Lingerie Insight 2016-10

OCTOBER 2016 / VOL 07 ISSUE 10 www.lingerieinsight.com

Digital masterclass

LINGERIE BUYERS AT VERY EXPLAIN THE RETAILER’S SKYROCKETING SALES

Into Africa

VIRTUAL SHOPPING MALL HELPS UK RETAILERS ENTER THE AFRICAN MARKET

Pretty Polly interview HOSIERY BRAND THRIVES IN THE UK DESPITE FACTORY CLOSURE

ONE TO

WATCH

Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has entered the UK with a bold strategy to dominate the market. CEO Philip Mountford lays out his vision

FUTURE TRENDS: LYCRA HIGHLIGHTS LINGERIE AND SWIMWEAR TRENDS LINGERIE MUSEUM: UNDERPINNINGS TO DOCUMENT HISTORICAL UNDERWEAR

FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET INVOLVED THIS YEAR AND FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES CONTACT:

Daniel Malins [email protected]

0203 176 4225

Contents VOLUME 07 • ISSUE 10

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7 | Front

The latest headlines A round-up of this month’s top stories from lingerie, hosiery, nightwear and swimwear industries.

14 | Underpinnings

Online museum A new online museum will showcase and document historical underwear from 1880 to the present day on a free platform.

15 | Figleaves

New website launch Figleaves has launched an all-new website, which offers a new and improved shopping experience for lingerie consumers.

14

16

Beautifully Undressed is among a string of UK and US retailers that are tapping into the thriving African consumer market through online app MallforAfrica. In a special report, boutique owner Annabelle Mu’azu speaks to the founder of the virtual shopping mall, Chris Folayan, about the benefits of selling lingerie on the continent.

27 | Expert opinion

30 | Lingerie idols

20

Panache campaign

20 | Very.co.uk

Digital masterclass

24 30

27

Page 7 exclusive interview with Pretty Polly managing director David Donnelly

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

Panache has named the winners of its 2016 Modelled by Role Models campaign. Read the inspiring stories behind the women featured in the brand’s latest photoshoot, which attempts to break the industry standard of using image, and image alone, to sell products.

26 | INVISTA trends

Future forecast INVISTA brings to life lingerie, swimwear and activewear trends.

Check out

4

Virtual shopping

The KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank has published a white paper on the type of customers retailers should be focusing on in order to drive growth.

Hunkemöller

In the last 18 months, online fashion retailer Very has become a destination for intimate apparel. Lingerie Insight catches up with buyers Jen Scott and Kimberley Mather

24 | Into Africa

Retail Think Tank

16 | Dutch courage Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has entered the UK with bold ambitions to dominate the market. In an interview with Lingerie Insight, CEO Philip Mountford lays out his vision.

to find out how their hard work has led to a 28% uplift in sales.

30 | Hot in hosiery

Must-stock products

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New tights and stockings from some of the biggest names in hosiery.

COMMENT WELCOME

“Make the most of the falling pound” In my previous letter to Lingerie Insight readers, I mentioned that the Brexit vote had had little impact on consumer spending, and one month on, this statement is still true. Sales may have slumped 0.3% in August, but that was put down to warm weather and the Olympics distracting consumers’ attentions away from the shops. Even the likes of John Lewis, which saw a 14.7% fall in profits in the six months to July, said the UK’s June 23 vote to leave the European Union has had “little quantifiable impact on sales so far”. Even so, the EU referendum has had an impact on the UK sterling, with the pound falling below crucial levels against both the euro and the dollar, and British retailers would do well to take advantage of this, by tapping into international markets. In recent months there has been a sharp rise in orders leaving the UK, as shoppers made the most of the relative strength of their currencies, so there’s never been a better time to strengthen your global reach. One company that is helping UK retailers do just that is MallforAfrica, a virtual shopping mall that buys products from British shops and sells them direct to consumers in Africa. In a special report on p24, Beautifully Undressed – one of the many boutique brands that has taken its position on MallforAfrica – speaks to the owner of the app about the benefits of selling lingerie on the continent. Also in this issue, we speak to the lingerie buyers at Very.co.uk about the secrets behind the retailer’s recent 28% rise in sales. And we list the must-stock tights and stockings from the biggest names in the hosiery business. Enjoy the issue!

ITP PROMEDIA PUBLISHING 16-25 Bastwick Street, London, EC1V 3PS, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 31 764228 Fax: +44 (0) 20 31 764231 EDITORIAL Editor Sarah Clarke [email protected] Tel: +44 (0) 20 3176 5457 CONTRIBUTORS Tim O’Callaghan Publisher Daniel Malins [email protected] Tel: +44 (0)20 3176 4225

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Sarah Clarke EDITOR, LINGERIE INSIGHT

October Cover Model wears: Starglam bra and thong by Hunkemöller. The new face of Hunkemöller is former Victoria’s Secret Angel and L’Oreal Paris ambassador Doutzen Kroes.

The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exception is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

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LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

NEWS REVIEW

THIS MONTH IN LINGERIE AND SWIMWEAR

FRONT

NEWS IN BRIEF FIRST STITCH WEB HIGHLIGHTS

8 10 11

Exclusive: Hope for Pretty Polly brand despite Belper factory closure

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osiery brand Pretty Polly continues to thrive in the UK and internationally, five months after its Derbyshire factory closed, the company has said. Speaking to Lingerie Insight, managing director David Donnelly said the heritage label, which began trading in 1919, still has a strong presence in store and online, and is focused on

creating new collections for next season and beyond. “Although our manufacturing presence in Derbyshire regrettably had to close, we will be continuing our relationships with local suppliers and building longterm partnerships with sources in Italy, Turkey and Eastern Europe,” he added. “Customers will continue to have the certainty of

being supplied from our owned distribution centre in Derbyshire and we have been working hard to ensure that our stock levels and supply chain can meet increasing demand.” Derbyshire-based manufacturer Courtaulds Brands, which made Pretty Polly lingerie and hosiery, fell into administration in May, with the loss of 350 jobs.

The company, which also made hosiery for Aristoc and Elbeo, and private label clothing for retailers in the UK and internationally, employed 380 staff at its Belper and London sites. The main reason for the demise of the company is attributed to the impact of the administration of BHS, story continues on page 9

FOR THE LATEST LINGERIE INDUSTRY NEWS AND INSIGHT HEAD TO LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

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FRONT NEWS REVIEW

news review performance whilst providing comfort and support.

Boux Avenue has announced a year-long partnership with Breast Cancer Care in the run up to Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The lingerie retailer will donate £1 for every customer that has a bra fitting throughout October, in all of its UK stores. Shoppers will be able to make an additional £1 donation in store and online when they make their purchases. Boux Avenue will continue its partnership with activity until September 2017, including a Pink Week fundraiser, in-store events, competitions and a campaign around Mother’s Day. Mapalé, the boudoir lingerie brand distributed by New Temptations in the UK, has become the latest brand to jump on the wellness trend with the launch of a new activewear collection. The new range is made up of colourful crop-tops, leggings and shorts made using Mapalé’s moisture-wicking Stay Dri fabric, which is also designed to protect the body against UV rays. Highlights include a black top featuring breathable panels and a paint-splattered print, and hot pink leggings. The collection has been designed for durability and

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Bluebella has launched a new American website and appointed US agents as it gears up for a big autumn sales drive across the pond. CEO Emily Bendell has recruited Wells Apparel and Easton International to represent the brand on both sides of the country after establishing new sales channels at Curvexpo in New York in July. Bluebella now has bespoke websites for

fit with my dress as not many places do plus sizes, so that’s where it all started. Moonrise Lingerie offers bridal, fashion and everyday styles in sizes A-H. The shop will open from Tuesday to Saturday and it will also open after hours for bridal lingerie fittings. Freya is gearing up to take part in Stylist Live, a four-day festival of catwalk shows, inspiring talks and boutique pop-ups, this month. Freya has been selected to take part in the event, organised by Stylist magazine, to showcase its AW16 lingerie collections and promote its new Freya Fancies range. The brand’s team of expert bra fitters will also be on hand to offer complimentary bra fittings in Freya’s Bra Booth and give helpful advice, tips and tricks on how to find a perfectly fitting bra. The show will take place at London’s

buyers in America, Australia and in the EU for those shopping in Euros and sells in more than 20 countries ,with Germany a particularly strong area of growth. A new lingerie shop specialising in bridalwear has opened in Somerset. Tanya Hall and her husband Richard, who is also a pilot, have opened Moonrise Lingerie in Crown Glass shopping centre in Nailsea. The shop has been operating for six years online, but has now branched out onto the high street. Tanya decided she wanted to open her own shop after she was unable to find the right size lingerie for her wedding, reports the North Somerset Times. She told the paper: “We got married in 2010 and I struggled to find a bra to

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

Business Design Centre from October 13-16. ASOS is the UK’s most searched for fashion retailer on Google, according to a new report. The retailer is ranked the highest when it comes to organic Google searches for men and women’s fashion

in the Fashion Search Performance Report compiled by marketing agency MediaVision. Beating high street department stores such as House of Fraser, John Lewis and Debenhams, ASOS was ranked high for its rich search engine optimisation (SEO), easily searchable keywords, excellent on-site optimisation, vast product ranges and social media branding. Nubian Skin has announced the arrival of its brand new venture, The Africa Collection, a series of luxury lingerie and sleepwear lines inspired by and made in Africa. The British label has been focusing its efforts on ‘redefining nude’ since it launched in 2014, and is now on another mission, to challenge the way African manufacturing scene is perceived. The first range in the Africa collection is Moroccan Nights, a limited edition range inspired by the midnight sky and shadows of a balmy Moroccan night. Available for purchase this month, the collection features lacy bras and lightweight camisoles in black and midnight blue. Sizes range from 30B to 38G and XS to XXL, while prices range from £32 to £65.

