Cool Hunting

On a rainy day in Paris circa 1965, Leon-Claude Duhamel observed attentively as people rushed by in soaking wet clothes without an umbrella. It was on this day that the K-way jacket was born. Lightweight and completely waterproof, the jacket can be folded into a small, elastic belted hip bag when not in use.

An instant success with first year sales of more than 250,000 pieces, the brand was set to become a legend. Due to some quiet times in the 1980s, the brand was bought and sold numerous times. Lucky for us it ended up in the right hands as 2007-08 sees new brand positioning and the reissue of their classic windbreaker. These gems are currently only available in Canada. I spoke with Matt Feigin, President of K-Way North America, and he mentioned some big plans on the horizon, but for the time being U.S. style-makers will have to sit tight. To do it right, Matt said they are taking their time and being selective in choosing U.S. outlets.

You can check out their full line at K-way and their classic wind breaker is available here for CDN$40.

Cool Hunting has two large Classic Full Zip K-Ways to give away to two lucky readers. To enter, follow the contact link at the bottom of the page, select "K-way Giveaway" from the pull-down menu and send us an email before Monday, 23 July 2007, 11:59 p.m. EST. We'll choose a winner at random.

by Mike Giles.