Italian heart, international mission

https://www.pompea.com/en/company/about-us

Pompea was established in 1996 in Medole, in the province of Mantua, Italy, by its founder Adriano Rodella. Based on the experience Rodella had gained during years of working in the hosiery and underwear industry and his extraordinary innovative ability, he turned it into a success story and point of reference both in Italy and internationally within a short time.

Pompea has always played a key role in the underwear and hosiery industry in Italy. It soon became leader in the market of ladies’ underwear, number two in the hosiery sector and third in men’s socks. It is one of the top five best-selling brands in the swimsuit segment.

Many factors carried the company to success within a short time. First and foremost is its wide range of products boasting an unquestionable quality to price ratio and ongoing innovation, above all in the “seamless” technology field. This was the starting point of the “No stress” payoff line launched in 2000 with an advertising campaign, and since then unavoidably tied to a brand synonymous with comfort and well-being.

Continuous investments in technology, attentive styling research and the use of both traditional and innovative yarns have allowed Pompea to achieve an important goal: an assortment of products able to meet the needs of a truly extended target with sensitivity. Women, men and children today find in Pompea allied underwear for facing everyday life with freedom and energy as they are able to choose from garments in natural fibre or microfibre, with seams or seamless.

A winning development strategy centred on the progressive opening of new markets and on the acquisition of prestigious national and international brands – such as Roberta and Mimi– has carried Pompea to leadership positions in the hosiery and underwear industry, while at the same time combining its Italian identity with an international mission.

POMPEA'S HISTORY

Adriano Rodella, champion of tights

https://www.pompea.com/en/company/pompea-history

What he says about himself is: “I’m a farmer”. However, Adriano Rodella – founder and owner of Pompea – is first and foremost an untiring builder of companies with an amazing intuition for innovations. This self-made man started early in life: at the age of 14 he was working in a hosiery factory.

Owing to his wealth of curiosity, there was not a single textile machine that concealed its secrets from him. In fact, he soon became a specialist. At the age of 24 he founded his first large hosiery factory. His unstoppable rise commenced, and led him to a leadership position in the nylon hosiery industry in Italy and Europe.

In the early ’80s Rodella discovered and exploited the potentials of elastomer by producing hosiery that immediately became fashionable.

At the end of the ’90s he founded Pompea. It as well produced nylon hosiery, but two years later Rodella extended it production to seamless underwear and acquired a brand that had become a myth, Roberta.

Today Pompea is leader in the ladies’ hosiery and underwear market.

    Events that have made history

    1996
Adriano Rodella, founder and maker of the success of Filodoro, established Pompea Spa and started the production and distribution of tights

    1998
    Joint venture with the Spanish company Gassol, owner of the Glory and Mimi brands

    1999
    Launch of ladies’ underwear with the seamless technology

    2000
    Strong support of the Pompea brand with TV communications

    2001

    Launch of seamless underwear for men and diversification with men’s socks

    2002
    License of the Barbie brand for the girls target

    2003
    Acquisition of the underwear brand Roberta

    2004
    Launch of Pompea GYM and Pompea Outwear for leisure time

    2005
    Launch of Pompea Junior for the age 3-10 target, underwear and hosiery and diversification in swimsuits

    2006
    Launch of the pyjamas collections for women, men and children

    2007
    Pompea opened a direct sales channel in Italy using the outlet formula

    2008
    Launch of the Natural line, cotton underwear for men and women bearing the Pompea trademark

    2009
    Underwear was expanded with the Silver line, with silver ion yarn and antibacterial and anti-odour action to achieve an unrivalled sensation of freshness and protection

    2010
    A surprising year: the invention of new fibres – containing milk and bamboo – give rise to the Milk Collection and Bamboo Collection lines. Colormania, Glory Corsetry and Medical Collection were also started, with the latter sold only in pharmacies.

    2014
    The new generation of massaging-effect tights with a soft and comfortable texture without forgetting elegance and femininity came into being with Happy Body System

    2015
    Two new “charms” for women arrived on the scene: “Legjeans”, push-up leggings with a denim look pattern, and the first push-up bra without underwire by Pompea

 

        From tights to seamless

        Pompea riscrive la storia del collant

Did you know that 14 kilometres of nylon are needed to make a pair of tights? Here are the milestones of the evolution of the “modern” tights.