story continued from page 7

a major customer, and the declining volume of sales and profitability over the recent period. Pretty Polly, Aristoc and Elbeo are now part of Embody Brands Limited and continue to design hosiery in the UK. “We have a talented team based in the UK working exclusively on brands, focussed on creating the collections for the next season and beyond,” said Donnelly. “Pretty Polly’s origins a hundred years ago may lie with hosiery, but its lingerie collection is growing from strength to strength following a successful launch only a short while ago. There is so much potential for growth. “First and foremost Pretty Polly, Aristoc and Elbeo remain Great British brands

100% designed in the UK and are here to stay.” For SS17, Pretty Polly is adding fashion socks to its popular Fresh Socks range. New designs feature geometric, checkered and striped patterns in bright and pastel colourways. New premium fashion collections in the hosiery range include a bold half nude/half black tight that combines opaque and sheer knits; double-net tights featuring a diamond pattern in three colours, and abstract anklets. Another highlight of the collection is the sheer Watercolour Rose tight, which features a subtle tattoo print at the back of the leg. For Valentine’s Day, Pretty Polly is launching a mock hold-up in black, featuring sheer graduated hearts.

Keep up-to-date with Lingerieinsight.com

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Pretty Polly will introduce the double-net Diamond tight for SS17

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FRONT

NEWS REVIEW

news review

Flamboyant businessman Peter Stringfellow has found a new venture outside the strip club scene – selling lingerie. The tycoon will launch his Stringfellows Collection online in time for Christmas and is even considering opening a boutique in Central London, which will bring together garments by different designers. “People have seen the value of branding. Up until now, I haven’t really used Stringfel-

lows as a brand name, so now I’m going to do that,” he told the London Evening Standard. Stringfellow closed his largest gentleman’s club, Angels in Soho, last month, though he has also said he plans to open a nationwide chain of new “glamour bars” and a casino. Australian lingerie retailer Honey Birdette has opened its first UK boutique in London’s Covent Garden. The 825ft2 store has opened at 56 Long Acre, close to Zara, All Saints, Ben Sherman and French Connection. Eloise Monaghan, creative director of Honey Birdette, said she hopes to empower and entertain the women of London with her lingerie collections. “The idea for Honey Birdette started over a glass of champagne while I was living in London. It is only natural that Covent Garden has been selected for our UK launch,” she added. Honey Birdette has 45 boutiques in Australia today,

a rapidly growing online business and over 115,000 social media followers. Bianca Miller London is continuing to expand its network of stockists with the addition of global fashion destination, Topshop. The brand’s range of nude tights is available in Topshop’s global flagship store on London’s Oxford Street, as well as in Canary Wharf, Knightsbridge, Birmingham Bull Ring and Edinburgh stores. Topshop’s Chicago and New York stores will also carry the brand.

Wacoal Europe has been named a finalist in the 2016 Drapers Awards. The lingerie and swimwear group is in the running for the Mainstream Brand Award this year. The news comes after Drapers named Wacoal Europe’s premium intimates brand, Wacoal, and best-selling D+ label, Fantasie, as finalists in the Drapers Independent Awards. The winners of the awards will be announced at the Drapers Awards ceremony on November 17 at Old Billingsgate, London.

First Stitch CELEBRATING EMERGING TALENT contemporary look means that the ‘fashion girls’ will pick up on it, and the attention to detail and fit is something true lingerie lovers will appreciate.

Contemporary label Inamorata made its debut at London’s The Lingerie Edit in July and picked up the Best New Brand Award. Sarah Northey of UK wholesaler Naughty Knickers tells us more. Lingerie Insight: Please describe Inamorata’s debut collection. SN: Inamorata has launched with an all-black collection. Sheer mesh is mixed with wetlook fabrics and exclusive floral embroidery for rock ’n’ roll edge. The collection offers triangle bras, bodysuits and bottoms in cup sizes B to G.

The Inamorata girl is looking for something sexy and modern. LI: Where does the brand sit within the UK lingerie market? SN: Inamorata’s

LI: What are your price points? SN: The idea behind the brand was to create a luxury product at an affordable price point. The retail prices vary between £22.50 for a brief and £65 for a bodysuit. LI: Where is Inamorata manufactured?

SN: Inamorata is developed and fit in the UK by an experienced lingerie team, with manufacturing taking place in the Far East. LI: What are the next steps for your brand? SN: We are delighted to be launching in Top Shop Oxford Street, NaughtyKnickers.co.uk and selected specialist boutiques in the UK. Inamorata will be back at The Lingerie Edit in January 2017 and there are plans to show at CURVEXPO in New York in February. Who knows, there may even be some colour for AW17!

Are you an emerging brand and want to be featured in First Stitch? Email [email protected]

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MOST READ ONLINE

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Editor’s Choice

Exclusive: Rigby & Peller hires new UK MD Exclusive interview: Gossard Girl Olympia Valance ASOS accused of copying Aussie lingerie brand NEW LAUNCH: Rossell England

COLLECTION

VIDEO

Triumph AW16

VIDEO: Modelled by Role Models 206

Strictly Come Dancing star Daisy Lowe continues her role as brand ambassador.

Behind the scenes footage of Panache’s inspirational campaign.

Nominations open for the 2016 UK Lingerie Awards Nubian Skin launches luxury Made-in-Africa range Aussie lingerie brand secures first UK boutique Emerging nightwear brand takes on the world

NEWS

INSPIRATION

Hunkemöller takes on the UK market with bold new strategy

John Lewis posts half-year profits slump

Cornish independent store Mish wins Drapers Award

Pre-tax profits fell 14.7% to £81.9m and are expected to remain under pressure.

The Wadebridge-based store was named the Best Niche Retailer of the Year.

Lingerie brands irked by lack of buyer commitment

Lingerie Tweets Great new re-design of the

We’ve appeared in

@lingerieinsight website

@LingerieInsight this week.

www.lingerieinsight.com

Looking forward to sharing more

@AOB_PR

museum info with you @TheUPMuseum

Thanks to @LingerieInsight for the mention in their “ASOS Tops

How #beautiful does #Gossard

Google Search Ranking”

girl @OlympiaValance look on the

@MediaVision

front of this month’s issue of @ LingerieInsight?! @GossardUK

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EXPERT OPINION

LEGALLY SPEAKING

TIM O’CALLAGHAN

Legally Speaking Tim O’Callaghan is a partner in Druces LLP, specialising in advice to the fashion and luxury goods business. In this month’s column, he discusses the gender pay gap

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recent study by the Institute of Fiscal Studies concluded that, on average, women earn 18% less than men, with the gap widening to 40% after women have children. Neither of these figures come as a shock to regular readers of Lingerie Insight, which has reported on and championed the correction of this unsettling trend in recent weeks. Our new Prime Minister is another supporter of dealing with this issue. In her very first speech she highlighted the need to make sure that Britain ‘works for everyone’. It is still, in this lingerie solicitor’s experience, rare, to find men routinely employed in customer-facing sales roles in lingerie retail, and in the view of this occasional lingerie customer, that is entirely right and appropriate. The difficulty comes higher up the chain, in the positions of management in lingerie businesses. Here, it seems, the invaluable and practical guidance and experience of the female touch is routinely ignored. It is this inequality that the new government administration is trying to curb, by using blunt, but effective, means of ‘new legislation’ to support its objective. New legislation • The Equality Act (Gender Pay Gap Information) Regulations 2016 – expected to come into force in October 2016. Deadline for first reports is April 2018. • The requirements (initially) apply to employers who employ 250 or more people. What are the requirements? • Relevant employers will be required to

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publish figures on the organisation’s website in relation to: 1) Gender pay gap – the average hourly pay for women in comparison to the average hourly pay for men; 2) Gender bonus gap; 3) The number of men and women in each salary band (quartile). • They will also need to submit evidence of compliance annually to the government. Calculating the gender pay gap • This is not the same as equal pay, i.e. it is not comparing pay between men and women of the same seniority/in the same job roles. It is calculated with reference to all male/female employees. It will not, therefore, be a case of comparing two lingerie sales assistants, rather a female sales assistant and male manager. • Employers are required to calculate: 1) The percentage difference between the mean (average) gross hourly pay of women in relation to men. 2) The percentage difference between the mid-point (median) gross hourly pay value of women in relation to men. 3) The number of men and women in each pay quartile. • If you will forgive a foray into mathematics, the way in which the percentage is calculated is by working out the difference between the average pay of all male employees and the average pay of all female employees, and dividing that number by the average pay of all male employees. Calculating gender bonus gap • This is a separate report that includes all bonus payments made in the 12 months up to and including April 30, 2017. • Likely to include payments such as

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

commission, profit sharing, productivity/ performance payments. • Two separate figures: a) difference in mean bonus pay and b) proportion of male/ female employees who received bonuses. Publishing • Employers need to publish the report on their own website and upload it to a government website where it will be available to members of the public. • Companies must publish their first report within 12 months from April 30, 2017. • This information must be kept online for three years to show progress made. Enforcement: • The draft regulations do not contain any enforcement provisions or sanctions for non-compliance. • However, the government has stated that it will run checks to assess for noncompliance, publish league tables by sector of employers’ reported gender pay gaps and, in some cases, publicise the identity of employers who have not complied with the requirements. At present, these regulations apply to employers of 250 employees or more, although it is widely expected that this minimum qualifying criteria will reduce. Many campaigners want to see the regulations apply to all employers, however small. This is understandable and, perhaps, the inevitable result of the current equality laws in the UK, the general drift of which is to eradicate all inequality in the workplace. In the brave-new-world of lingerie retail, it is as indefensible to insist on a lingerie sales assistant as being female as it is to pay male store managers disproportionately on the basis of their sex.

