From the rainy Parisian days of the 1960s to this year’s Fashion Week, K-Way® has crossed decades, generations and styles without ever losing its essence: lightness, functionality and color.

To celebrate this anniversary, at the end of a year full of events, comes the book “K-Way: Six Decades of Style and Innovation” (Le Cherche Midi, 2025) by sociologist and fashion expert Pascal Monfort, retracing the brand’s history through archival images, designers’ contributions and period anecdotes. It’s a tribute to the item that, more than any other, has become a true cultural phenomenon.

It was 1965 when, on a grey Parisian day, Léon-Claude Duhamel, owner of the Sonocord company, was sitting at a café watching passersby getting drenched and struggling with umbrellas and heavy raincoats, until he noticed a woman wearing a nylon raincoat. The idea came instantly: he would design a waterproof, lightweight and portable garment made of nylon. Thus a revolutionary jacket was born — and the proof lies in the 250,000 pieces sold in the very first year.

But there was still no name — until 1966, when advertising agent Jean Castaing suggested one with an international sound. Building on Duhamel’s father’s idea of calling it “En cas” (“in case of…”), he came up with an “English-sounding” version — and that’s how K-Way® was born. The “K” recalls “cas,” while “way” gives it modernity and universality.

Besides nylon, there’s another distinctive element officially registered by the brand: the blue-orange-yellow tape, which has become its unmistakable hallmark. 

Over the years, K-Way® has made its mark not only with its products but also with its advertising campaigns. The first ones, launched in the 1970s, captured the brand’s spirit in a single image and a few words — conveying innovation, lightness and freedom.

We see it in a 1975 campaign reading: “Nothing is more changeable than the weather. K-Way. The real one. A wise precaution.”

This aesthetic has remained consistent through the decades — pop, playful and instantly recognizable — as seen in the 1992–93 campaign whose message was clear: “K-Way: the original style beyond generations.” 

But while everything looked perfect on billboards and magazine pages, reality hit hard: in 1992, a fire destroyed the factory in Harnes, wiping out the entire archive. Many thought this would mark the end of the brand, which took several years to recover — until 2004, when it was acquired by the Turin-based group BasicNet. 

From that moment on, the brand’s growth became exponential — driven by product quality, a timeless aesthetic, and numerous collaborations with brands like Comme des Garçons, Fendi, and Versace. K-Way® embraced the fashion world without ever betraying its original identity. 

Ultimately, for the past 60 years, K-Way® has been much more than a waterproof jacket. It’s a trusted companion we can always rely on — whether for a mountain hike, a sailing trip, an afternoon in the park or a concert by our favorite artist — and with a touch of color, it can always brighten even the gloomiest days.