P448 ANNOUNCES ITS INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION WITH NEW DIVISION P448 EUROPA A JOINT VENTURE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CAMP BRANDS

This new alliance will expand the P448 wholesale & retail footprint in European markets, as well as manufacture & market P448 branded apparel

NEW YORK, April 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — P448 proudly announces its joint venture partnership with The Camp Brands. The new partnership will expand and grow P448’s European wholesale distribution, and enhance P448’s retail strategy with opening of stores in Europe. In addition, The Camp Brands will also manufacture and market P448 branded apparel globally.

This new division will be labeled P448 Europa, and managed by its newly appointed Managing Director Javier Carrera, who as co-founder and managing partner of The Camp Brands has experience marketing sportwear and fashion brands with past executive roles at Quiksilver and Nike. As part of the brand’s international European growth strategy, P448 Europa will be responsible for the retail and wholesale distribution, brand management, licensing & distribution models as well as consulting, development and expansion strategies.

In the past year, P448 has experienced a tremendous 55% sales growth within its European ecommerce site. Capitalizing on this exciting momentum, P448 will open retail stores in key European cities over the next 10 years. The brand’s eclectic curated store atmosphere brings customers deeper into the intriguing world of P448’s interaction with brands, athletes, musicians and people. The environmentally conscious stores are highly experimental: local artists and entertainers are present, art and music. Thus, providing further availability of this streetwear brand to its loyal core consumers, while also attracting a new customer base within existing European markets as well as pioneering a strong presence in new countries like Sweden, Poland and Denmark.

“With Javier and the team, I have found the perfect international expansion partners for P448,” said Wayne Kulkin, Executive Chairman of Street Trend LLC. “It is an immensely proud and exciting time for the brand as it all started in Europe. So, to be able at this time in our story to build out and expand throughout Europe providing easier access to our latest offerings with new retail stores, first rate servicing and more wholesale channels is a giant tipping point for the company.”

While the new apparel collection will officially debut Fall 2025, a soft small capsule will launch in September 2024 to entice customers. P448 has a deep interest in sustainability, and challenges itself to look at sustainability in a different way by putting in the work, time and money to source new ideas to achieve the best future environmental results. In doing so, it is blazing a trail as a pioneer in the field. Thus, the apparel collection is designed with eco-friendly materials stamped with environmental certifications. Adopting the same approach of the brand’s footwear position as functional yet high-quality product offered at an obtainable price point, the apparel collection follows suit with its accessibly priced streetwear offerings made in Europe available at both retail and wholesale channels.

“Joining the P448 family feels like we’re coming in the most exciting time to this brand becoming a global top competitive lifestyle brand”, said Javier Carrera, Managing Director of P448 Europa. “Taking the core values of its brand philosophy as a truly designed and made in Italy footwear brand, mixed with its activism on sustainable driven product initiatives, The Camp Brands and I are thrilled to enlarge the brand’s footprint and exposure with not only a full apparel collection, but also contribute to its growth within the retail and wholesale arenas.”

StreetTrend LLC, which owns P448, was formed in 2017 as JV partnership with Wayne Kulkin and  Jeffrey Hecktman, CEO of the international investment and financial services company Hilco Global, a firm with holdings in several retail and fashion brands.  Mark Wahlberg is also a strategic investor in the Company having taken a significant minority stake in the business. Recently, John Hansen, an experienced investor in the consumer space, has joined the Company as not only an investor but its Chairman of the Board. The new P448 Europa division will be administrated by a board of directors made up of Wayne Kulkin, John Hansen, Lori Sigismondo, Javier Carrera and Diego Carrera.

“This new strategic partnership with The Camp Brands is an exciting next phase of our continued expansion of the P448 brand throughout Europe in both footwear and apparel in retail and wholesale channels.  With Javier Carrera joining the team as the Managing Director for P448 Europa we gain an impressive business partner with extensive retail and consumer brand experience across the European continent having worked on global brands like Hurley, NIKE, Quicksilver, Pepe Jeans and more”, said Hilco Global CEO Jeffrey B. Hecktman.

ABOUT P448 | P448 is an Italian streetwear brand whose collections are designed to empower the individual in their own authenticity. Our sneakers are thoughtfully designed and crafted in Italy by master artisans. They are worn by makers and creators across the globe. Defined by an eclectic aesthetic, we take inspiration from the streets, underpinned by the underground spirit of subculture. Fans include Bradley Cooper, Joe Jonas, Jon Hamm, Ben Affleck, Taylor Lautner, Robert Downey Jr., Jennifer Lawrence, Addison Rae, Taylor Swift, Dakota Fanning, Gabrielle Union, Kiki Layne, Rita Ora Chelsea Handler, Kate Hudson, Olivia Culpo, Riley Keough, Jessica Biel and more…

P449 products are made with the future of the planet in mind. Since inception, P448 has remained passionately dedicated to researching and developing products that reduce our planetary footprint in order to make the world cleaner and better. Under the brand’s “Project Sustainability” umbrella, marks P448’s most eco-conscious innovations – including sneakers made using recycled and upcycled leather and suede, invasive species skins, vegan apple leather and algae. 

In 2020, Wayne Kulkin took on full ownership of P448 through StreetTrend LLC, in a joint venture partnership with the financial services and brand investment firm Hilco Global. StreetTrend was formed in 2017 as JV partnership with Jeffrey Hecktman, CEO of the international investment and financial services company Hilco Global, a firm with holdings in several retail and fashion brands.  Mark Wahlberg has recently become a strategic investor in the Company having taken a significant minority stake in the business. P448 has since opened stores in New York City Boston and Las Vegas.

StreetTrend designs, manufactures, distributes, and sells several footwear brands including P448 luxury sneakers at select boutiques and online at www.P448.com.

SOURCE P448