Replay: 35 years of denim
Replay – the iconic denim brand was founded 35 years ago, in 1981 by the Buziol family. In 2005, founder Claudio Buziol passed away, in 2010 the brothers Matteo and Massimo Sinigaglia became themajority stakeholders of the company with their Equibox Holding. Matteo Sinigaglia, who grew up in the nearby town of Padua, is happy to continue his late friend’s business:“If it hadn’t been for Replay, I wouldn’t be in this business,” he says. A visit at the brand’s headquarters in Asolo, Italy, where Barbara Russ spoke to Matteo Sinigaglia and Director Germany, Thomas Wirth.
Mr. Sinigaglia, how did you meet Claudio Buziol?
Matteo Sinigaglia(MS): We met outside of the business context. We were having fun together, going out. Organically, one thing led to another and we ended up working together. I was working in Asia, in the footwear business for a long time, which was my first contact with the fashion business. But I was always in love with denim. In 2001, the opportunity to cooperate with Replay in terms of footwear presented itself, and it became a great success. After he had passed, I got the opportunity to take a seat in the company and then later to buy it. My intuition told me to go for it. I would say it was a mixture of vision, passion and love for the brand.
What exactly is it?
MS: When you touch this new denim, it is super soft. With this, we moved the denim sense to another level. It is still a five-pocket jeans, made from denim, but the touch is even softer than silk.
TW: The touch is really incredible. Too bad it only exists for women so far. (laughs)
MS: Yes, that’s right. Women are very important to the world, because they are more disruptive in the way they buy. They are very open-minded. Therefore, we are very polite: Women first. (laughs)
TW: As we implemented Hyperflex in the market, we first thought about the women. But, looking at the turnover now, men have caught up and are now doing a big part of the sales. As I mentioned before, I am a denim collector, all my denims are very rough, heavy and stiff and I never thought
Hyperflex could be for me. But since the first time I wore it, I didn’t want to take it off again. Men are rethinking the way they dress and the importance of comfort in their everyday lives.
MS: If the innovation is real and original, if you’re the first to launch it, men and women will both recognise it. But women are usually faster. Women are smarter than men (laughs).
Which are your biggest markets and how do you target them differently?
MS: Europe is our biggest market and within Europe, it is Germany. We are lucky that we have a business which is easy to understand for everyone. Our product, denim, is worn by people in Zambia up to Norway. Our goal is to be a global brand with a local identity. We are proud of our culture about quality and with this we can reach people everywhere.
TW: Germany is a very tough market, a very challenging and competitive market and a very demanding consumer, very knowledgeable about the product. So once you pass the test in Germany, you can go anywhere.
And what brought you to Replay, Mr. Wirth?
Thomas Wirth(TW): I always liked the brand, I knew it since I was young. I’ve been working in the blue business for twenty years and I’m a denim collector myself. Five years ago, I had the opportunity to join Replay and for me there was no question, this was a dream come true. Of course, I wanted to join this historical company.
What does Replay mean to you?
MS: I would say that Replay merges the values of craftsmanship, tradition and innovation. This is where I see the consistency of the brand. It’s about how a product can be so individual that it becomes relevant to people. We’re looking for a disruptive view at the market. Not the look at what is going on at the market today is important to us, but what is and will be relevant for the people. Replay to me means a very consistent denim history, comprising precision, cultural values and maintaining a strong brand identity. And it has been like this for the last 35 years. We don’t change these values.
TW: If you look at the denim market today, there are not a lot of brands with such a strong history who continue this way of work while still managing to add innovation. For us, that’s a big driver and motivator to work in this business. We have kept true to our DNA for the last 35 years and that is the strength of Replay to me.
According to statistics, the Germans have the most pairs of jeans in their closets worldwide. Why do think that is?
TW: Historically, the first jeans were made by a German, Levi Strauss, so maybe it is in our genes? It surely has to do with the flexibility and ease that jeans offer. The way we dress in Germany, but also in the world, is no longer split between work and free time the way it used to be. There is no product which is easier to wear than a pair of denim. And it also changes with who is wearing it, it becomes a personal piece of art.
How do you approach sustainability in the denim business?
MS: There are two approaches to making more sustainable denim. One is consumption and the other is the use of water. So we were looking for a way to make no one pay for their rights. Everybody should have the right to clean water. We were one of the first to introduce technologies such as Laserblast in our process, with which we were able to reduce the use of water by almost 90 per cent. We substitute chemicals with technology. By using these refined industrial processes, we found a way not to make the end-consumer pay for the hidden costs of our production.
What is the most important innovation at the moment?
MS: Innovation for me is something that makes people’s lives better. So for me, innovation is self-sustaining. We never start innovation because of faults in our products – we are very good at doing denim – but to improve people’s lives. We are looking for the simplest ways to do that. I think we were pretty disruptive with our introduction of Hyperflex, not so much on our product, but on the market. The history of denim is relevant because of its changed use. Think about denim: it started as workwear, then it became a lifestyle item and then in the 70s it became a religion. Imagine a protestor, and you will see denim. Then it became a status quo and finally, a legend.
This iconic legend that denim is, makes it important to remain authentic when making and innovating jeans. The next evolution is about how to engage with people authentically but still giving them a new benefit. Our latest Innovation, coming out on 15th of November, is a disruptive new denim for women called ‘Touch’.
Testimonials are a big part of the Replay brand message. Neymar and Alessandra Ambrosio currently feature in the Replay ads for Hyperflex. How did you chose them?
MS: We are very happy to call them friends of Replay. We always look for people who are compatible with our world. They are very viral with people. Neymar is one of the most influential sportsmen in the world, but at the same time he is a really nice guy. He is humble, he trains very hard and he has a great future ahead of him. He also cares about the way he looks. We all like him and he likes our product. He represents our core values: coolness and hard work.
What markets are you looking to for the future of Replay?
MS: For me it is not about the money. I want to see as many happy people wearing my jeans as possible. Having said that, we are planning openings in new markets by the beginning of the next year. Two markets in which we are not yet present: South America and South East Asia. I believe by the middle of 2017 we will be present in the US with a decent approach. And I believe in my cooperation in China. China will grow very much. In the end, it is about developing an incredible product from collection to collection. Our main focus is: Make the best possible product.
