More than 200 guests attended the SLAM IS BACK event held at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan at the end of May, at which the future of SLAM, the historic clothing brand founded in 1979 in Genoa, was unveiled. Here our previous post about.
New investors
The brand was acquired in July 2021 by Italian holding company VAM Investments, controlled by Francesco Trapani and led by Marco Piana, who chose Enrico Chieffi as CEO. Chieffi also entered the transaction as an investor.
Enrico Chieffi for SLAM IS BACK
It was Enrico Chieffi, world champion in the 470 and Star classes, tactician of Moro di Venezia, two-time Olympian (in 1984 in Los Angeles and 1996 in Atlanta) and then successful manager for 23 years in Nautor’s Swan, who opened the event.
“The first goal we set ourselves,” Chieffi said at the opening, “was to get to represent the excellence of technical sailing apparel in the world. Hence the decision to become technical partners of the Italian Sailing Federation and to direct our operational strategy toward the creation of a ‘Dream Team.
‘ We also want to be protagonists in inclusive and sustainable sailing with One Ocean Foundation and the Leon Pancaldo project.
Finally, we have crivisited the original SLAM logo in a modern key and planned strategic choices involving the involvement of athletes and boats as true partners in our path of comparison, research and innovation on technical clothing to be tested on the different race courses in all weather conditions
In this way, the public who will buy SLAM clothing in its different declinations of the PRO, CUSTOM and OUTDOOR lines, will do so with the awareness of the path that has characterized the product and with the certainty of its quality, also guaranteed by the expertise of the champions who work alongside us.”
Marco Piana for SLAM IS BACK
At the end of his speech, Chieffi invited to the stage Marco Piana CEO of VAM Investment who explained the reasons for the investment in the brand:
“SLAM and the passion for sailing are intimately connected in the heads and hearts of all of us. In its 40 years of life SLAM has collected many stories to tell, SLAM first of all is Genoa, the spirit of Genoa with its lantern that appears with its coordinates on all our products.
The challenge is not easy we know that the destination can be far away, however we have learned one thing that those who love sailing more than the destination often manage to get very far. So today is a chance to be here with you, to cast off our moorings and set off with Enrico and his entire team on a journey that we hope will be a long one.
The Dream Team of SLAM IS BACK
SLAM IS BACK was the moment to officially present the SLAM Dream Team: a parterre of young, very young and more mature champions who took turns on stage answering questions from Enrico Chieffi and Eleonora Cottarelli.
These were the Champions present for the occasion at the Museum of Science and Technology: Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti – Olympic Champions at Tokyo 2020 Nacra 17 class;
Marco Gradoni and Alessandra Dubbini – World Champions 470 mixed class 2021;
Mattia Camboni – silver medalist at the RSX World Championship 2021; Matteo Iachino – World Champion Slalom PWA 2016;
Federico Alan Pilloni – World Junior Windsurfer Champion 2021;
Sofia Renna – World Youth Slalom Champion iQFOIL 2021;
Nicolò Renna, silver medal European Championship iQFOIL 2022;
Jacopo Renna – 2nd cl. European Championship Slalom U.17 iQFOIL 2014;
Davide Di Maria 2.4 Para World Sailing Champion 2019;
Furio Benussi for the MAXI 100′ ARCA SGR, recent winner of the Three Gulfs regatta in Naples;
Mauro Pelaschier for One Ocean Foundation and SLAM Ambassador.
Excused absentees for competitive commitments: Tommaso Chieffi, Andrea Totis and Alice Linussi (470 mixed).
The SLAM 2022/2023 Collection
Before the conclusion, the highlight of the event with the catwalk of honor dedicated to the new SLAM collection, inspired in design by the latest technical innovation that has revolutionized the sailing world: foils.
A sustainable collection in its strategic setting choices with the return of production in Europe and Italy for 35% of the items and in the choice of materials and processing techniques used. A collection that is rational to the point of being essential, but at the same time able to offer almost 1,000 possible combinations with only 125 items in the sample book.
Also present on the stage was designer Gianfranco Azzini, who has headed SLAM’s creative office for many years, and who wanted to emphasize that he was pleased to have successfully shared the creative table with a CEO for the first time, as well as with his style office team.
