Lola Casademunt will dress the American team of the America's Cup

To take advantage of the America's Cup as a global showcase. This was the purpose set by the fashion firm Lola Casademunt, and which has culminated in becoming the official supplier and designer of formal wear for the American team, the New York Yacht Club American Magic. The Catalan brand has done so with a formal suit and another for more casual occasions, and also becoming a sponsor of the American Magic women's team, which will compete in the first women's category in the history of the regatta.

"When the possibility of dressing the team arose, for me it was something impressive. It's like the American dream, something I never would have thought could happen," declared the creative director of Lola Casademunt, Maite Gassó Casademunt, from the American team's base in Port Vell, full of attendees wearing blazers with sailor stripes. They are part of the collection designed by the firm for the team and for the America's Cup. The American team will have a navy blue formal suit with details on buttonholes and front, and another more casual one made of technical fabric in navy blue in the design intended for men and with white stripes on the same blue in the one designed for women, "inspired by American clubs from the end of the last century."

The design of the blazers will not be restricted to the American team, but will go on sale starting in June in Lola Casademunt stores. These designs will be complemented by another blazer with a white background and navy blue stripe, and all of them are marked by "a very Barcelona fashion touch."

The purpose of joining the America's Cup to gain visibility came from an idea external to the company. Specifically, it was the Secretary of Business and Competitiveness of the Generalitat, Albert Castellanos, who launched it during a visit to the company's headquarters in Cardedeu (Barcelona). "The idea was to take advantage of the America's Cup to consolidate Lola Casademunt's international character," explained Castellanos himself.

The alliance between the Catalan firm and the American team is part of the vision that the Generalitat defends for the America's Cup, according to him: "That it not only be an event of great impact that helps position Barcelona as a nautical tourism destination, but also to take advantage of this magnificent showcase for companies". From Lola Casademunt, they embraced this approach: "It seemed like a sublime idea to us, we took it, and we brought it to reality," linking the world of fashion with that of sailing, according to the CEO of Lola Casademunt, Paco Sánchez.

And this collaboration has materialized in a context where the firm and the American team share aspects in their respective traditions, histories, and values, according to Sánchez: "From a different place, but ultimately, with the same heart." The brand's president, Fernando Espona, has also assured that both have many elements in common: "Lola Casademunt has adapted to the times, just like boats, which have evolved into flying boats."

The brand's evolution has been very different, but with increasing progression in the same direction, from the garage where the company started when Lola Casademunt began making hair accessories more than 40 years ago, to invoicing 45 million euros in 2023, after opening up to fashion with her daughter Maite, now creative director of the group.

"We have elements of our intangible heritage that unite our two entities," agreed Terry Hutchinson, president of sailing operations for the American team. The sailor highlighted that they share work values that he assures characterize the American team, which "works from dawn to dusk" with a focus on the competition, which will begin in August and is already leaving its mark on the Catalan capital, with urban transformations, the promotion of sailing and nautical sports, and alliances with companies like this one.