Beautiful Wirefree Lingerie English Rose Post Surgery Bra - Supporting Against Breast Cancer www.royce-lingerie.co.uk Against Breast Cancer is charity registration no. 1121258

FRONT

ANALYSIS

Online museum to chart the

HISTORY OF LINGERIE The Underpinnings Museum will showcase and document historical underwear from 1880 to the present day on a free platform

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n online museum dedicated to the evolution of lingerie through the ages is set to go live later this year. The Underpinnings Museum will showcase and document historical underwear from 1880 to the present day, with high-quality photographs capturing each object in detail. The museum is the brainchild of award-winning lingerie designer Karolina Laskowska. Her aim is to create an invaluable community resource that is free and accessible to lingerie lovers, fashion students, historians and home sewers. “Whilst high profile exhibitions on the history of lingerie hit the headlines in Paris, New York, Sydney and now London, lingerie lovers can struggle to find in depth information and analysis of garments,” she said. “The Underpinnings Museum aims to satisfy this desire by offering free access to all, with high-quality photography capturing the garments in exquisite detail. Each

object is accompanied by technical and historical contextual information.” Joining Laskowska is Lori Smith, known in the lingerie community as ‘The Bra Master’ due to her academic research on 20th century and 21st century underwear, Underpinnings will present underwear from 1880 to the present day

Photographer Tigz Rice will work with Karolina Laskowska and Lori Smith to present the lingerie exhibits

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LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

and Tigz Rice, a photographer specialising in lingerie with a vintage aesthetic. Initially self-funded, the museum’s Kickstarter campaign is targeted to raise £6,300 to cover the costs of acquiring period-specific mannequins to display garments on, studio photography, exhibit research and crowdfunding merchandise to ensure its continued success. The campaign began on September 30 and will last for 30 days. Backers will have the chance to pledge funds towards the campaign and in return receive rewards such as postcards, knickers, art prints, custom-made lingerie and exclusive digital content.

ANALYSIS

FRONT

FIGLEAVES TRANSFORMS DIGITAL

LANDSCAPE WITH NEW ECOMMERCE SITE The new website, designed in-house with Demandware, offers a new and improved shopping experience for lingerie consumers

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nline lingerie giant Figleaves has launched an all-new, fully responsive website.

Nine months in the making, the new ecommerce website offers an improved shopping experience in terms of fastest search, page-load speed and personalised content. Designed in-house in collaboration with software technology company Demandware, the site allows consumers to access the same dynamic content on desktop and mobile devices. New features designed to personalise the overall experience include wish lists and the option to see recently viewed items. “Since establishing in 1998, Figleaves has grown into a retail destination that shoppers trust for quality and innovation and Demandware Commerce Cloud will allow us to maintain this position by opening up new possibilities for us to build on our online community,” said Tom Fitzgibbons, head of web and IT at Figleaves.

“We are confident that Demandware will allow us to continue innovating with the consumer shopping experience by developing new initiatives that promote greater integration across various channels and devices.” Figleaves has over 1.2 million customer visits each month and delivers to over 100 countries from the UK. As the retailer expands into new territories and markets, the new website is set to increase speed-to-market by enabling Figleaves to easily implement like-for-like currencies and languages to exceed customer expectations in new territories. “Figleaves previously relied on a bespoke solution, which meant that reacting to customer demands or keeping up with competitors was reliant on the knowledge and skills of its internal development team,” said Andrew Gilboy, vice president, EMEA, at Demandware. “By adopting our cloud-based approach then Figleaves will have access to the latest technology so it can concentrate on delivering a seamless user experience that is consistent across channels and devices.

The new site has been updated with new photography

We look forward to working with one of the UK’s leading retailers to share our experience in the apparel space and help drive retail sales.” Figleaves was among a group of pioneers that included the likes of Amazon and eBay, which blazed the ecommerce trail when the internet was opened to commercial use in 1991. Today, the business is reaping the benefits of ecommerce, which is growing year-on-year. UK online lingerie sales grew 44% in August, according the latest results from IMRG Capgemini eRetail Sales Index. What’s more, the value of the global online lingerie market could exceed £40 billion by 2020, a report by market research company, Technavio, suggests. The sector is expected to grow 17% per year over the next four years, largely driven by smartphone penetration.

www.lingerieinsight.co.uk October 2016 LINGERIEINSIGHT

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BRANDS & CAMPAIGNS

HUNKEMÖLLER

Dutch

courage Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has entered the UK with bold ambitions to dominate the market and the rest of Europe. In an interview with Lingerie Insight, CEO Philip Mountford lays out his vision

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unkemöller, the biggest lingerie retailer in Northern Europe, has landed in the UK with an ecommerce platform and bold plans to fend off competition on the high street. The Dutch brand, which already operates 800 stores in 20 territories and has quadrupled its sales in seven years, launched its UK site last month and intends to open physical stores here in the future. Speaking in Berlin at a press event which marked former Victoria’s Secret model Doutzen Kroes as the new face of the brand, CEO Philip Mountford spoke to Lingerie Insight about his vision for the company. Hunkemöller was launched 130 years ago. What is the secret of its longevity? It’s about reinventing yourself. One of our policies is we don’t talk about age, only because our customer is aged between 18 and 29 and we’re all about having relevant fashion product for that consumer. If you’re 18 years old, you’re not worried about how old we are – you’re just

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LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

HUNKEMÖLLER

BRANDS & CAMPAIGNS

Doutzen Kroes is the new face of Hunkemöller

worried about whether you are buying from a cool lingerie brand. We have been owned by three equity companies – KKR sold us to PAI and PAI sold us to Carlyle. Seven years ago, KKR was good enough to give me a white piece of paper and say, “Philip, we’ve got a business that isn’t moving – it’s regressing and we want it to be transformed”, and I was lucky enough to create a dream. We started off with the customer, which I think most customers don’t – they start off with a product and say “you need to buy it”. What we said is “we’ve got a customer; let’s provide her with something she wants”. We interviewed 39,000 of our customers and created a persona called Shero. We asked her what she wants, how does she want it, where does she want to shop and how does she want to be looked after. On the back of that, we created our whole content strategy. Starting with the customer is quite unique and not many CEOs have that opportunity.

Why did you decide to launch a website in the UK and where do you see Hunkemöller sitting within the market? We see it as a great opportunity. It’s quite a unique feat for us because it’s the first time we’ve launched a platform in a country where we don’t have a physical store. We have quite a unique proposition – our USP is that we offer fashionable products in a variety of sizes, so we offer back sizes 30 to 44 and cup sizes AA to FF. You can buy a really beautiful fashionable bra from us in a 40G, at a good price. We offer Beautiful Balcony, Delicious Demi, Perfect Plunge and Fabulous Full Cup. So we look at what shape fits you and what size you are, so we can offer products to individuals in their size, in a fit that’s relevant to them. Who are your main competitors in the UK? Our main competitor would have to be someone like Boux Avenue.

The Doutzen Kroes range will be available online on October 27

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

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BRANDS & CAMPAIGNS

HUNKEMÖLLER

Hunkemöller isn’t a very wellknown brand in Britain. How do you plan to promote it? We will buy Google adverts and we will do affiliates and events. We are also in talks with other players that already trade in the UK, so there will be other platforms that sell our products there and our brand will become established. The UK is starved of fashionable product across a broad spectrum of sizes.

Doutzen Kroes with Philip Mountford at last month’s press event in Berlin

Will you launch physical stores in the UK? I’m sure we will launch stores eventually. The UK is on our strategic plan, but not for the next two years. When we go into a market, we go into a market seriously and don’t just go in and open a few stores. We have 500 stores in Germany, 200 stores in Holland, 120 stores in Belgium and we’ve just gone into Austria, where we will open between 70 and 100 stores. So everywhere we go, we become number one. So when we go into the UK, we will not just play around with a few stores. When we go in, we will go in to be serious.

