MILAN — Autry, the sneakers brand rooted in the vintage Americana aesthetic, is making its retail debut.

The footwear label, best known for its hero Medalist sneakers, is opening its first stand-alone flagship on London’s Beak Street on Thursday. In the first half of 2025 it will also unveil a boutique in Paris.

The sneaker brand, which in 2024 preliminary figures reported sales of 120 million euros, is standing by the plan revealed last year to open about 20 monobrand stores in the mid-term.

In March 2024 private equity fund Style Capital acquired a 51 percent stake in the company in a deal pegged at 300 million euros, as reported. The financial entity nabbed the majority interest from the Made in Italy Fund, managed by Quadrivio and Pambianco. The latter agreed to reinvest to maintain a share of 7 percent, while the remaining 42 percent is still owned by the founding Doro family. The Autry brand was established in 2019.

“We’re on track with the original retail development plan, although the context is not easy,” said Roberta Benaglia, founder and chief executive officer of Style Capital, in an exclusive interview.

“London has always been a priority for the company, as well as Paris. Autry leverages a widespread [wholesale] footprint in Italy, so we don’t necessarily need to ignite brand awareness in our home country,” she said.

The executive underscored that the urban undercurrent of the Autry brand resonates well with London’s cosmopolitan attitude. The U.K., Autry’s fifth-largest market by e-commerce sales, is also viewed as a bridge to the U.S., Benaglia said.

The London store, located in the heart of Soho, covers about 2,152 square feet and conveys a sophisticated and slightly industrial vibe. Walls and flooring are clad in granite stone, contrasted by the floccato-coated ceiling.

A floating shelving system and steel racks with a minimalist undercurrent punctuate the space, while bold décor choices add a touch of color. A big Klein blue carpet bearing the Autry logo stands out in the middle of the space, next to a red travertine display table, a red lacquered counter and a blue version of the Tufty-Time sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia. The stadium-inspired lighting system nods to Autry’s athletic roots.

Marking the opening of the London flagship, the brand is dropping an exclusive capsule collection comprised of a sweatshirt, T-shirt and baseball hat bearing a reinterpreted version of the Autry logo and the store’s address in pink lettering, as well as a special edition of the signature Medalist sneakers.

A Paris flagship is next. Benaglia said that “opening them in tandem allowed us to create two strongholds in two important cities for fashion.”

Autry has already tested the retail waters with a range of shops-in-shop at leading department stores globally, including units at Rinascente in Milan and Rome; Galeries Lafayette in Paris; Hyunday and Lotte in Seoul, and Globus in Geneva.

E-commerce currently represents about 25 percent of total sales, but the executive underscored the importance of retail to spur further growth. She stressed that organic development and expansion are paramount, especially against a dampened outlook for fashion and luxury spending.

Italy remains Autry’s biggest market and the country where its wholesale presence is more widespread. Benaglia said the company has been retooling its distribution network to leverage scarcity and preserve brand positioning.

“Autry operates in a bread-and-butter category of the market, with its iconic models,” Benaglia said, highlighting the importance of brand protection.

Since Style Capital took over majority ownership, investments have been made in building international awareness and appeal, for example through the launch of collaborations with the artist Robert Pruitt during last December’s Art Basel Miami and with Japanese designer Mihara Yasuhiro, as reported. A new collaboration, to be unveiled later this year, is in the works, Benaglia said, although she declined to reveal details.

Considering countries by their e-commerce performance, France ranks first, followed by Italy, Germany, the U.S. and the U.K.

Stateside the brand has forged deals with key retailers including Saks, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, among others. “We approached the country three seasons ago with a local agency…there is still a lot to be done,” Benaglia said, underscoring that the focus remains on consolidating the greater European area.

Asked about tariffs, she sounded cautious, saying that Autry has no manufacturing in China, a big plus for the company.

Despite the step-by-step, organic approach to growth embraced under the guidance of Benaglia and Style Capital, Autry is moving fast. The brand recently took direct control of its South Korean operations, previously handled by a local partner, opening a subsidiary in the country, and is to establish a joint venture in Japan in which it will own the majority.

“We want to be direct in all the markets that we believe can strategically lay the foundations for the future of the brand,” Benaglia said.

Autry has started to approach the Chinese market over the past three seasons and not unlike the U.S., the Asian giant requires a thoughtful strategy, Benaglia said.

“We have no immediate plans for retail there, but rather to build on the small and carefully curated wholesale distribution,” she said. “The fact that we currently have little exposure to that market has preserved us from the effect of slowdown in spending there.”

In order to lessen Autry’s dependence on its hero Medalist sneakers and cater to a wider audience, especially female, new styles have been introduced in the past 12 months, including the ‘60s-nodding Windspin and the chunky, active-style Hyperway, aimed at female and fashion-forward consumers, respectively.

Benaglia forecast sales in 2025 will reach 140 million euros, “a healthy growth amid a volatile market in which we think it would be inappropriate to overexpose the brand.”