K-Way’s Signs Snowboarder Scotty James, PacSun Goes Vintage

Snowbound

As the ski season and competitions start, K-Way has secured Australian snowboarder Scotty James as its latest brand ambassador.

This marks K-Way’s first tie-up with a snowboarder, having endorsed in the past the French ski team supplying professional gear for the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, in 1992.

The sportsman, who scooped the silver medal at the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing and bronze medal in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018, will be outfitted by K-Way in Aspen next January for the Winter X Games, the series of action sports events launched by ESPN Inc.

In his newly minted role, James joins other K-Way ambassadors such as Italian swimmer Gregorio Paltrinieri and surfer Leonardo Fioravanti as well as French freediver Arnaud Jerald.

Marking his ambassadorship, James has codesigned a limited-edition capsule collection with K-Way. Part of the L’Action lineup, the collection comprises a snowboard jacket, pants, vest and neck warmer in an all-black colorway.

The snowboard suit is crafted from a waterproof technical fabric that can withstand up to 20,000 mm of water column pressure, combined with high breathability and coated with the special anti-scratch DWR treatment. James debuted the pieces from the capsule at the recent FIS World Cup China which took place Dec. 8 to 14.

The capsule drops Monday at K-Way flagships in Europe, as well as on the brand’s e-commerce site.

PacSun’s Secondhand Play

In a bid to win over young consumers’ thrift-obsessed shoppers, PacSun is rolling out its own take on vintage fashion.

The Southern California retailer has introduced PS Vintage, an assortment of vintage fashion for men and women powered by Springy, an online resale retailer. Springy sources the limited stock garments for PacSun.

The curation was developed with direct input from Gen Z consumers through PacSun’s Youth Advisory Council, a program the retailer launched in September that grants selected members direct access to its decision-making processes and spot at the leadership table.

Rather than a traditional brand ambassador program, the council promotes community and encourages its young members to contribute new ideas that reflect the values and priorities of their cohorts.

“Vintage shopping has become central to our community, and with this launch, we wanted to make that experience authentic and accessible,” said Richard Cox, PacSun’s chief merchandising officer. “Guided by strong consumer listening, our trend-driven curation delivers on the style our consumers love while reflecting the sustainability they value.”

The collection offers a mix of graphic Ts, hoodies, denim, jackets and more. Items from Lee, Carhartt, Ferrari, Harley-Davidson, Nike and The North Face are part of the assortment. Some styles tap into Y2K trends; others nod to the holiday season with an assortment of vintage holiday graphics and sweatshirts.

Denim highlights include a light blue ’90s Levi’s jean jacket for $150 and a Lee Storm Rider jacket for $200.

The collection is available on PacSun’s website. It will expand to 15 PacSun stores next year.

New York Cosmos Prep for Return

After going on hiatus for six years, the New York Cosmos will be returning to professional competition in 2026, playing in the USL League One, a league in the third tier of U.S. professional soccer.

When they return to the pitch at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, N.J., in March, they’ll be outfitted by Capelli Sport, a global sportswear and equipment brand that is the Cosmos’ official uniform and on-field equipment provider.

The New York Cosmos famously boasted Pele as among its players. It played in the North American Soccer League from its founding in 1970 until the league closed in 1985.  The team was revived in 2013 and played on and off in the National Independent Soccer Association until going on hiatus in 2021. After being sold earlier this year to a group led by Baye Adofo-Wilson, the team will be resuming operations next year.

In preparation, the team unveiled its home kit at The Pele Store in Times Square earlier this month and began selling the jerseys on its website. The adult short-sleeve version is $95, a long-sleeve is $110 and the youth version is $65.

“The Cosmos have always been bigger than the game,” said Adofo-Wilson. “We want every supporter, from kids to longtime fans, to feel represented when they put on this jersey.”

George Altris, president and chief executive officer of Capelli Sport, said: “Capelli Sport is proud to work with a club whose legacy helped shape American soccer. This kit was crafted to honor that heritage while delivering the performance and technology today’s athletes expect.”

Fanatics’ AI Play

Fanatics is the latest company to embrace artificial intelligence.

The sports platform has created a strategic partnership with Rokt, a leading e-commerce company that uses machine learning and AI to make shopping experience more relevant to individual customers.

Under the terms of the deal, Fanatics used Rokt’s AI-powered e-commerce technology to highlight exclusive content and offers to fans before and after checkout across its Fanatics, team and league sites.

“Fanatics’ focus remains on relentlessly enhancing the fan experience, and that includes constantly thinking of ways to make shopping with us more seamless and relevant,” said Michael Rubin, chief executive officer of Fanatics. “Rokt’s technology will help us deliver on our promise to fans.”

The technology will be used in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Rokt Network powers over 7.5 billion transactions globally and had sales of more than $600 million in 2024. It is also used by Macy’s, Ulta Beauty and a wide range of other companies.