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How is online performing in comparison to your physical stores? Online is growing like-for-like at 53%. Our whole business is growing at over 6% like-for-like, on top of 9.3% last year, on top of 4.8% the year before. There are very few brands experiencing that kind of growth. Physical stores were up over 9% last year and this year they are up 3.2%. We need a physical presence to really drive omni channel. In the UK, we have ecommerce, but our real strength is omni – so click and collect, check and reserve, order in store and return to store. We’ve got the fastest downloaded retail app so we can track you, see your shopping behaviour and target you appropriately. We still see a real importance for physical stores, especially in big cities, where we’re opening huge stores where we can showcase our whole offer – sports, hosiery, swimwear, designer collections etc. But these stores are

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

always launched to make money. We don’t open these stores for the sake of it – we are a commercial business. What are your future visions for the company? We want to dominate all of Europe in terms of being a lingerie specialist. We see ourselves with quite a unique USP that allows us to grow globally. There are very few brands that have already quadrupled in turnover in seven years and this has probably been the hardest seven years in European retail history. We’ve not just grown our sales, but we’ve more than quadrupled our profits. We’ll invest a lot of that into the future, so we’ll invest in people and in training. All of our training is done by video and we also have an internal app. We’ve got 5,200 employees and 4,800 people have downloaded the app. You’ve got to remember that some people don’t have a smartphone as well, so it’s a very high percentage. The app offers live chat, job ads, visual merchandising guidelines, Q&As, product videos and fitting videos. Knowledge and training is key. What do you think about shoppable videos? Will they be the next big thing? We’ve been offering shoppable videos for two and a half years, but, for us, it’s only just starting to become financially viable. It’s still very slow, but we like to try things. We are not afraid to spend money on new technology; we’re already developing our third customer app.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

VERY

A VERY GOOD YEAR

After launching a lingerie boutique and building its brand portfolio on the back of a huge demand for fashionable underwear, online fashion retailer Very has become a destination for intimate apparel. Lingerie Insight’s Sarah Clarke catches up with buyers Jen Scott and Kimberley Mather to find out more about how their hard work has led to a 28% uplift in sales

Boux Avenue is one of Very’s best-selling brands

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VERY

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ore and more, retailers are seeing a crossover between bodywear and fashion. Selfridges witnessed this trend and reacted by opening a 37,000ft2 Body Studio, but the high street store wasn’t alone. Over the last 18 months, online retailer Very.co.uk has seen a 28% uplift in lingerie sales after responding to a huge demand for fashionable underwear. In AW15 alone, lingerie sales jumped 24% on the previous year, indicating an unprecedented boom for the retailer. One of the main drivers of this growth across the lingerie industry as a whole in recent years has been the underwear-asouterwear trend and the endorsement of lingerie by celebrities. Seeing this as an opportunity to attract new shoppers and improve customer loyalty, Very immediately got to work. Fashion focused “As a business, we’re exploding fashionability and that’s something that we have done within lingerie over the last 12 to 18 months,” says Jen Scott, head of buying for Footwear and Essentials at Shop Direct, Very’s parent company, which also operates Littlewoods and Very Exclusive. “We have recruited a lot of new brands, so one of the biggest and most exciting for us has been Boux Avenue. Obviously, the point of bringing those guys on board is for us to explode fashionability in line with our clothing and footwear strategy. So that’s been really exciting for us,” she adds. “We’ve also launched Bluebella, Heidi Klum Intimates, Spanx, Passionata and Ellesse for AW16, and we’ve got a few more brands on the way, such as Knickerbox.” Very scrapped its own-label range two seasons ago with a view to expand its branded portfolio – a decision that’s paid dividends. “We obviously still offer ranges with our celebrities, such as Myleene Klass. Her collection performs really well and we design and source that ourselves, but in terms of our mainstream ownbrand range, we decided to move away from that and invest our time in working more strategically with the brands,” explains Scott.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Very has recruited a number of new brands, including Heidi Klum Intimates, for AW16

“We’ve massively extended the Pour Moi? range and seen some really good success with that. From 2014 to 2016, Pour Moi? grew 109%.” The lingerie buying team has also focused on improving the customer journey in their path to purchase since launching a lingerie boutique on the Very site 12 months ago. “Each month we’ve been learning about what the customer likes to see, how she likes to shop, which areas get the most clicks, and building on this month after month,” says Scott. Very has found from this research that customers who previously shopped for womenswear are now shopping for lingerie at the same time. “We’re getting a lot more cross-sales,” she says. “I think this is because the fashionability has improved a lot so they’re picking up add-on sales now. We

work very closely with the womenswear teams and design teams, and those guys are really excited about the lingerie at the moment because they can accessorise a tuxedo jacket with a wornto-be-seen bralette, for example.” As lingerie has evolved with fashion trends, customers are also becoming more colourful with their choice of purchase, according to Scott. “Obviously, black, white and nude is where the bulk of the demand lies, but we’re finding that more fashion colours are starting to sell,” she says. Kimberly Mather, senior assistant buyer for lingerie, agrees, adding: “I think that even within fashion you have your core colours. So previously you would probably class a pale pink as a fashion colour, but those kind of neutral tones are starting to sell really well for us.”

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

VERY

“So we now class what Triumph and Playtex see as their fashion colours as core colours. The customer is starting to get a lot more adventurous now.” The wellness trend has also triggered the growth of activewear sales at Very. “Our sports bras have performed phenomenally well for us and we’re working on a few projects to explode that whole ‘love my body’ trend,” teases Scott. Lingerie destination In a few short seasons, Very has become a destination of choice for discerning lingerie shoppers and its growing popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed by major brands in the industry. Mather, who joined Very six months ago from Marks & Spencer, comments: “Since I have been working here, brands have definitely been approaching us more. It’s a two-sided approach. “This has meant that we can pick the right brands for our customer and for the website,” she adds. “Miss Very is so dynamic – her age range is between 25 and 45 – but I think we have a much more peripheral market now, so the brands that we’re launching are introducing a new customer.” Lingerie designers are becoming more aware of the strength of online retail as a whole; with its 24/7 service and unlimited stock space.

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“You can sell a lot more products online than you can in store because you’re not restricted to space – the world’s our oyster,” says Mather. “I think the brands are aware of the power of online and what we can do with it in terms of targeting specific customers based on their individual needs.” Very is also seeing the benefits of having a mobile-responsive site, with 62% of sales coming from smartphones. “Online shopping is so much more accessible now. You could be sat on the tube, browsing and purchasing as you travel to work in the morning,” says Scott. “People’s lifestyles have changed and with that I think Very has adapted to that,” adds Mather. Future projects Hard work has resulted in huge growth for Very’s lingerie business, but the company is not about to rest on its laurels. According to Scott and Mather, this is only the beginning of a creative and prosperous road ahead. “One of our values at Shop Direct is ‘Innovate’, and I’m constantly challenging the teams to be more innovative in terms of our plans. “We’re exploring loads of opportunities now – how we can use

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

Left to right: Kimberley Mather and Jen Scott

more rich content online and how we can educate customers about the brands and what they stand for. Brands all have their own personality so we’ve been working with them to see how we can communicate that better,” says Scott. Very is also planning to grow its fuller-bust side of the business. “I think we are becoming quite famous for DD+ lingerie now so we want to develop that further,” explains Scott. The retailer’s lingerie boutique doesn’t currently feature a fitting guide, but that’s something it is looking to launch in the future. In the meantime, the business is working on educating the customer on how to find the perfect-fitting bra. “It’s about trying to find the best way of informing our customers about which size will fit the customer within each brand. We have so many brands and each brand fits differently,” explains Mather. “We’re doing a huge piece of work on that and we’ve got something really exciting coming up for SS17, so watch this space.” Very is also holding a ‘Lingerie Street’ event at its head office in Liverpool, where it will present some of the new collections it has launched for AW16 to consumers. Confirmed brands include Gossard, Panache, Bluebella, Wonderbra, Shock Absorber, Freya, Curvy Kate, Miraclesuit and Heidi Klum Intimates. Each brand will host various activities including bake sales, lingerie giveaways and raffles, with all proceeds going to Alder Hey hospital.

VERY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Panache will take part in Very’s Lingerie Street event this month

Very has seen Pour Moi? lingerie sales soar 109% in the last two years Strappy lingerie continues to do well at Very

“The Lingerie Street event is happening on October 13 with lots of our key brands, which is really exciting. I think it would be a great day to mark Very and lingerie on the map,” Mather enthuses. Very’s best-selling lingerie brands include the likes of Pour Moi? and Boux Avenue, as well as trusted heritage bands, including Triumph and Wonderbra. “Our customer is very brand loyal and she often repeat-buys into styles that she likes and brands that she trusts. She has discovered Very as a destination for those core brands as well,” explains Mather. So what factors does Very look for in a successful lingerie brand?

“How it’s marketed is a big factor,” says Scott. “It’s a challenge online when you are launching a new lingerie brand because it’s all about educating the customer about the fit and brand personality. There’s a lot of brand loyalty within lingerie, so it can be tough for new brands – I think it takes a lot of perseverance to get it out there,” she continues. “The best way to find out is to trial new brands and see how the customer responds. It takes a couple of seasons to embed a brand and fully get a read on whether she likes it or whether she doesn’t.” Looking ahead to AW17, the Very lingerie team is looking for the next big innovation. “Each season, there are so many new brands and it’s great to see who’s coming to market and what they are bringing. “As we said earlier, the fashionability side of things is exploding for us. So the bralette trend is continuing for us, as is the demand for cut-out briefs and strappy bras. It will be interesting to go out in AW17 to see whether strapping is still a big trend or if there is something that will replace that.”

