Lasse Kjus, the Swiss company named after the famous Norwegian ski champion, plans to introduce its first collection of outdoor clothing for the spring/summer 2011 season, banking on the notoriety of its successful high-end skiwear line, whose pre-bookings for next winter are up by 12 percent. Didi Serena, who took over the brand from Odlo a few years ago, plans to present the new outdoor range to prospective agents next month. Like the skiwear line, it will use innovative fabrics. It will be divided into a high-tech performance line and a less technical, lighter-weight leisure-oriented line. It is not meant to be used for climbing. Meanwhile, Lasse Kjus is hiring a new manager, Kenneth Kurtzweg, who was in charge of the design process at Jack Wolfskin and Vaude after working for a decade at Adidas on its adventure and running lines. At Lasse Kjus, Kurtzweg will start as product manager for skiwear, reporting to Didi Serena’s son, Nico Serena, who is in charge of product and design.
