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Left Panos Emporio branches out into ready-to-wear for its 25th anniversary, but keeps its swimwear lines intact.

A honeymoon after 25 years

Panos Emporio extends its brand to men’s and women’s clothing collections as it celebrates its quarter-century in 2011. Jack Yan looks at the move

 

I HAVE TO CONFESS to having my hand in emailing the Athina-born founder and designer of Panos Emporio, Panos Papadopoulos, to say that his 25th anniversary was coming up. However, when you see his new range, you have to wonder just how long Panos has been planning something special for the quarter-century—2011 would have been quite a year for him, regardless. The beachwear company, located in the west of Sweden since its founding in 1986, is arguably the country’s leader in the sector, known for years for its use of recognizable models and, occasionally, controversial moves—such as the hiring of a female impersonator to model one of its lines. Twenty-eleven presents its biggest addition since the company started: a brand extension into ready-to-wear. Called the Honey Moon Collection, it is set to remain a staple in the company’s range, and it complements the existing swimwear lines. Frills and ruffles, as well as Panos’s Grecian goddess inspirations, distinguish the women’s collection, while the menswear shows a modern, casual dressing that should go down well with the company’s core customers. The womenswear never goes far from the idea of the summer and the beach: you can see items being worn at resorts, on the seaside and on yachts. It’s a wise, evolutionary move for the brand—anything more radical would alienate. In the years I have interviewed Panos, many times in person, his sociological training shines through. He understands the function of clothing from a different perspective to a design graduate, and has played on this successfully in the last quarter-century. Shown on this page is a preview of what customers can expect next year. We wish Panos all the very best for 2011, and trust that it will be a banner year for one of Sweden’s most visible designers. •     Jack Yan is publisher of Lucire.

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