Ever since Robbie Williams’ ‘Love Supreme’, there’s been an allure over motorsport. So how does a manufacturer of top gear—swimwear—get into the motorsport arena? Sweden’s Panos Emporio buys in to a racing team
 

HIS WEEKEND, April 27–8, the first Swedish motorcycle race of the season takes place at Mantorp. And it will be a decisive one for swimwear designer Panos Papadopoulos, president of Panos Emporio, who invested into a fledgling team with the ambition to finish in the top three of the Swedish round this year before going international.

‘I feel that motor sports is absolutely right for me and it is a sport that is trendier than ever! There is so much within the sport I can identify with: glamour, speed, sexiness and the rapidity.’ —Panos Papadopoulos

   It follows on from Panos’s earlier investment into football and swimming, which had clearer links to his fashion lines. It’s easy to be cynical about this—the sponsorship will get the Panos Emporio name into more living rooms on the rather unlikely off-chance that having Finland’s premier beauty queen, Janina Frostell, doesn’t hit as many male eyeballs as planned.
   In Sweden at least, a race will get 5,000 spectators, while football would typically attract 4,000. All major Swedish newspapers are usually represented at the races and this year there will television coverage, with Viasat Sports broadcasting in programme format from every race this season.
   But Panos plays partly on the glamour of the motorsport world. While to some it’s all about lap times and technology, there’s been enough allure over it to prompt the Americanesque Days of Thunder and Robbie Williams’ ‘Love Supreme’ video—all of it stemming from the excitement of the classic Le Mans, starring Steve McQueen.
   ‘I feel that motor sports is absolutely right for me and it is a sport that is trendier than ever!’ says Papadopoulos. ‘There is so much within the sport I can identify with: glamour, speed, sexiness and the rapidity.’
   It also opens Panos up to new themes for his designs. In past years, Panos Emporio swimwear has become very sporty, the athletic styling helped by the brand’s “signature face”—and figure—of Janina Frostell.
   The street fashion themes have been influenced by the increasing interest in motor sports, evidenced partly with Lucire’s most recent exclusive shoot, with motorcycle brand names appearing on one jacket. Denim is hotter than ever and logomania hasn’t become passé. Panos has spotted denim and leather jackets decorated with badges and big logos that is also true for leather jackets.
   The Honda RS 250R motorcycle will be piloted by Jan Corneliusson, who says that now he has the sponsorship, he can focus on getting results in the races. The largest teams, says Corneliusson, have US$10M–30M per season and he expects the costs to rise as interest increases.
   Corneliusson will compete in the Swedish championship, with a total of seven races in Sweden, as well as competing in selected Nordic and European races.

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