A First for StockX, Gucci’s New Course, Kappa’s U.S. Deal – WWD

A FIRST: StockX has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of Damien Hooper-Campbell as the company’s first chief impact officer.

Hooper-Campbell held similar roles at companies such as Google, Uber, Goldman Sachs and, most recently, eBay and Zoom, where he served as the first chief diversity officer, and brings more than 20 years of experience in culture, leadership development, DE&I, social impact and community engagement to StockX.

In his new role, he will oversee diversity, equity and inclusion, environmental, social and community engagement initiatives globally, and will be responsible for enhancing the company’s DE&I strategy from workforce, workplace and marketplace perspectives. He will also manage community relations and partnerships and environmental, social and governance reporting, among other areas.

“StockX aims to empower everyone to connect to culture through their passions and I look forward to employing that ethos — one rooted in access and inclusivity — to my work in this new and ever important role,” Hooper-Campbell said in a statement. “Not only do I have experience that I believe will build on an already strong foundation across core areas like social impact and DEI, but as a longtime sneaker collector and an avid user of the platform, I know firsthand the customer perspective and also intend to apply that lens to drive impact for the business and for the broader StockX community.”

Hooper-Campbell is StockX chief executive officer Scott Cutler’s seventh C-suite hire since joining the company in 2019. He said about Hooper-Campbell in a statement: “Damien’s knowledge and passion for developing high-growth company cultures will allow us to take our DEI and social impact work to the next level, while also positioning the platform for the future. He brings a wealth of experience to the table, but equally as important, has a demonstrated history of turning passion into advocacy and action and I look forward to seeing that come to life at StockX.”

This appointment comes months after StockX acquired inventory management company Scout for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition was the company’s first major purchase. — OBI ANYANWU

GUCCI’S CASE STUDY: Strengthening its partnership with Gucci that began in 2018, Polimoda is teaming with the Kering-owned luxury brand on a new master course debuting in the fall that will focus on fashion retail and omnichannel management.

The Florence-based fashion school said the course reflects the evolution of shopping habits and the increased importance of omnichannel strategies to integrate brick-and-mortar retail with online operations.

“Fashion brands are now facing new challenges to win over consumers. An elegant shop, an online store window full of products and an influencer post are no longer enough. Everyone wants what they cannot find, something exclusive. Luxury shoppers desire unique and unforgettable experiences both online and offline,” said Massimiliano Giornetti, director of Polimoda.

“Thanks to the collaboration with Gucci, this master’s course will prepare a new generation of professionals in omnichannel retail, capable of guiding brands with content creation and innovative experiences for consumers,” he said.

Gucci has been ramping up its efforts on this front with such initiatives as its Gucci 9 global client service, the Gucci Osteria franchise seen as instrumental in luring consumers in store while providing digital activations, such as the Gucci Vault platform and a recent venture into metaverse territory, as reported.

“Omnichannel is playing an increasingly central role in fashion and luxury brands strategies. At Gucci, we have been working for years to offer our customers an immersive and seamless experience, integrating the physical and digital realms as much as possible. We are therefore delighted to continue our collaboration with Polimoda and contribute to the training of a new generation of talents who, more than ever, will be called upon to anticipate and interpret the changes in the world of luxury retail,” noted Oscar Mariani, Gucci’s senior vice president of omnichannel operations and performance.

Divided into four learning modules, the nine-month academic course will tackle topics spanning from the state of the luxury fashion business to retail management in an omnichannel environment, as well store concepts. At the end of the course, students will be eligible for internships and job opportunities at the Kering-owned luxury brand.

The course will be officially presented to future students and the public during a webinar hosted by Polimoda on May 23 with speakers including Mariani and Francesco Falai, Gucci’s SVP, global people and retail business functions, as well as former Polimoda students now working at the fashion house. — MARTINO CARRERA

SUIT UP: Kappa, the Italian sportswear and accessories brand, has unveiled a multiyear sponsorship deal with the U.S. ski, freeski and snowboard teams. Kappa will become the official partner, marking an important step since it is the first time that a brand of outerwear and racing suits will appear on the uniforms of all three U.S. Ski & Snowboard national teams.

Indeed, this year Volcom became the official outfitter of the U.S snowboard team for the 2022 edition of the Winter Games in Beijing, while Spyder dressed the U.S. ski team during the World Cup circuit in 2019.

Lorenzo Boglione, vice president of BasicNet, the company that owns Kappa, said: “It is an honor for us to enter into a long-term partnership with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard team, for Kappa this is an important occasion and a fantastic return to sponsorship of a U.S. national federation, as was the case with USA track and field from 1982 to 1988. We are really proud to dress these incredible athletes. It will be formidable to be together at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.”

The partnership is set to start from the 2022-2023 season and Kappa will continue to be the U.S. Ski & Snowboard teams’ official outfitter also in 2026 for the Winter Olympics, held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and at the Winter Games in 2030. The Italian sportswear brand will be providing technical suits to the American national team in all domestic competitions and during the FIS World Cup events.

“The opportunity to have a single supplier of outerwear for all our teams will allow us to optimize every aspect of this partnership, making the most of its potential. Furthermore, the Kappa Research & Development center will offer important technical advantages to our athletes as they focus on the next season, on the 2026 Winter Olympics and subsequent years,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard federation.

Kappa was founded in Turin in 1967 and is known for its Kombat jersey and the signature logo of the “Omini di Kappa,” which appears today on the uniforms of the best football clubs’ players, Formula 1 drivers and is worn by athletes all over the world. — ALICE MONORCHIO

SHOES FOR SHOES: Mindful of the demand from Millennials and Gen Zers for circularity, luxury footwear brand Sergio Rossi is launching a new circular payment method on its e-commerce site.

The brand has partnered with Twig, a London-based fintech and banking services app, and it will implement Twig Pay among its payment options, allowing customers to trade their purchases and turn them into currency to finance future shopping sessions of pre-owned fashion on the Twig resale platform.

Essentially, in sync with circularity, each purchase on the Sergio Rossi e-commerce site will generate a credit to be spent on secondhand goods. In the second phase of the partnership’s rollout, NFTs and cryptocurrencies will also be allowed in the transactions.

“I strongly believe in this partnership and in the services that Twig offers to customers, especially for Gen Z and Millennials, always evolving their approach in purchasing and resale — especially for those iconic brands’ goods with so much heritage to express — always in an innovative way,” said Sergio Rossi’s chief executive officer Riccardo Sciutto.

“Twig is a futuristic way of shopping, able to support the circular economy with the ability to generate value for all the shareholders involved in the transaction. For a high-end brand like Sergio Rossi, this partnership allows customers to evaluate what they buy not only in terms of brand value but also as a container of values, such as timelessness, quality and authenticity,” he added.

As reported, Twig raised $35 million in a Series A financing round last January, spearheaded by fintech specialist Fasanara Capital and supported by a group of “undisclosed strategic investors,” which according to the company include current and former executives from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Balmain, Tod’s, Swarovski, L’Oréal, Barclays, Goldman Sachs and Scalapay.

Since launching in July 2021, Twig has been setting itself apart by following a “personal finance model” instead of a traditional resale model, offering users the ability to receive instant payments when they list a pre-loved item from their wardrobes. The app also offers mobile banking benefits, including a Visa card that can facilitate both domestic and international transactions.

“Sergio Rossi is the epitome of innovation in the luxury fashion space and we are proud to partner in delivering the next generation of payment services based on circularity and conscious shopping. We hope to delight our large Gen Z following with this exciting proposition,” said Geri Cupi, CEO and founder of Twig. — M.C.