FEATURE Plus-size Lingerie

100 Pages·2014·10.73 MB·English

FEATURE

Plus-size
Lingerie
CREATIONS
HONORS
Top stores
of the season
THE GUEST
Ali Cudby

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STAY TUNED
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HAPPY HOURS, PRIVATE SALES, customer loyalty cards,
R clearance sales: there are so many ways to significantly
boost a store’s sales. These tactics have even become
essential given today’s marketing-addicted consumer. It’s no
longer enough to have good merchandise; you have to know
how to sell it, too! In today’s business world, all advice is worth
considering. That’s why Créations Lingerie North America
decided to include business tips and become another educational
resource for retailers.
O
Every trimester in this magazine, in addition to market analyses,
trends, and conversations with lingerie, swimwear, and
loungewear brands, you will find dozens of practical ideas. First,
you’ll find the column Top Stores where we publish photos of the
season’s best stores and reveal their most useful tips & tricks.
Then, take in the advice of the professionals, like Ali Cudby in this
issue.
Staying loyal to our mission, we’ve also included not only
exclusive interviews with Kerry O’Brien of Commando and
Heather Thomson of Yummie, but also an exciting look at ultra-
T fashionable Plus-Size intimates. And don’t miss our report on
lingerie’s new names, a column by our friend Ellen Lewis, and a
fantastic analysis by our new collaborator, swimwear specialist
Rhea Cortado.
Enjoy this month’s edition. We hope you’ll join us for a new special
issue, largely dedicated to swimwear, available in July.
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François Pomès
Managing editor
[email protected]
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o Easton International, Inc.
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Intimate insight, #6
European view
APRIL. / JUNE. 2014
Editorial .........................................................................2
The Guest
Ali Cudby, Fab Foudation .....................................................6
News ................................................................................10
Up-and-Coming ....................................................22
Top Stores...............................................................24 p.26
Event
Lingerie Fashion Night “In” ..............................................30
Interview
Kerry O’Brien, Commando ...............................................36
Feature
New Brands, New Luxury ................................................40
Lingerie Briefs Chronicles p.24
Loungewear, Easywear ......................................................42
Corsetry p.42
Interview: Heather Thomson for Yummie .....................50
Feature: Plus-Size Lingerie ...............................................52
Collections ..........................................................................56
Loungewear & Hosiery
Collections ..........................................................................66
Beachwear
Déposé Collections .........................................................................70
Mlle Noï – Modèle FCMeoealltneuc’rsteio: INnnset .w.i.m. S...aw...it.m..e.w.. .Ae..a..pr.. .fp.o..ar.. M..r..e.e.n..l . .. ......................................................................7748 p.74
Agence : Fairs p.82
Baenziger CCuurrvvee NNVY ..........................................................................................................................................................8842
Sven MiamiSwimShow ...............................................................85
Ph : July Shows in Paris ............................................................86
w.aubade.com IFnatebrfirlièicres S hanghai ..........................................................87
ww News ...................................................................................90
European Sourcing .............................................................91
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AD DIRECTORY
COVER BACK COVER
PARISA USA ANITA INTERNATIONAL
FEATURE Address Address
Plus-size
Lingerie 9401 Business Center Dr., 3540 NW 56th Street, Ste. 204
CHROENAOTRIOSNS Northridge, CA 91324 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
Top stores
of the season P: [phone] P: 1-954-730-8189 ext. 114
THE GUEST
Ali Cudby F: [phone] F: 1-954-730-8723

[email protected] [email protected]
www.parisausa.com www.anita.com
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AFFINITAS ......................................................................................13
ANITA ..........................................................................BACK COVER
AUBADE ...........................................................................................3
CURVESHOW ................................................................................80 YVES MORITZ FRANÇOIS POMÈS
Publisher Managing editor
EUCALAN ......................................................................................35 [email protected] [email protected]
INTERFILIERE PARIS SHOW ........................................................88
INTERFILIERE / SHANGHAI MODE LINGERIE SHOW ...............47
JULIE FRANCE ..............................................................................59
VALÉRIE DUBILLON
VALÉRIE CHARIER Advertising director
MODE CITY SHOW ......................................................96; COVER 3 M
Editor in chief (US, Canada, Europe)
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[email protected] [email protected]
OH LA LA CHERI ...........................................................................61 E
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PARISA ......................................................................FRONT COVER A
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PJ SALVAGE ..........................................................COVER 2; PAGE 1
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MIAMISWIMSHOW .......................................................................15 GUILLAUME NACK