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SPECIAL REPORT

MALL FOR AFRICA

Photography by Chris Jarvis

Into Africa

Beautifully Undressed is among a string of UK and US retailers that are tapping into the thriving African consumer market through online app MallforAfrica. In a special interview, boutique owner Annabelle Mu’azu speaks to the founder of the virtual shopping mall, Chris Folayan, about the benefits of selling lingerie on the continent 24

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

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conomic growth, coupled with a surging population and an emerging shopping culture

has led to an increased investor interest in Africa’s retail and consumer sector. Whereas the focus was traditionally on extractive industries such as oil and mining, a growing consumer class demanding everything from mobile phones to lingerie have prompted many retailers to look with fresh eyes at opportunities in the region. According to a report on the African consumer and retailer by KPMG last year, Africa is home to more than one billion people, presenting a massive potential consumer market. Moreover, population growth remains rapid, and the United Nations Population Division forecasts that the continent’s population will surpass the 1.5 billion mark by 2026. In addition, Africa’s GDP grew about 3.4% in 2015, a full percentage point above global growth, according to a report published by pwc in March this year on the future of retail and consumer goods sectors in ten Sub-Saharan countries. The African Development Bank estimates that consumer spending will reach US $2.2 trillion by 2030 (up from $680 billion in 2008), the report said. Providing a gateway into this attractive market is MallforAfrica, an online platform that buys products from US and UK sites and delivers them direct to consumers. Since its inception in 2013, the company has taken care of the challenges that prevent retailers from shipping into Africa – providing local payment support, guaranteeing zero fraud to merchants, and handling all customer service, shipping, customs and local marketing. For consumers, MallforAfrica is a means to purchase items people want, but cannot readily obtain in Africa. And there’s never been a better time to tap into this demand, with UK exports at a record high following the Brexit vote. In August, the proportion of orders leaving the UK was recorded at almost 27% – the highest percentage for June and July in five years, according to the IMRG MetaPack UK Delivery Index. British boutique brand Beautifully Undressed was one of the first retailers to take its position on MallforAfrica, selling its

MALL FOR AFRICA

SPECIAL REPORT

A campaign image from Beautifully Undressed’s AW16 lookbook

Beautifully Undressed founder Annabelle Mu’azu

own-brand and branded luxury lingerie to African consumers. In a special report, owner of the online store, Annabelle Mu’azu, interviews MallforAfrica CEO Chris Folayan about the retail opportunities Africa can offer UK companies and how the lingerie sector is performing on the continent.

Why did you decide to launch an app that buys direct from US and UK sites?

How often are UK and US online retailers searched for in Africa? Thousands of times daily. Africans love fashion; they love being current, they love style and they know their brands. This will never change. People in Africa are constantly looking to Europe and the US for new styles and the stores on our platform deliver and cater to the needs of such users.

Why is the UK attracting attention from consumers on the continent?

I launched the app because it was the simplest way to integrate directly with merchants. By having an app that allows you to browse retailers’ sites, you get to experience the brand, their stock and inventory, sales and new releases. With the MallforAfrica app, you are shopping directly on the merchant’s site. However, when it comes to payment and delivery, our app allows you to pay with local currency via local banks and you get the assurance of knowing someone is on the ground, ready to help you if you need any assistance.

Well, as they say, it is all about location, location, location. The UK is attractive to Africans because of two main reasons: it is close, and the styles are 100% in line with what most African consumers are looking for. The fits are more tailored, giving the consumer a distinguished British look. Many UK brands are very well known in Africa due to proximity. So when consider all of these reasons, it is easy to see why British retailers are so popular.

Which key retailers do you work with in the UK?

Very well; we have seen a steady progression in the purchase of lingerie items over the past few years and we expect sales to triple in this category from last year. As we partner with stores like Beautifully Undressed, we know we will keep seeing a steady increase in this apparel category.

We work with everyone from high-end stores like Net-A-Porter and Farfetch to amazing clothing stores like Hawes & Curtis, as well as boutique brands like Beautifully Undressed and makeup brands such as FashionFair. We see ourselves as a mall that is open to brands who want to sell into Africa, without any worries or changes to their site, logistics, shipping processes, and much more.

How is the lingerie sector performing in Africa?

Is there a high demand for British lingerie brands in Africa? Absolutely. We have seen lingerie growth on our platform climb significantly over the

Beautifully Undressed sells branded lingerie direct to African consumers via MallforAfrica

last few years. Both the UK and the US brands have done very well.

How are you helping retailers like Beautifully Undressed tap into this market? We help amazing stores like Beautifully Undressed tap into the African market in the following ways. 1) Shipping and Delivery Guaranteed: We handle Beautifully Undressed payments, shipping, clearing and delivery. This means that Beautifully Undressed does not have to worry about the hassle of shipping abroad, clearing customs and wondering if each transaction is legitimate. We do it all, with an unprecedented zero fraud guarantee.

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SPECIAL REPORT

MALL FOR AFRICA

2) Local Customer Service: We manage all local customer service. So as Beautifully Undressed expands into other African countries via our platform, there is no need to worry about language barriers or the cost of expanding customer service. We do that also. 3) Sales and Exposure: We help manage sales and marketing in each region. Beautifully Undressed doesn’t have to hire a local firm to help with her marketing campaign online and offline. We help with that and have been successful in doing so. From online banner ads focused on the target African market, to offline magazine ads, we are here to help. 4) Payments: When shipping and selling into Africa, everyone is concerned about payments and fraud. We guarantee zero fraud to all our retailers on our platform. With millions of dollars’ worth of transactions each month to over 180 retailers, we guarantee no fraud. So never will Beautifully Undressed get a fraud transaction from our platform.

About Beautifully Undressed Beautifully Undressed was founded in November 2013 by self-confessed lingerie addict, Annabelle Mu’azu, who after over 15 years of curating African art, decided to explore her other life passion – lingerie. The Berkshire-based online shop is an emporium for lingerie lovers, offering a curated selection of luxury, fashion and designer-led lingerie, loungewear, swimwear and accessories. Beautifully Undressed also has an own-brand collection of lingerie, which launched in February 2016 in collaboration with Dutch lingerie atelier, La Maison Nouvelle.

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MallforAfrica founder Chris Folayan

When you are on the MallforAfrica platform, and work closely with us like Beautifully Undressed has, there is no reason to have a ground presence. We fill that role, saving smaller brands the cost and time to put boots on the ground.

Why did you choose to work with Beautifully Undressed? What are the benefits of small retailers being part of MallforAfrica and how can they make their presence known amongst the bigger brands? The fact that small retailers get exposure to the hundreds of thousands of people that utilise our platform each month is huge. It helps give the smaller retailers a spot on the mall map for people to find. Smaller stores can make themselves better known by working closely with us and being part of promotions we conduct, marketing media plans and much more. This ranges from radio adverts to global news articles, magazines and mentions. We do all we can to help small retailers get the exposure they normally wouldn’t be able to.

How important is it for luxury brands such as Beautifully Undressed to have on-ground presence to penetrate the market? Because of what we do, it is not important anymore. We provide that ground support for all the stores on our platform. We sometimes even have seminars to help promote brands in specific categories.

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

Beautifully Undressed was a no brainer. It has amazing products, great quality at reasonable prices with a passionate CEO and team. Those are the ingredients to a successful business, and the attributes we look for when working with stores. We have been working with Beautifully Undressed for a while now and see nothing but growth. Plus, Beautifully Undressed fills a niche market that I feel had not been tapped into well prior to bringing the brand onboard.

Where do you see the future of luxury retail heading in the African market? Luxury retail in Africa is huge. People love brand-name items in the luxury category. I see the future of luxury retail in Africa taking off even more than it has. As the internet becomes faster, cheaper, and more accessible, I see people travelling less and buying more online. With platforms like us, which ensure and guarantee luxury merchants access into emerging markets with zero risk, customs clearing sorted, payments sorted, local languages and support sorted, we are very confident the luxury market will thrive with MallforAfrica at the helm.

RETAIL THINK TANK

EXPERT OPINION

Millennials v Grey Pound: WHO HOLDS THE KEY TO FUTURE RETAIL SUCCESS? The KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank has published a white paper on the type of customers retailers should be focusing on in order to drive growth

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uture retail success depends on retailers staying relevant to their customers. But, it’s been a

long time since any single retailer managed to conquer the Herculean task of being able to attract all types of customer within one format. So with retailers seemingly no longer able to attract all types of customer, where should they focus their efforts in order to drive growth? The KPMG/Ipsos Retail Think Tank (RTT) met with its members earlier this year to discuss the future of retail success and whether it is Millennials or the Grey Pound that will be the key to future retail success.

Grey Pound – the upsides In considering this question, a number of the RTT members agreed that focusing on the Grey Pound offers retailers a variety of opportunities for retail growth, particularly in the near-term. Most fundamentally, the Grey Pound is effectively bigger than the ‘Millennial Pound’. Maureen Hinton, a group research director at Verdict Retail said: “There are more people aged 65+ in the UK population than 16-24 year olds, so the total spend is much greater; in clothing £6.7bn against £6.1bn.” This generation is also far more likely to enjoy generous final salary pension schemes when they retire.

As such, structural issues in the economy mean that a substantial amount of the country’s wealth is concentrated among the older generation, particularly due to the rise in the value of their homes, according to Martin Newman, CEO of Practicology, a multichannel consultant. The Grey Pound is not just a bigger representation of the population in actual terms. Jonathan De Mello, head of retail consultancy Harper Dennis Hobbs, pointed out that “this generation has greater levels of disposable spend and, in the short term, the ‘Greys’ represent the most considerable untapped opportunity – and retailers would do well to focus more product lines – and marketing – on them specifically.”

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EXPERT OPINION

RETAIL THINK TANK

But what are the downsides? The main problem with going after the ‘silver surfers’ is not an issue of the amount of money they have to spend, but more what they are choosing to spend that money on. Dr Tim Denison, director of Retail Intelligence at Ipsos Retail Performance said: “Health products and home maintenance are the only two categories in which the senior consumer spends more per person than the average UK household.” Martin Hayward, founder of Hayward Strategy and Futures also noted that “older customers do eventually stop spending and any retailer’s customer pot will be diminished if new younger customers aren’t brought in to replace them.” “This is currently under debate with Marks and Spencer’s clothing business which many believe to be focussed too much towards the older loyalists at the expense of younger customers who do tend to spend more on fashion,” he added. However, Maureen Hinton highlighted that targeting the Grey Pound, specifically in clothing, is not that easy when you take into consideration the fact that there are essentially two distinct generations in this age group: the post-war ‘Baby Boomers’ and their parents. “The Baby Boomers have been avid consumers since the 1960s, unlike their parents who have a more austere attitude to spending, and therefore tailoring a proposition that satisfies both is a tough challenge,” she said.

