Malamine Koné (December 21, 1971 in
Niéna
Niéna is a small town and Communes of Mali, rural commune in the Sikasso Cercle, Cercle of Sikasso in the Sikasso Region of southern Mali. The commune covers an area of 1,040 square kilometers and includes the town and 42 villages.. In the 2009 c ...
,
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
) is a
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
an and French entrepreneur. He is the founder of the sportswear brand
Airness
Airness is a footwear trademark founded in 1999 in Saint-Denis, France, by Malamine Koné. The logo includes the image of a black panther.
History
Malamine Koné, a former boxer from the 1990s nicknamed 'the panther', founded the brand Airness ...
. Koné arrived in
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
at the age of 10 and was raised in the northern
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
suburb of
Saint-Denis. Koné became a boxer but his boxing career was cut short after a road accident in 1995. Koné then turned his attention to the fashion business.
External links
Interview on Afrik.com (2005)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kone, Malamine
1971 births
Living people
French fashion designers
Malian fashion designers
Malian emigrants to France
People from Sikasso Region
People from Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis