Colmar

founded by

Mario Colombo

belongs to

Manifattura Mario Colombo & Co.

about

Colmar is a sportswear brand. It was created by Manifattura Mario Colombo which, established in 1923 in Monza (Mi), had been producing hats and gaiters in wool felt for more than 20 years. The, immediately after World War II, with the return of sports events, the company began to produce sportswear with particular attention to skiing. It was the beginning of Colmar which, operating in close collaboration with the Italian Federation of Winter Sports, became famous as a manufacturer of high-tech and specialty garments.

In the 1940s Angelo and Giancarlo, Mario�s sons, joined the factory, and with them the company�s vocation for the mountain began to grow. Their ideas and determination gave rise to new insights and innovative proposals in fabrics. This flirtation with snow blossomed into love with the arrival of the �Olimpionica�, the original wind breaker: made of waterproof poplin, it has a large pouch pocket, ample cape like arms, and a hood.

Colmar�s Olimpionica sold like hot cakes, and a number of variations followed. Its success lay in its meticulous tailoring. Meanwhile the first prototypes of safety bindings appeared. Colmar encountered a symbol of Italian sports: Zeno Col�.

For the Olympics of 1952, Colmar equipped the Italian ski team. From that moment on, and for the next 40 years, it dressed the Italian ski and sled teams.

The factory welcomed the third generation, Mario, Giulio, and Carlo in the 80s.

Colmar's ski gear wardrobe next produced the exuberance of the "Spacerace" line, and designed an incredible multipurpose jacket, calling it "Bormio" in honour of the '85 World Championships. Valtellina became Colmar City for the occasion. That same year also saw the arrival of the new brand. But the Italians were not turning in extraordinary results. The next big thing didn't come along until '87, with Crans Montana and the World Championships. In the Giant Slalom, a young man from Bologna snatched bronze: his name was Alberto Tomba.

The "Technologic" line was the star in the 90s.

The Colombo Factory introduced the Ten Yards brand, dedicated to sportswear for leisure time. With this line, urban life and travel moved forward shoulder to shoulder with mountains and the snow. Colmar made its foray into summer wear with swimsuits, T-shirts, robes and clothing perfect for holidays.

Colmar introduced the "Techlab" skiwear line featuring the first smart fabrics such as ComforTemp, which absorbs body heat then returns it when necessary.

In 2000, 10,000 people have subscribed to Club Colmar and the number continues to grow.

Production horizons broadened: the selection now ranges from mountain to beach, from ultratech sport to leisurewear for every season.

Colmar continues to be a success story on the international snow sports scene, and thanks to its cutting-edge research is one of the world�s leading producers of high-performance, high-tech, technical and ultra-light garments.

In 2009 the brand introduced the Colmar Originals sportswear collection, taking inspiration from the brand�s unique historical archives, which features fashionable, superlight down jackets with the original Colmar logo.

Benefiting from its years of experience and expertise acquired on the ski slopes, Colmar debuted on golf courses in spring/summer 2010 with a line of technical and non-technical garments. Marking the same season is the first edition of the Coppa Colmar Circuit, an 8-event competition - complete with grand finale - that takes place on the fairways of some of Italy�s most exclusive golf clubs. Colmar has also signed endorsement agreements with two Italian golf champions, the great Costantino Rocca and the young Edoardo Molinari, both of whom are now wearing Colmar Golf on the green.

In 2010, with a three-year contract, Colmar also became official supplier of the BMW Italian Open.

Today, the product is distributed in the principal European markets, in North America, and in Japan.