So how do retailers win and keep a share of the Grey Pound? Jonathan De Mello pointed out that “whilst traditional Millennial marketing might not resonate as strongly with the older generations, they certainly do not feel old, or want to be marketed or sold products in a way that makes them feel old. “Greys are increasingly technology savvy, with nearly 90% shopping online using a laptop, and circa 50% owning and using a tablet for shopping online. Many are also on Facebook and other social media channels, so the perception that online media cannot reach them is a fallacy,” he added.

Millennials: What are the upsides? So while there are pros and some cons to putting too much focus on the Grey Pound, other RTT members considered the potential boon of focusing on growing share of Millennials spend to drive retail growth. “Looking at the Millennials, they are having a profoundly disruptive influence on the retail industry,” said David McCorquodale, UK head of Retail at KPMG. “The disruption is caused not only by their sheer spending power – they are the biggest generation in history – but also by the way they buy. Only 1% of them are influenced by advertising, but a third consult a blog or peer review before making a purchase.” In sectors such as fashion, for example, Millennials spend more on themselves than the over 65s. Hinton pointed to Verdict’s research, “which shows 16-24

There are more people aged 65+ in the UK population than 16-24 year olds

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LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

years spend on average £826 per head per annum on clothes while the 65+s spend £565 per annum.” Yet, according to Mike Watkins, head of Retail an Business Insight at Nielsen UK, “the most compelling reason for a retailer to capture the lifetime loyalty of Millennials is that in the next 10 to 20 years, female Millennials will become the driver of retail spend. Even within consumer goods shopping, women account for 70% of spend and female Millennials will only become more important shoppers in terms of income available to spend. Ultimately, retailers need to embrace Millennials in order to grow sales in the next two decades because if they choose not to, then they are at risk of losing the consumers of tomorrow.

But what are the downsides? In contrast, James Knightley, a senior global economist at ING, pointed out that much of the analysis regarding Millennials has focused on their struggles.

RETAIL THINK TANK

“Burdened by student debt, high housing rents and faced with a more challenging jobs market than many before them, they are less financially secure,” he said. De Mello added that many Millennials have also had to rely on their parents (the Greys!) for financial support. So does it really make sense for retailers to pin their hopes on this demographic in order to drive future growth? McCorquodale said: “Millennials can be volatile and are likely to shun brands with bad stories…[while] the silver surfers come from a generation that have loyalty, adapt slowly to change, like social interaction when shopping and perhaps are tolerable to a drop in standards.” Yet Denison commented that despite this, “it’s the fast-living, younger shoppers that retailers rely on to keep the tills ringing from the fashion stores through to the value chains. It’s why so much investment is being sunk into providing an omni-channel service that speaks to the digital native and meets their anywhere, anytime, anyhow shopping habits.”

So how do retailers win and keep a share of Millennial spend? Key to this is the “sharing economy” which provides access to products and experiences without the burden of ownership. McCorquodale said: “Millennials are not necessarily consumers in the same way that their parents are. You only have to look at how they subscribe for

music and books rather than buy – they will rent, not own; share, not hire.” Knightley added: “In terms of the Millennials’ retail experience, technology is a very important factor in how they shop. The use of price comparisons, the ability to get more product information and a greater focus on reviews means that they are more knowledgeable on products and arguably more demanding.” Therefore, to win with the Millennials, retailers need to use analytics tools to filter the information provided and the show that they are listening because Millennials ultimately feel loyal to a brand if they feel the brand is trying to give them something that adds value to them.

Is it possible to win at both with both generations? While there are ways of targeting consumers within different generations in order drive growth, the RTT also discussed whether it was possible to reach both silver surfers and Millennials. The good news, according to Martin Newman, is what older customers want may well appeal to younger generations too, and vice versa. For example, new digital and mobile ways of allowing customers to buy from you, or interact with you, are likely to appeal to both ends of the spectrum. “Retailers such as John Lewis and N Brown Group, who historically have had large older customer bases, are doing very well at selling via the web and mobile. This demonstrates that it’s not just the younger generation who benefit from the flexibility and choice that multichannel retail can deliver,” Newman said.

Does age determine spend? Currently, there is much debate around whether demographic segmentation is in fact relevant anymore. When asked the question at the Retail Business Technology Expo conference last month, Dr Nicola Millard, a consumer futurologist at BT, stated that age was now one of the worst means on which to differentiate consumer behaviour. Hayward added that “in today’s society, age, class, income and even gender are less indicative of behaviours and spending patterns than they have ever been. The old are trying to be young, the ‘poor’ aspire to designer lifestyles.”

EXPERT OPINION

As such, Denison suggested that it is “physical and societal events during one’s formative years which create personal values that remain relatively stable through time and which shape our expectations and behaviour.” It is these commonalities and shared experiences within generations that are relevant to retail marketers and may help provide some insights into targeting consumers within different generations in order drive future growth.

Conclusion The RTT concluded that retail growth is not going to come from focusing on winning share of spend in either the Grey Pound or the Millennials. McCorquodale said: “Future retail success must lie in being able to adapt to the millennial way whilst making this change appear only an evolution, rather than revolution, to the silver surfers. Agility would appear to be the key as the demands of the Millennials change more regularly; and also transfer with ease to the silver surfer. This is the area where success can be won or lost.” But what does future retail success look like? It depends whether you take a long or short term view on growth. Hinton suggested that while knowing what drives the current Grey Pound is useful in the short term, in the long term this generation will be replaced. Therefore, understanding Millennials with their digital lifestyles and new attitudes to spending will provide the key to retail spending over the longer term. Added to this, Denison commented that while “Millennials may be entering their peak earning years, with GDP per capita growth on the decline and consumer spending slowing, they won’t be as rewarding and loyal a customer-base as their parents were at the same stage in their lives.” Therefore it may well be that it is the generation behind the Millennials with new demands and new traits that hold the key to future retail growth. So does the question then become focused on Generation Z and maybe even the children of the Millennials, who will no doubt demand, shop, and spend in whole new ways? If this is the case, agility will be even more key and retail success will come from those retailers who adapt to thrive and remain relevant to their customers.

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BRANDS & CAMPAIGNS

PANACHE

Lingerie

IDOLS

Panache has named the winners of its 2016 Modelled by Role Models campaign. Read the inspiring stories behind the women featured in the brand’s latest photoshoot, which attempts to break the industry standard of using image, and image alone, to sell products

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anache has unveiled its 2016 Modelled by Role Models campaign, featuring six women chosen for their individual strengths, achievements and healthy approach to body image. Lingerie buyers and members of the press gathered in Central London last month to hear the inspiring stories of the chosen role models. Panache Lingerie debuted the its first Modelled by Role Models campaign in 2015 to challenge the startling statistic that 75% of women have few or no role models. The campaign launched to coincide with International Women’s Day, which celebrates inspirational women around the world. This year, the brand invited customers to nominate a role model to star in its latest photoshoot. Almost 7,000 votes were received and a judging panel had the hard task of shortlisting 14 finalists. Panache customers and the general public were then asked to choose six winners. The chosen role models appear in new campaign images wearing best-selling styles across the Panache Lingerie range, including full cup bras Andorra and Clara, balconette bra Idina and strapless bra Envie. Panache head of marketing Victoria Sargeson commented: “Panache is proud to be working alongside six inspirational women whose achievements exceed skin-deep beauty. The six role models who were chosen by the public looked absolutely stunning in their Panache lingerie and we feel that the set of images really captures their beauty and personalities. “We hope that the campaign inspires other women to have the confidence to achieve their dreams and to be happy and comfortable in their own skin.”

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MEET THE ROLE MODELS EMILY FINDLAY Emily Findlay is a survivor of neuroblastoma cancer, having been diagnosed at the young age of 14. Despite going through a relapse and undergoing invasive cancer treatments that caused severe pain, Emily remains strong and positive. Working closely with The Archie Foundation and Solving Kids Cancer charities, Emily helps children, young adults and parents who have gone through similar experiences and strives to improve services by fundraising and planning days out for children in hospital.

PANACHE

ELIZA REBEIRO

ELLY MAYDAY

Croydon-born Eliza Rebeiro is an anti-knife and gang culture campaigner who founded ‘Lives Not Knives’ at the young age of 14 after losing a close friend through knife crime. Eliza and her volunteers are aged between 18 and 24 and have themselves been involved or affected by knife crime. The charity runs programmes for young, unemployed people to boost confidence and integrate them into society. Eliza has spoken on behalf of people affected by knife crime in the House of Commons and at Buckingham Palace.

Elly Mayday is a Canadian-born plus-size model who promotes body positivity. Elly, who now resides in New York, didn’t think she would be in a position three years ago to model, having battled and beaten ovarian cancer. She has highlighted the affects of cancer through social media and has shown that by beating this terrible disease you can still do what you love by becoming a stronger, more determined and inspirational person for others to follow.

ANJA LOVEN SYLWIA BLACH Sylwia Blach is a Polish blogger, author and software programmer. She is an ambassador for disabled people in Poland and works with the charity The One and Only – organisers of Miss Poland Wheelchair. Sylwia is a key promoter in advocating body confidence via her blog – sylwiablach.pl – believing that all women are beautiful and should follow their passions and dreams. She has also worked with Butterfly Agency Models to enable women with or without disabilities to showcase their beauty regardless of body shape, illness or size.

