Skins (sportswear)

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SKINS
IndustryTextile
Founded1996
FounderBrad Duffy
FateFilled for bankruptcy in 2019, brand and name acquired
Headquarters
Australia
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Gary Chan (CEO)
ProductsCompression garment
OwnerSymphony Holdings (2019–)
Websiteskinscompression.com

Skins, stylized SKINS, is an Australian manufacturing company founded in 1996 that designs and produces compression garment for athletes and sports enthusiasts. After filing for bankruptcy in 2019, the company was acquired by Hong Kong–based holding Symphony, which owns rights over the "Skins" brand.[1]

History

The company was founded in 1996 by Brad Duffy, an Australian physiologist and ski enthusiast.[2] In 1998, SKINS launched their first three product ranges: 'JetSkins' for travel, 'SportsSkins' for multi sports and 'SnowSkins' for Alpine pursuits. Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh was chosen as the public face of the new products.

Initially, the range was limited to long tights only and was sold exclusively online and through telesales. By 2002, the product was still being manufactured in Sydney but was being sold through around 20 retail outlets in Australia. In the same year, Australian entrepreneur Jaimie Fuller was appointed as CEO of SKINS.[3]

SKINS currently sell over 160 different compression products including specific ranges for golf, cycling, triathlon and snow sports. The company currently has around 80 full-time members of staff and retails through more than 800 speciality retailers in their home territory of Australia.[4]

After filing for bankruptcy with the Swiss court in January 2019,[5][6][7] the SKINS brand and associated intellectual property was acquired by Symphony Holdings, a public company based in Hong Kong, and placed under new management.[1]

Advertising and controversy

SKINS has a history of bold and controversial advertising. A series of adverts that ran in 2005 to 2006 caused the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) to allege that SKINS had engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct. The adverts in question stated that "We don't pay sports stars to wear our product. They pay us". The ACCC contested this claim and produced a list of athletes who were sponsored and paid by SKINS.[8] In 2009 the Federal Court of Australia handed down judgment in favour of the ACCC and SKINS agreed to provide undertakings to the Court, pay costs and publish corrective advertisements.[9] The same court also upheld an accusation of retail price maintenance against SKINS, who induced, by request, a retailer in Adelaide not to lower the retail prices of their products.[10][11]

SKINS ran an advertising campaign in 2006 which featured the famous "Swoosh" logo of Nike, Inc. placed upside down across the mouths of athletes to form a grimace. Nike demanded SKINS to cease this advertising, which they did. However, the advertising campaign received praise for its creativity from the Advertising Federation of Australia.[8]

Retail partnerships

In 2010, SKINS partnered with Chinese sportswear manufacturer Li-Ning with a range of co-branded products being produced for the Chinese market by the two companies.[12]

In 2012, SKINS has partnered with the Itochu Corporation of Japan to distribute SKINS products in Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong.[13][14]

Anti-doping campaigns

SKINS has been vocal opponents of blood doping in sports and were the first company to be certified by BikePure, an independent, not-for-profit organisation which advocates ethical cycling practices and conducts anti-doping research.[15]

In September 2013, SKINS launched an Anti-Doping initiative called Pure Sport, petitioning for change with the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency.[16][17] Former Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson has joined the campaign; Johnson had his gold medal rescinded after the 1988 Summer Olympics after testing positive for the banned substance Stanozolol.

Other associations

The company was involved with the Mars Society Australia in the development of MarsSkin, a prototype spacesuit that was tested in the Flinders Ranges in Australia in August 2004.[18][19]

Their compression stockings are listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods as a medical device for reducing oedema.[20][21]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Carey, Alexis (14 May 2020). "Australian sportswear brand under new ownership after bankruptcy". News.com.au. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  2. ^ Douglas, Jeanne-Vida (27 July 2011). "Performance enhancer". Australian Financial Review. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  3. ^ "In Hindsight coming soon... Nokia brings you a new online book". inhindsight.nokia.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 June 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  4. ^ Cole, Michael D. (5 November 2008). "Compression Apparel Brand Winning at the "Skins" Game". Apparel. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  5. ^ Ilanbey, Sumeyya (21 January 2019). "Sportswear manufacturer SKINS applies for bankruptcy in Swiss Court". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  6. ^ Everett, Hayley (30 January 2019). "Skins files for bankruptcy with Swiss court". Cycling Industry News. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  7. ^ Carey, Alexis (21 January 2019). "Australian sportswear manufacturer applies for bankruptcy". News.com.au. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  8. ^ a b Burke, Kelly (12 September 2007). "Athlete payment claim gets under ACCC's skin". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  9. ^ "Skins Compression Garments Pty Ltd". Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. 25 May 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  10. ^ Australian Competition & Consumer Commission v Skins Compression Garments Pty Ltd [2009] FCA 710 (2 July 2009), Federal Court (Australia).
  11. ^ "$120,000 penalty against sports gear maker". Australian Competition & Consumer Commission. 3 December 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  12. ^ "China sportswear giant LI-NING partners with Skins to launch gradient compression products". People's Daily Online. 1 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  13. ^ "ITOCHU Announces Acquisition of Trademark for Skins Brand and Business Development : News Releases". ITOCHU. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  14. ^ Tan, Gillian (24 April 2012). "Itochu Corp Buys Asian Trademark For Compression Sportwear Group Skins". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  15. ^ "Skins Supports and Commends HTC Highroad on its 'Code of Conduct'". Bike Pure. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  16. ^ Natale, Anthony (4 September 2013). "Taking Performance Enhancing Drugs Out of Sports". Fox43. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  17. ^ Strauss, Chris (4 September 2013). "Ben Johnson says doping is widespread in track". USA Today. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  18. ^ Catchpole, Heather (30 March 2004). "Mars spacesuits to be tested in Oz desert". ABC News. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
  19. ^ Waldie, James. "MarsSkin 3". Mars Society Australia. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  20. ^ "Public Summary: Skins Compression Garment Pty Ltd – Stocking, antioedema, arm/leg".
  21. ^ "Public Summary: Skins Compression Garment Pty Ltd – Stocking, antioedema, arm/leg".
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