by Paris – The Salon International de la Lingerie continued to turn things up in its 60sth anniversary edition, the second edition since WSN, the organizer of Who’s Next, took over.
The underwear industry is also in a vacuum, with brands trying to evolve to satisfy new consumer sensibilities and retailers, particularly independents, struggling to stay afloat. The high-profile woes of legacy brands Lejaby, which went into liquidation in early January despite several turnaround efforts in recent years, and Italy’s La Perla, whose seamstress recently appealed to the European Parliament for support, were at the fore. also for many.
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“Some of our peers are leaving; the market is changing,” said Claire Masson, brand director for Aubade.
French domestic sales of women’s lingerie fell 4.8 percent in value in the first 10 months of 2023, to 1.8 billion euros, according to data from Kantar for the Salon International de la Lingerie. French women’s lingerie exports rose slightly, gaining 1.16 percent to 658 million euros, according to data from French customs and the Fédération de la Maille, de la Lingerie et du Balnéaire.
Most major players said they had seen a difficult second half across markets. “The independent boutiques are suffering, in every market,” said Simone Pérèle brand and product director Stéphanie Bujard Pérèle. While department stores and online did better despite lower user numbers, she said, “Overall, we were down for the year because of wholesale.”
Sophie Knis, marketing and communications manager at Wacoal Europe, said, “We are lucky to be part of a large group; when one brand is down, another is up. It has not been an easy year, but we are doing well.”
In Europe, the retail landscape is changing as the number of independent shop owners reaches retirement age without finding successors. “In France, many shops are closing; there is definitely less space in the middle of the market, although luxury is doing well,” said Groupe Chantelle’s chief creative officer, Renaud Cambuzat.
“Many stores are closing, mainly because of the age pyramid,” agreed Magalie Le Banner, who was named president of Empreinte this January. “In the UK, France and Germany, the retail landscape is in a period of flux. Few boutiques are taken over and pure online players are constantly growing,” she said. “Chains are growing their market share, but they are also suffering.”
“It’s going to be a tough year,” agreed lingerie consultant Petra Schöfert, presenting to a group of independent retailers from Germany. “But for those who survive, there is business to be done.” She praised the show’s brighter layout and more contemporary offering.
The changing dynamics of lingerie retail brands means “looking for growth through fashion bottlings,” said Matthieu Pinet, managing director of SIL and sister fabric event Interfilière. Therefore, the event continues to expand its offer and build bridges with Who’s Next, which was also held from January 20 to 22 at the Porte de Versailles. “There are more lingerie shop closings than openings. If the show only offered lingerie, we wouldn’t be able to attract a wider portfolio of boutiques.”
Pinet continued, “Attitudes towards lingerie are changing. Women understand that they can play with lingerie and see it more as a fashion product. Thanks to the collaboration with WSN, we are pushing connections with fashion.”
As such, the show’s offering was wider than ever, with an expanded fitness space and a greater focus on emerging creative labels. For the first time, visitors entered the show through halls filled with smaller label offerings, before reaching the stands of industry heavyweights.
Events included a fashion show tracing the history of lingerie to celebrate the show’s anniversary on Saturday evening, as well as a performance celebrating French corsetry expertise at the Cirque d’Hiver on Sunday evening staged by the association Promincor trade — Lingerie Française, with the support of the state agency DEFI.
Cambuzat Groupe Chantelle praised the creativity of the new generation of interior designers. “The lingerie market is extremely dynamic on a creative level,” said Cambuzat. “There’s a lot going on, but I think that’s here to stay.”
In recent years Chantelle has opened her Epernay factory to help young designers and help preserve savoir-faire in France. “We help them with production, development and our material stock,” said Cambuzat. To date, he has helped around 60 young labels develop their collections. “We also aim to help preserve and value the factory,” he explains. “Making corsetry as an industry is an important matter.”
Corsets are increasing again after a period focused on comfort, but codes have changed, said Cambuzat, and women are buying lingerie more for themselves, rather than as a tool of seduction. The return to retro styles is “driven by young people and second-hand growth,” he said.
“Women want to please themselves, rather than others, with their lingerie choices,” agreed Masson Aubade. The label also wants to expand its program with more pieces like bodies that can double as ready-to-wear, including in its line created with model Cindy Bruna, among the highlights of its fall 2024 collection.
Groupe Chantelle continues to benefit from its repositioning under one master brand.
“Chantelle is growing,” Cambuzat said. “We are now seeing the impact of our restructuring, and it is a powerful driver of growth.”
