Wolford and The Woolmark Company will unveil on Thursday their first joint capsule of luxury bodywear, anchored by merino wool tops priced from 295 euros and engineered through seamless circular knitting technology developed in Bregenz, Austria.

The collaboration took more than a year of prototype work to clear technical hurdles around yarn performance, dye consistency and wash durability.

"It took us more than one year to overcome the technological barriers, working on prototypes with the right yarns that would be highly resistant and performing, but also extremely comfortable, and that would pass through the dyeing and laundry tests with consistency," said Marco Pozzo, chairman and chief executive officer of Wolford.

What does the capsule actually contain?

The release splits into two product stories:

• Pure Wool: sleeveless and long-sleeve tops in 100 percent merino wool
• Seamless Wool: dress, sleeveless top, skirt and bodysuit in an 85 percent merino blend with stretch

Colorways run from butter cream and red to dark wood and black.

What does the partnership change for sourcing?

The capsule formalizes a fiber-to-knit pipeline that ties Wolford's seamless bodywear engineering to Woolmark-certified merino supply.

"This collaboration demonstrates what's possible when fiber innovation and advanced manufacturing come together," said Francesco Magri, regional manager, Europe, C&E and managing director of Woolmark Italy. "Engineering the pure wool tops from 100 percent merino wool using seamless construction presented a unique technical challenge that required close collaboration across fiber science, yarn development and manufacturing."

How is the wider reset tracking financially?

Wolford's H1 2026 operating loss narrowed 55.2 percent to 10.2 million euros, against a 22.7 million euros loss in H1 2025. Revenue slipped to 31 million euros from 33 million euros. Full-year 2025 sales reached 75 million euros.

The improvement reflects efficiency work and store pruning. "We reviewed our internal processes and closed more than 40 underperforming stores," Pozzo said.

The brand now operates 80 directly owned stores and 40 franchised units, with retail accounting for 40 percent of revenue, wholesale 30 percent and online 30 percent. Distribution runs through more than 1,000 wholesale accounts.

Wolford is repositioning shop-in-shop partnerships at El Corte Inglés, Printemps, Harrods and Selfridges, shifting from single-category presentations to total-look setups.

What role does legwear still play?

Legwear, Wolford's structural category, generates 46 percent of total sales. Ready-to-wear and layer-dressing have been reinforced, while men's underwear and socks remain "a tactical opportunity," per the CEO.

Creative director Nao Takekoshi, in the role since 2023, framed the capsule's positioning in sensory terms: "People sometimes ask what sensuality means to me. For me, it's never been about what other people see. It's about how a woman feels. When a material feels beautiful against the skin, when it moves naturally with the body, it creates a quiet confidence — and to me, confidence is the most sensual quality a woman can have."

Where does Wolford see its next leg of growth?

Europe, anchored by DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland), leads revenue, followed by the U.S., where customers skew younger. Pozzo flagged China, the Middle East, India and South East Asia as priorities for partner-supported expansion.

Pozzo took the deputy CEO role in July 2025 from Ermenegildo Zegna Group, where he led Zegna Mexico and served as COO for Greater China before moving to Milan's headquarters as global retail operations director. He became chairman and CEO in March, succeeding Regis Rimbert, who exited after six months.

A 25 million euros capital increase backed the strategic plan, prioritizing premium positioning and product innovation over aggressive network expansion. Previous collaborators span Thierry Mugler, Jean Paul Gaultier, Karl Lagerfeld, Vivienne Westwood, Missoni, Valentino, Giorgio Armani, Adidas, GCDS and Sergio Rossi, with more capsule partnerships in the pipeline.

Wolford has traded on the Vienna Stock Exchange since 1995 and belonged to the Lanvin Group since 2018. The parent group, also mid-reset, controls Lanvin, Sergio Rossi and St. John; it sold menswear specialist Caruso to MondeVita Italy in February.

The capsule positions Wolford's next development phase around fiber-certified, partner-engineered knit innovation rather than store count.