Anja Loven is a Danish aid worker who left her job in retail to spend three months as a relief worker in Africa. In 2013, Anja sold everything she owned to start a new life in Nigeria and set up the African Children’s Aid Education and Development Foundation. Anja offers help to African children affected by family abandonment due to their superstitious beliefs. A photograph which was released to the media showing Anja offering water and biscuits to a malnourished little boy was circulated worldwide, helping raise over $1 million for ACAEDF.

BRANDS & CAMPAIGNS

JAYNE HURDITCH Sheffield-based charity Amy’s House was founded in 2003 by Jayne Hurditch’s parents, Maurice and Meriel Littlewood. Their youngest granddaughter, Molly, was born with severe special needs and saw first-hand the difficulties their daughter Jayne faced caring for Molly. Sadly, Jayne’s older daughter Amy passed away in 1999 after contracting Meningococal Scepticemia (Meningitis B) and after this devastating event, the family set up Amy’s House in her memory. Amy’s House cares for children and also offers weekend respite for parents and carers who don’t often get a well-deserved break. The charity provides children and young people with somewhere to play and engage with other children away from school. In 2011, the family were, again, devastated when Molly passed away. After this massive blow, the family wanted to include Molly’s memory in the Amy’s House story and set up Molly’s Mates, a project for older children/teenagers. Here, they can practise life skills training and do everything that teenagers like to do, such as going to the cinema, bowling and eating out, but in a safe, stimulating environment and with support. Helping parents and children motivates Jayne as she remembers the struggles she faced with her own daughters.

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ANALYSIS

NUMBERS GAME

Numbers game Here are 10 things from the intimate apparel industry that we have learned this month

£20,000

A TV production company based in London is looking for budding lingerie retailers to take part in a new series for CNBC. Hub TV is working on a fast-paced factual entertainment show that will see talented start-ups compete to win £20,000. Each week, two entrepreneurs with similar retail ideas will go head to head as they create their business from scratch. The winner will be the person who turns the biggest profit. To find out more, contact Hub TV at: [email protected]

£313

Shoppers in Newcastle and Birmingham spent more on fashion over the last 12 months than those in any other UK city, according to new research from retail estate company Savills and intu, which owns some of the largest shopping centres in Britain. Consumers spent an average of £304 and £313 each in Newcastle and Birmingham respectively, compared to just £184 in Bristol. The Spotlight: Retail Revolutions report, which analysed shopping habits by both location and age, found that the highest fashion spend came from Generation X (35 to 44 year olds) in Newcastle, which averaged £581 over the last 12 months. This was followed by Liverpool’s Baby Boomers who spent £507 per head on fashion.

1.5% 0.3%

Fashion retailer Next has recorded a decline in half-year profits against a “challenging and volatile” retail backdrop. Pre-tax profits declined 1.5% to £342mn in the six months to July, while full-price sales were down 0.3%. The news comes six months after Next said it was preparing for its toughest year since the recession.

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The Olympics diverted consumers’ attentions away from shops in August, as the warm weather continued and money was instead spent on leisure activities and the outdoors. According to the latest figures from the British Retail Consortium, total sales declined by 0.3% against a 0.1% increase in August 2015. This is the weakest performance since September 2014. Total UK retail sales rose just 0.6%, half the rate of the 12-month average of 1.2%, on a threemonth basis. Over the same period, total non-food sales rose 0.4%, significantly slower than the 12 month average of 1.9%.

NUMBERS GAME

ANALYSIS

36.4%

18% Wolford has lowered its full-year sales expectations after witnessing a significant decline in first-quarter revenue. The Austrian lingerie and legwear company said that in light of an 18% drop in like-for-like sales and the “ongoing market weakness” in the month of August, it is “unlikely” that it will be able to make up for the revenue decrease during the rest of the financial year. The group cited political uncertainty in the US, fear of terrorism in France and Brexit as factors that weakened consumption and reduced customer traffic. A university student from Surrey is paying for an expensive law degree by designing and selling lingerie. Nineteen year-old Amani-Cane Elouazani has made around £12,000 from running her lingerie brand which she has put towards her student fees. Her company, Lingerie By Elouzani, designs and makes a range of non-wired bras and nightwear styles and sells them online. Each product is made to order, and the most expensive item is £40.

£12,000

3,500

John Lewis is searching for over 3,500 temporary staff to fill roles across the retail and distribution arms of its business, ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year. The retailer is recruiting new employees to assist customers in preparing for the festive season, with positions available across a number of departments. In addition to branch roles, John Lewis also has vacancies available across its distribution and contact centres networks to support branches and johnlewis.com.

UK online retailers are focusing more on retaining existing customers than acquiring new ones, new research has revealed. The active customer retention rate reached a record high of 36.4% during the period May to July 2016, a full five percentage points up on the same quarter last year, and the highest rate since 2010, according to IMRG and Capgemini.

£9.27 BILLION

Some £9.27 billion was spent using contactless methods between January and June of this year, which dwarfs the total contactless spend of £7.75 billion for 2015, according to new research from The UK Cards Association. While providers typically

cap the value of contactless payment per transaction – which restricts the chances of this method of payment being used for lingerie purchases over a certain price – it is expected that the capped amounts will increase as the technology becomes more widely used.

£4,523 Men in the retail and wholesale sector are paid an average of £4,523 more a year than women, according to figures released from the Chartered Management Institute and XpertHR. The report also revealed that men are more likely than women to have been promoted into senior and higher paying management roles in the past year. Analysis of salary data of more than 60,000 UK employees found that in the past year, 14% of men in management roles were promoted into higher positions compared to 10% of women. www.lingerieinsight.co.uk October 2016 LINGERIEINSIGHT

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PRODUCTS & TRENDS

FUTURE TRENDS

FUTURE FORECAST

Invista, one of the world’s largest integrated producers of fibres and polymers, has unveiled a concept collection that brings to life lingerie, swimwear and athleisure trends for 2017/18. The collection has been designed to inspire the use of Lycra and other Invista branded innovations in future designs

I

NVISTA and trend forecasting agency Stijlinstituut Amsterdam have predicted the must-have trends for 2017/18, which are brought to life through an inspirational LYCRA capsule collection. The new trends, listed here, highlight the rise in health, fitness and mindfulness as a lifestyle with the engaging motto, I AM EVERY WOMAN. With long-standing expertise revolutionising women’s wardrobes, the LYCRA brand remains at the forefront of intimate apparel and swimwear innovations by presenting forward-thinking creative directions. Claire O’Neill, marketing segment manager for Intimate Apparel & Swimwear said: “INVISTA presents a great variety of trends for Intimate Apparel and Swimwear because wearers come in vast numbers, each one with their own lifestyle and multifaceted personality, adapting to constantly changing environments. “It is the versatility of the INVISTA fibre portfolio that enables and facilitates these dynamics by offering flexible and performing wardrobes to suit every woman and her various me’s. The addition of the athleisure platform reflects the exciting opportunities for intimates and bodywear brands to expand their business.” INVISTA fashion directions have become a recognised source of inspiration underpinned by technical innovation, creating value for brands and retailers and supporting partner mills with valuable trend insights, innovation and new business opportunities. Look out for the November issue of Lingerie Insight to read about INVISTA’s 2017/18 legwear trends.

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LINGERIE TRENDS OPTIMISED SELF This trend revolves around people being the best versions of themselves and working hard to maintain their body balance. Fashionable sports shades are seasoned with a hint of intimacy,while skin tones are energised with bold accents. INVISTA recommends the use of high-tech fibres to improve performance and comfort, including COOLMAX technology, Cooling technology by Lycra and Lycra Power, which is designed to provide controlled compression.

LINGERIEINSIGHT October 2016 www.lingerieinsight.co.uk

FUTURE TRENDS

PRODUCTS & TRENDS

FLAWLESS ME

THE REBEL IN ME

Inspired by health, mindfulness, peace and tranquility, this trend focuses on lingerie that is seen as a luxurious cosmetic foundation – the perfect understated and luxurious base layer. Fabrics using Lycra Beauty Cooling technology smooth and pamper the skin, offering sculptural shaping with comfort and long-lasting freshness. Lycra Beauty technologies are also used in draping fabrics to offer contouring qualities. A palette of pale shades matches the softness and subtleness of this mind-set.

The intimate wardrobe embraces festival wear with a rebellious and wild nod to fashion and music. Escapist events need escapist wardrobes, with lingerie worn as outerwear. Fabrics are bright – mixing heritage and modernity, romance and technology, leather and lace, while folk influences collide with punk, pop and art. Black is the rebel’s essential base colour and Lycra Black technology is used for deeper, darker, radical shades. INVISTA also recommends the use of Shaping technology by Lycra to provide structure.

MOST FEMININE ME Lace transcends borders and cultures and brings feminine qualities to wearers next season. Projected into the present via the use of modern materials, LYCRA fibre is designed to add figure-hugging freedom to any lace garment. XTRA FINE technology by Lycra allows for barely- there, smooth-fitting fabrics, while EASY SET technology by Lycra allows heat-sensitive fibres, such as viscose and acetate, to be used. Asia inspires the use of colour in this trend, with subtle yellow and golden hues, tropical green, mysterious vapour-grey, warm hazel and rose blush.

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PRODUCTS & TRENDS

FUTURE TRENDS

SWIMWEAR TRENDS

BETTER ME This trend revolves around making strong statements and showing off curves with force and finesse. Black will be used for illusionary shaping and a stay-true black is possible with Lycra Black technology. It is also designed to deliver durable chlorine resistance, excellent uniformity and virtual elimination of unwanted elastane grin-through.