Under the high-end Chantelle X line, he presented a more colorful collection with new constructions and an expanded ready-to-wear offering inspired by the 90s, referencing fashion designers Jean Paul Gaultier and Martin Margiela. “We are continuing to assert a vision that is closely linked to fashion,” said Cambuzat.
There was also a capsule designed by the inclusive fashion label Ester Manas. After debuting swimwear last summer under the Chantelle Pulp nameplate, the lingerie company has launched under the same moniker, with a range of younger, more fitted sizes and colorful silhouettes. Pulp, a range of seamless microfiber panties in colorful colors offered in small cosmetics-inspired boxes, was also new to the offering.
Simone Pérèle, who celebrated her 75th last year’s anniversary, there is high hope that he will return to a more sophisticated lingerie, and inject the fall 2024 collection with a pop of color and shine against sensual embroidery and plays on transparency. “The demand for more basic pieces has been significant in recent years; people are going back to want more feminine lingerie,” said Bujard Pérèle.
One brand that has reported strong demand is Skarlett Blue, which is expanding rapidly outside the US and is exploiting a gap in the market for well-fitting designs for smaller cup sizes. “We’re filling the gap left by Elle Macpherson,” said international sales director Denise Shepherd. “When the market is in trouble, retailers are happy that we are an established brand in America.”
Reinventing shapewear was a strong theme at the show as brands sought to capitalize on demand driven by Kim Kardashian’s Skims. “Shapewear is doing really well, it’s definitely back, but with a better lifestyle position,” Cambuzat said.
Wacoal, for example, showed an updated silhouette of shapewear designed to create an hourglass figure, including an innovative model with a deep “V” back that could be worn under, for example, backless dresses, in the first market he says. Aubade was also focusing on vintage-inspired shapewear and innerwear, introducing backless sculptural dresses and satin corsets, for example.
High-end brands focused on a more couture aesthetic, matching the demand for statement pieces that could be ready to wear twice. Highlights here included Japanese label Soeur Tokyo’s vintage aesthetic, mixing innerwear and outerwear, and 130-year-old brand Cadolle, both exhibiting within the Exposed space for designer labels. “Young women love our corsets, they love to wear them with jeans, for example,” said Patricia Cadolle, co-owner of the company, who has found six generations of women. “They have become fashionable again.” The label’s high-waisted briefs are also selling well, she said.
Aubade and Simone Pérèle alum Rachel Bouchon founded Atelier Amour, which also exhibited within Exposed, in 2015, with the aim of exploiting a gap in the market for well-made yet erotic pieces with a simple size that makes it easy buy them – especially as a gift. — and accessible pricing. Demand for the brand is strong, despite what she said was a definite decline in consumer sentiment in the second half across markets. “I am lucky, I have been protected from the crisis, our category has not been affected much,” she said.
Parallel to the well-being market which is also growing in abundance. Along with a plethora of sexual wellness labels, concepts like Maison Plouf, with its French-made detergents and associated hypoallergenic fragrances sold separately, aimed to tap gaps in the market.
Period wear, breastfeeding and post-surgery collections were also expanded categories. In a crowdfunding brand selection sponsored by Ulule, Delphine Di Rosa was adding her colorful breastfeeding designs to the F’Latte brand. She saw a gap in the market for desirable products – her designs incorporate fabrics such as lace and satin – with a strong sustainability angle. “Since we launched, we’ve saved over a million nursing pills,” she said.
Australian label Modibodi, one of the leaders in period lingerie outside the US, was an exhibitor for the first time as it opened for wholesale. Recently awarded B Corp certification, the brand’s biggest markets are the UK, France and Germany, said chief executive Kerry Cusack, who joined the firm last August after the to contact the owner of Essity, who bought the brand in 2022. “Wholesale of the brand gives us the opportunity to put the product in the hands of the customer,” she said. “People need to be able to touch and feel the products.”
Modibodi was showcasing a new high-end line, Renaissance, with its first matching sets, made from recycled nylon with a merino wool lining, as well as a ballet collection for young girls. “The category is getting more mature and the product is getting more interesting,” Cusack said.
At around 16,000, unique visitor traffic at SIL and sister fabric show Interfilière was up 4.6 percent year-on-year.
The summer edition of the show – traditionally held in early July and focusing more on swimwear – will be held from September 10 to 12 in the same hall as the Who’s Next fashion event. This measure is meant to alleviate difficulties during the summer before the Olympic Games, and follows a survey of the expectations of those attending.
Launch Gallery: Inside Paris Lingerie Trade Show SIL 2024
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