E Advertising manager JULIEN KOPLEWICZ-PINET
TRIUMPH ........................................................................................11 H (France, Europe, Asia) Graphic Designer
T [email protected] [email protected]
VA BIEN .........................................................................................48
CRÉATIONS LINGERIE PUBLISHER TRANSLATION & SUBSCRIPTIONS
NORTH AMERICA Yves Moritz PROOFREADING EDITOLUX SERVICE ABONNEMENT
IS PUBLISHED BY EDITOLUX [email protected] Heather Way [email protected] CS70001 59361
Sarl au capital de 200 000 euros AVESNES SUR HELPE CEDEX FRANCE
RCS : Paris 388 442 923 MANAGING EDITOR DESIGN tel : [phone]
lSSN : 0336-7266 Créations Lingerie François Pomès L’Ours Sarl
Dépôt légal : à parution. [email protected] [email protected] No part of this magazine may be
Price: $29 reproduced without permission from
Printed in Canada CHIEF EDITOR ADVERTISING MANAGERS Editolux. The views expressed in this
Valérie Charier Valérie Dubillon publication are not necessarily those of
71, rue Ordener [email protected] [email protected] the publisher.
75018 Paris France
TéI : + 33(0)1.55.29.53.00 FREELANCES & CONTRIBUTORS Guillaume Nack
Fax : + 33(0)1.42.58.06.02 Ellen Lewis, Leslie Valmont, [email protected]
www.creations-lingerie.com Rhea Cortado
THE GUEST
Ali
Princess
Better positioning of one’s merchandise, better
sales techniques, and better knowledge of the
market: this is what Ali Cudby, well-known as a
consultant and blogger in the intimate apparel
world, has to offer. We recently spoke with her.
“I think when
BY FRANÇOIS POMÈS
companies stop
thinking about
T
he bubbly Ali Cudby, who wears the hats of blog-
taking things to the
ger, consultant, and fashion aficionado, is above all
a big fan of intimates, both its brands and its re-
next level, that’s the
tailers. As the CEO of Fab Foundations, which helps
stores and manufacturers optimize their business beginning of the
and branding, Ali is one of the key players in the North Ameri-
can intimates scene. Her book Busted! The Fab Foundations® slippery slope to
Guide to Bras That Fit, Flatter and Feel Fantastic has become a
must in the industry and was even translated into Spanish! The stale.”
journalist-blogger-consultant-fan has more than one trick up
her sleeve and founded The Intimate Circle, a club where mem-
bers can learn about retail sales and share their knowledge, as
well as the FabFit Academy, a training program that attracts
dozens of professionals each session. For Créations Lingerie
North America, Ali agreed to offer us her perspective.
ALI CUDBY
What are the FabFit Academy and the Guide?
The FabFit Academy is an online bra fit training and certification
program that is designed for use by lingerie professionals. I created This is a membership-based learning lounge. Each month mem-
the program in 2012 after hearing from a number of retailers that bers get access to interviews, downloads, and other tools that
they wanted fit training that they could access when they needed are designed to help boost lingerie businesses. We talk to indus-
it, wherever they were in the world. As the author of the bestselling try experts about topics like marketing, buying, merchandising,
book on bra fitting, Busted!, it was a natural extension of the work and selling to help each retailer take their business to the next
I was already doing. Since my methodology is focused on how a level. There’s also a private community where members can
bra fits a woman’s body, it lends itself to being effective across all ask each other questions about their business. No matter what
countries and sizing protocols. you’re going through in your lingerie business, there’s someone
who can help you out. Being a retailer is hard! This is a great way
What about the new Circle? to get the information you need while also being part of a sup-
The Intimate Circle is a new online tool for lingerie retailers. portive community of likeminded professionals.
6 Créations Lingerie north america #6 - APRIL - JUNE 2014
Why did you decide to help retailers to boost their busi- Do you think lot of American retailers need to improve their
ness? shops and their “sales technique”?
I talk to retailers constantly, so I hear about their challenges and Running your business more effectively isn’t limited to American
frustrations. As I listened over the years, it occurred to me that a retailers. There are retailers from all over the globe in both the
lot of the issues are business fundamentals with a lingerie twist – FabFit Academy and The Intimate Circle; in fact, every continent
which aligned exactly with my skills as a lingerie industry expert (except Antarctica) has been represented. Whether companies
with a Wharton MBA. Retailers had already shown an interest in are just starting out or have been around the block a few times,
getting information online, at their convenience. The Intimate Cir- the best ones are always investing in growth and development.
cle takes the model they enjoy, namely online information, and It’s too easy to get sucked into the day-to-day of running a busi-
focuses it on the challenges they are having in their businesses ness. The Intimate Circle provides an opportunity to take just a
right now. little time each month to focus on the bigger picture – on boost-
Créations Lingerie north america #6 - APRIL - JUNE 2014 7
THE GUEST
ing your business. Personally, I think when companies stop store’s brand and target customers, and how you communicate
thinking about taking things to the next level, that’s the begin- your unique message to those customers. Then it’s about the
ning of the slippery slope to stale. So it helps retailers find a little business processes you use to run effectively – from buying and
time each month, in a structured way, to focus on growth. selling to hiring and firing.
Are the Academy and the Guide free? What are the main mistakes you see being made?
The FabFit Academy and The Intimate Circle are investments re- I see a lot of retailers who think they should do it all themselves
tailers make in growing their businesses and are always priced – and as an entrepreneur, by definition you end up wearing a lot
in a way that allows retailers to make back their money many of hats. But doing everything alone means no influx of fresh ideas,
times over by applying the principles that come and it’s too easy to get burnt out. It’s important to
from the program. It always comes back to the realize that you don’t have to do it alone, and the
value of being a more efficient and effective best businesses invest in some outside perspec-
business, getting your name out there, bringing tive and energy in order to grow. I also see busi-
more people through the door, and backing eve- nesses that run according to gut feeling, instead
rything up with a well-run business that delivers of a plan. Buying, marketing, hiring and firing – all
for the owner, the employees and the customer. of these aspects of business need some strategy
behind them. Harnessing the power of industry ex-
According to you, what are the most important perts to help guide your strategy makes so much
elements needed to boost a lingerie business? more sense for running a successful business.
All businesses need to be built on Fab Founda-
tions. Just like a bra, if your business doesn’t How can a lingerie shop be the most efficient?
have a solid foundation, everything sags. So first Having some processes and tools in place for the
of all, it’s about making sure your fundamentals most important aspects of running a store means
are in place. We drill down on questions about a being on top of what you need to do. So your foun-
8 Créations Lingerie north america #6 - APRIL - JUNE 2014