Arena Buys Diana Rights
Arena, the three-diamonds swim brand based in Tolentino, has bought the global brand rights of its former rival Diana.
The agreement brings together two Italian brands “with a total of 118 years of excellence in the field of aquatic sportswear” arena noted.
Founded in 1947 in Merate (Lecco), in northern Italy, Diana took its name from the ancient Greek hunting goddess, from which the company logo – the arrow – was born and registered in 1972.
The company began its life producing lingerie in 1955 before moving into the swimwear market. In 1975, Diana produced the first anti-grip water polo suit, as well as the first mono-block bonnet with frontal protection for water polo players.
A joint statement issued by CEOs of the brands, Giuseppe Musciacchio and Luca Selvatici, noted:
“The alignment of the philosophy and ethics of Arena with those of Diana made acquisition a natural choice. The Diana brand still has a worldwide reach and reputation in the entire swimming community. We believe it has great potential to be further developed and that its legacy and its DNA they adapt very well to the medium and long-term strategic goals of arena. We see interesting opportunities with Diana, both in the expansion of our product portfolio and in the geographical expansion in new countries and regions, including Asia.”
Arena recently brought Mark Spitz, American winner of seven gold medals at the Munich 1972 Olympic Games, back into the fold as ambassador more than 40 years after he first represented the company.
On the announcement of his return, Spitz said:
“There’s no doubt that swimming has changed since my day back in the 70s. It’s more technical, more professional, and the world’s top athletes have to be a lot more conscious of their behavior, since they’re expected to be role models for the younger generations. But there are also some fundamental things that are still the same – what it means to become a champion, what it means to be a leading brand; these are elements of the DNA, and they don’t change. This is where I think we can work really well together, so I’m very excited by our new collaboration. For me, to this day arena is still the best there is.”