PLAYFUL SELF

MY WILD SIDE This trend is all about connecting with nature. Textiles are lightweight and draping, with wild, slightly raw colour clashes, while animal, camouflage and tribal prints feature heavily. INVISTA recommends the use of Lycra Xtra life to allow swimwear to last ten times longer than unprotected garments.

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New ideas in online customisation allow consumers to invent personalised swimwear that will creep into a more creatively versatile wardrobe. Primary colours are broken up with unexpected accents of pastels, acids and black and grey. INVISTA recommends the use of LastingFIT technology by Lycra for easy-wear, feel-good garments.

HOSIERY

PRODUCTS & TRENDS

STEP UP

We list the must-stock tights and stockings from some of the biggest brands in the hosiery industry

Ballerina

Style name: Hush Hush About: These seductive tights by Polish brand Ballerina feature a strap design that creates a faux-suspender effect. There’s even a lace pattern and buckle design to make the suspender look more realistic. Part of the Hush Hush collection, the tights are presented in luxury embossed packaging. Ballerina is distributed by Alterego in the UK. RRP: £14.99 Sales contact: [email protected]

Zohara

Style name: Starlight About: A fashion twist on the popular sheer tight, these printed tights are in-keeping with Zohara’s quirky style. Zohara, known for creating ‘art on tights’, features on the shelves of many fashion stores around the world, but has strongholds in Australia, Canada and the USA. Its designs are inspired by cultures, fashion and places around the globe. RRP: £19.99 Sales contact: [email protected]

Bianca Miller London Aristoc

Style name: Ultra Bare Tight About: These 7 denier sheer tights are made from Sideria yarn, designed to create a bare appearance with the strength of a 15 denier. The collection is available in four shades – three skin tones and black. RRP: £7 Sales contact: [email protected]

Style name: #5Tights Caramel About: Ex-Apprentice contestant Bianca Miller launched her own brand of nude tights earlier this year and her range is now stocked in major high street stores including Selfridges and Topshop. Silky and smooth to touch, these luxurious #5Tights offer a polished look – day and night. RRP: 12 Sales contact: Cory Edwards, [email protected]

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PRODUCTS & TRENDS

HOSIERY

Nubian Skin

Style name: Matt 10 Denier tights About: Elegant, stylish and practical, these Nubian Skin tights are designed to give legs an immaculate and natural complexion. Ade Hassan founded Nubian Skin in 2014 out of frustration for the lack of skin-tone options to go with her wardrobe and thought it was time for ‘a different kind of nude’. RRP: £8.50 Sales contact: [email protected]

Couture Ultimates

Style name: Diana About: Couture Ultimates is a new hosiery range by Nottingham-based hosiery supplier Legwear International. The new collection offers a range of ladder-proof, seamless tights manufactured using a special knitting technique. Unlike seamless tights currently on the market, which are knitted using two tubes that are sewn together, forming a seam in the middle, the Couture range is knitted using vertical lines of knots in one piece. The Diana tights are one of the seven patterned tights included in the AW16 collection. RRP: £12.50 - £15 Sales contact: 01773713200

Bluebella

Style name: Deep lace stockings About: Independent brand Bluebella launched its first hosiery collection in May 2016 to complement its expanding lingerie and nightwear range. These deep lace-top suspender stockings have a matt transparent look and are available in black or nude. RRP: £9

Sales contact: Janet Mudge, [email protected]

Item m6

Style name: Fine translucent tights About: ITEM m6 is an intelligent legwear brand under medi, a German manufacturer of compression garments. Its ultra-fine translucent tights are made using medi compression to increase blood flow, microcirculation and the supply of oxygen to the legs. They are also made with a fine structure to create a feeling of lightness. RRP: £42.50 Sales contact: Ulla Lane-Rowley, 07738 740 049

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HOSIERY

Nubian Skin Curve

Style name: Matt 15 Denier Curve Tights About: Curve by Nubian Skin is a plus-size hosiery collection launched by Nubian Skin in November 2015. These matt tights utilise Xceptionelle technology by Lycra to accommodate volume and feature an antichafing panel, an anti-roll waistband and a reinforced toe. RRP: £9.00 Sales contact: [email protected]

PRODUCTS & TRENDS

Pretty Polly

Style name: Diamond Net Tights About: These fishnet tights combine a large diamond net design over a smaller net, providing coverage without compromising on style. The collection is available in black, pink and grey for SS17. RRP: £10 Sales contact: [email protected]

Oroblù

Wolford

Style name: Stretch lace stockings About: These stockings by Austrian brand Wolford are part of the Stretch Lace collection, which also includes a bustier, panty and stocking belt. The garment is lightweight for a carefree, summer feeling, and the stretch lace provides a seductive look. RRP: £16.55 - £43 Sales contact: Janice Tassell, 020 7494 4343, [email protected]

Style name: Divine About: Divine, the new range of sheer tights from Italian brand Oroblù, are made using Nanofibre, a groundbreaking yarn that is designed to create soft-touch and silky textiles. Available in 10 and 20 deniers, the tights hug the legs like a second skin and feature a comfort waistband. RRP: TBC Sales contact: North: Debbie Camina, [email protected]. London and the South: Laura Mclellan, [email protected] www.lingerieinsight.co.uk October 2016 LINGERIEINSIGHT

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HUMAN RESOURCES

NEW RECRUITS

New Recruits Lingerie businesses have seen a number of new recruits join the ranks in recent months. Here are some of the industry’s movers and shakers who have taken up new roles

Tara Hoth Head of Design, Bravado Designs

across all of its global markets and set the sales strategy for the Wacoal, Fantasie, Freya, Elomi, b.tempt’d and Goddess brands.

Raf Simons Chief Creative Officer, Calvin Klein

Isabel Baert, the former global head of Buying Retail at Rigby & Peller, has started in her new role as managing director. Baert has held several posts within Van de Velde – Rigby & Peller’s parent company – including head of buying and regional manager. She has also worked as a brand manager for BOSS Black womenswear at Hugo Boss. Baert said she is honoured to be taking up the new role as managing director for Rigby & Peller UK.

Derek Laing Operations Director, Panache

Bravado Designs has appointed a new head of design. Tara Hoth joins the maternity brand from Canadian fashion boutique Aritzia, where she was the director for technical development, and brings nearly 14 years’ of design experience, having previously worked for Abercrombie & Fitch and Foxy Originals. Global business development manager Hinh Luu commented: “We were thrilled to welcome Tara Hoth on board as our new head designer here at Bravado Designs. Combining comfort, style and functionality is so important to us and to have a designer that not only understands this but runs with it from the start is just fantastic.”

Calvin Klein has announced the appointment of Raf Simons as it prepares to grow the brand to $10 billion in global retail sales. Simons – who was hired from Christian Dior Couture – will oversee all aspects of design, global marketing and communications and visual creative services. The announcement marks the implementation of Calvin Klein’s new global strategy to unify all Calvin Klein brands, including Calvin Klein Underwear, under one umberella.

Isabel Baert Managing Director, Rigby & Peller

Dean Cooper Commercial Director, Wacoal Europe

Wacoal Europe has taken on Dean Cooper as its new commercial director. No stranger to the fashion industry, he joins the company from Diesel, where he was the director for Northern Europe. He has also previously held senior positions at Burberry, Camper and Paul Smith. His new role at Wacoal Europe will see him lead the group’s commercial teams

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Panache has hired lingerie industry veteran Derek Laing as its new operations director. He joined the company last month with 30 years of experience, having previously held the role of supply chain director at Wacoal Europe and operations director at Courtaulds UK. He will report to MD John Power and will be responsible for design, innovation, supply and PCH. Power said he is “thrilled” to have Laing on board. “He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role and we look forward to working together,” he added.

EVENTS

SOCIAL LITE

Ashley Graham appears on the runway at the Addition Elle Presents Holiday 2016/Ashley Graham Lingerie fashion show during Style360 Fashion Week. Credit: Getty

Social Lite

A model walks the runway at ACID NYC’s show during New York Fashion Week Credit: Getty

THE PEOPLE, THE PLACES AND THE SCENES AT THE MOST GLAMOROUS LINGERIE EVENTS IN THE WORLD THIS MONTH...

Michele Poynter (centre-left) picks up the Best Niche Retailer of the Year award for her boutique, Mish, at the Drapers Independent Awards 2016

Dutch model Doutzen Kroes presents her new lingerie collection for Hunkemöller at a press event in Berlin

A model wears worn-to-be-seen shapewear by Ultimo under a House of Holland dress during London Fashion Week

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We’ve gone mobile OCTOBER 2016 / VOL 07 ISSUE 10 www.lingerieinsight.com

Digital masterclass

LINGERIE BUYERS AT VERY EXPLAIN THE RETAILER’S SKYROCKETING SALES

Into Africa

VIRTUAL SHOPPING MALL HELPS UK RETAILERS ENTER THE AFRICAN MARKET

Pretty Polly interview HOSIERY BRAND THRIVES IN THE UK DESPITE FACTORY CLOSURE

ONE TO

WATCH

Dutch lingerie retailer Hunkemöller has entered the UK with a bold strategy to dominate the market. CEO Philip Mountford lays out his vision

FUTURE TRENDS: LYCRA HIGHLIGHTS LINGERIE AND SWIMWEAR TRENDS LINGERIE MUSEUM: UNDERPINNINGS TO DOCUMENT HISTORICAL UNDERWEAR

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