Sorting
Karpos
A TRIP TO THE TOP
OUR HISTORY
"It was nice to find ourselves at one or the other's house or simply in a bar, discussing dreams, clouds. Our clouds were the journeys, the thousand walls, sometimes virgin, that a generous world could still offer us; deserts of sand or granite snow, new roads, crossings, fast repetitions and after the umpteenth beer we also talked about jackets, pants or fleece.
The awareness was there. There was the idea, even the conviction (or presumption), of being able to become great. So the first "experiments" were born, sometimes right, sometimes less so. Browsing through the first catalogs now you can smile, but in those meager collections there was all the flavor of passion and dedication. At the time it was hard to think of gaining some space in the outdoor world starting from a small village at the foot of the Dolomites or convince customers that Karpos could be on a par with the giants of the industry. But then new travel companions were added with more and more specific experiences that helped us to get where we are now.
Now we are on a ledge, we are arranging the material, the ropes are dangling in the void, below us already a nice section of difficult wall. Sometimes we stopped with the suspicion of having to go down, but then we passed, with great balance, over small holes, decisive movements and fear. Above us a paradoxically endless sea of rock, stimulus and admiration, love and hate. What an impression of the wall seen from below! But if we turn our eyes towards what we climbed our wall we see it from above. Two different points of view, two contrasting feelings. So are the wall and climbing, metaphors of life and every intention. A small ledge that can only give us breathing space if I pretend to make balances, moments of reflection, of tidying up, but not of rest. The dihedral up there overhanging, but perhaps at the top it "springs" a bit. Desire of "easy"? Perhaps. But easy bores.
We are on our new path, it excites us to push ourselves up, we have already overcome a problematic little piece. The road is still long and full of pitfalls, but with the passion and professionalism that have always distinguished us, we continue our journey to the top".
THE STAGES OF A LONG JOURNEY
Karpos is a young brand that has deep roots, roots that start from afar and are called Manifattura Valcismon...
1946 - THE WOOL MILL
The history of Manifattura Valcismon began in 1946, when the Cremonese couple, Olindo and Irma, gave substance to their idea of creating a textile wool spinning mill in Lamon. Shortly afterwards, at the end of 1947, they decided to move to Fonzaso in the center of the town for easier access to the roads".
1972 - SPORTSWEAR
Dr. Giordano Cremonese, son of the founders and great sports enthusiast, participates in his first Marcialonga with a revolutionary cross-country skiing outfit made using stretch fabrics that allow a freedom of movement never experienced before. Thus was born the sports knitwear with the new Sportful brand.
1983 - CYCLING CLOTHING
In 1983, given the synergies in the research of fabrics and materials, the production of cycling garments began. This is the consecration of Sportful: the Italian National Team and the most important professional teams in the world choose Sportful for their successes. In 2003 the company acquires the prestigious brand Castelli, bringing it back in about ten years to be once again the leading brand in the world of cycling.
2007 - KARPOS
Dr. Cremonese, always linked to the Dolomites, discovers a new dimension, linked to emotions, silence and reflection that only the mountain can give. After so much road covered with cross-country skiing and cycling, a different way of thinking about outdoor clothing was born: Karpos.
2017 - THE AWARENESS
The conviction of having become a player in the outdoor world comes with the collaboration with Ueli Steck, which began in 2017 and ended prematurely. It is a real turning point for the brand: the HIGHEST line is born, the absolute excellence of Karpos in terms of innovation, research and technology.