[Best Brand] Victorinox expands presence in collaboration with Korean fashion brands

Victorinox's headquarters in Ibach, Switzerland (Victorinox)

Swiss knife and watch manufacturer Victorinox is increasingly collaborating with South Korean companies to expand its presence in the Korean fashion market.

The Swiss toolmaker launched a limited edition huntsman knife with Korean fashion design firm IAB Studio in May. Released as part of the “IAB at Home” collection, the knife has a wooden frame with the knife maker’s iconic cross logo carved in the middle.

More recently, Victorinox partnered with Italian street fashion brand Off-white and Korean menswear brand Post Archive Fashion in November to launch a limited edition multitool. The limited edition Swiss Army Knife is the flagship product of a special collaborative lineup called "Equipment," showcased by Off-White and Post Archive Fashion. Victorinox said it had been welcomed on board the project by Off-White.

The tool’s design is based on Off-White's founder and designer Virgil Abloh’s last design project. It is a posthumous work of the world-renowned designer who passed away in 2021, according to the knife maker.

Through such collaborative projects with the local fashion industry, Victorinox has grown from a traditional toolmaker to a large fashion brand, the Swiss company said.

Victorinox had started out as a multi tool brand in 1884 in a small workshop owned by founder Karl Elsner in Ibach, Switzerland. Since then, its product lineup has steadily grown to include watches, kitchen knives, travel gear, backpacks and fragrances.

The company has won many design awards, including the Red Dot Design Award, and has showcased multiple limited edition products in coordination with major fashion brands such as Supreme, Carhartt and A Bathing Ape.

Despite becoming more focused on design, Victorinox's practicality has allowed it to remain a continued supplier to NASA as well as the Swiss Army.

By Lee Seung-ku(seungku99@heraldcorp.com)