Kangol feels a touch of nostalgia

Heritage UK headwear brand Kangol is going back to the future.
Harking back to its days of booming trade in the 1930s and the late 1980s, the brand has reincarnated its most popular designs in a new line, KNGL.
Set to debut for the spring/summer 06/07 season, the line will feature "living legends" including the 504, the Casual and the Spacecap in classic fabrications such as TroAustralasian brand manager, Charlotte Taylor said the new venture is aimed at wooing a new generation of consumers.
"Australia and New Zealand are exciting markets for us with a large scope for growth," she explained. "We are looking to increase our distribution and improve relationships with existing customers to ensure longevity."
Priced from A$40 to A$80, the new line will feature six main collections: bamboo, baobab, horizon stripe, judder check, sports mesh and neon stripe. Largely employing natural fabrics, trimmings and materials, the range is comprised of bamboo, straw tape, raffia braid patterns, natural Hessian, batik print lining and woven tape stripes in trilby, casual, baseball, flat cap, skull cap and new galaxy designs.
While the company will focus on developing the new line for the spring/summer season, Taylor said it will also launch a small collection of bags and cold weather items for autumn/winter 2007.
"Our customer base is extremely diverse," Taylor explained. "We appeal to fashion, urban and traditional customers so we are constantly evolving."
Planning to launch the new headwear line on August 11, the brand will also exhibit under the Frontline stand at Fashion Exposed in September.