club Check is reinterpreted through a secondary colour palette of red, white, and navy, while the football shirt, a central element of the capsule, takes inspiration from England’s mid-1990s away kit: a contemporary reinterpretation filtered through the graphic rigour and visual sensibility of Aquascutum Active and Societas.