BODY Magazine April 2018

April, 2018

Vegas Show Reports

contents APRIL 2018

42

MALE BASICS

47

BRABAR

photo reports shapewear active men lingerie shoes

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CLO INTIMO

features

columns news finance calendar

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ADORE BY ALLURE

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show report: new international lingerie show retail profile: bridal garden interview: rodrigo cano retail profile: yes she can! show report: las vegas shows retail profile: heart strings

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Publisher, Editor-in-Chief

Nick Monjo

Nick@FMMG.com

Associate Publisher Ted Vayos Ted@FMMG.com

BODY Magazine No. 183

is published by Fashion Market Magazine Group, 2820 Stillwell Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y., 11224. www.bodymagazine.us Ph. (718) 676-4444.

Fax (718) 449-1481 Š 2018. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the consent of the publisher.

Subscription for 12 issues is $69. International is $189.

E-mail all inquiries to: nick@fmmg.com Most photography provided by manufacturers.

All letters to the editor, or news to report, should be addressed to Ted Vayos Advertising Inquiries: (718) 676-4444, or e-mail: nick@fmmg.com. posTmasTer: Send address changes to BODY Magazine, 2820 Stillwell Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11224 oN THe CoVer Dominique Wholesale@DominiqueApparel.com (800) 664-5447 April, 2018

inspired by dancers Alpharetta, GA 30004 USA | +1-770-475-3045 euroskins.com | vp@euroskins.com

Vegas Show Reports

Models: Event Model Group, PaintedFaces Models, MMG Models, Sharlet Grier Model Management, Stars Models, Sweet Dreams, APM Models, Unique Talent Management, Thompson Models, Images Management, Ikon, Drew Felton, Cover Girl Agency, Mars, Choice.

news

bendon losses revealed

Bendon Group Holding Ltd. has posted significant recent losses, including in the six month period ending July 31, 2017, and in the years ending June 30, 2016 and June 30, 2015.

This and other information was revealed in a 425 page proxy statement recently filed with the SEC by Naked Brand Group, the public U.S. company that is expected to merge with privately held, New Zealandbased Bendon in the near future.

Bendon, whose exact financial situation had not been widely known until this filing, lost 18.5 million New Zealand (NZD) dollars (approximately $13.3 million at to current exchange rates) in the six months ended July 31, 2017, on sales of NZD 59.8 million (about $43.2 million). The SEC filing, which describes many details of the two companies and the merger, also reported, Bendon Group “has continued to incur losses since 31 July 2017 as a result of continued challenging conditions and still not having sufficient

inventory necessary to achieve higher sales.”

In the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016 the company lost NZD 20.7 million (about $14.9 million) on sales of NZD 151.0 million (about $109.2 million), compared to a loss of NZD 13.2 million (about $9.5 million) on sales of NZD 138.8 million (about $100.4 million) the year before.

Naked itself has suffered continuing losses, including $10,798,503 on sales of $1,842,065 in its fiscal year ended January 31, 2017 and $19,063,399 on sales of $1,389,414 the year before. In a recent quarterly filing Naked confirmed that as of October 31, 2017 it had “an accumulated deficit of $62,896,457 and expects to incur significant further losses in the development of its business.”

The two companies expect the proposed merger to significantly improve their financial condition. According to the proxy statement Noble Capital Markets, LLC, financial advisor to Naked, analyzed the effects of the merger and projected the sales and earnings of the combined companies as of May 20, 2017. A chart is provided in the current filing estimating that the combined company

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would, in calendar 2017, record EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) of $17.7 million on sales of $126.4 million. It projected that this would double to EBITDA of $35.6 million on sales of $202.6 million in calendar 2020.

But Noble cautioned that “although the financial forecast information set forth below is presented with numeric specificity, such information reflects numerous estimates and assumptions that were made at the time it was prepared,” as well as a host of other variables and risks.” It continued, “no assurances can be given that these financial forecasts and the underlying assumptions are reasonable,” noting, “for example, the projections set forth below assume that the Stella McCartney license would continue in effect for the periods for which the financial forecasts are provided, an assumption for which management had a reasonable basis at such time. However, Bendon’s license to use the Stella McCartney brand terminates effective June 30, 2018.”

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McCartney launched lingerie in 2008 and swimwear in 2016, but revealed a new licensing partner last summer. The license has been important to Bendon. It contributed 12% of Bendon’s revenue, or approximately $5.2 million (at current exchange rates) to the total sales of NZD 59.8 million (or about $43.6 million) for the six months ended July 31, 2017. Moreover, the license contributed 9% of Bendon’s revenue, or approximately $6.3 million, to the total sales of NZD 96.3 million (about $70.2 million) in the seven months ending January 31, 2017.

The proxy statement explained that for Bendon “The operating profit associated

with our royalty, advertising and other revenue is significant because the operating expenses directly associated with administering and monitoring an individual licensing or similar agreement are minimal.

Therefore, the loss of a significant licensing partner” the document continued, “without an equivalent replacement, could materially impact our profitability.”

The filing continued, stating Bendon’s “loss from continuing operations is as a result of the Group not having sufficient inventory necessary to achieve higher sales, as a result of suppliers not being able to supply inventory and the finalisation of the transition of its major brand from Elle MacPherson to Heidi Klum Intimates.”

Significantly, Bendon reported that “On 15 December 2017 and on 14 February 2018, the

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Group’s bank issued letters that confirmed the Group had breached covenants and obligations under their loan facilities as at 30 September 2017 and as at 31 December 2017 and the Bank has expressly reserved its rights under the Facilities Agreement and each other finance document. As at 31 July 2017 there was a total balance outstanding (excluding cash on hand) of NZD $43,800,000. On 16 March 2018, the Bank issued a letter advising the Company that it is supportive of the proposed merger with Naked Brands Group Inc. Furthermore, in contemplation of this said merger, the Bank has agreed with a proposal to provide financial accommodation to the Group on the basis that the Group repays US $20,000,000 (NZD $28,500,000) of the current facilities no later than immediately following the proposed merger date.” Several other conditions required by the Bank of New Zealand are also listed in the proxy statement.

Many details of Bendon’s operations, as well as the structure of the merged entity are included in the filing. For example, it confirms that “Justin Davis-Rice, the executive chairman of Bendon and a director of Naked, beneficially owns 9.8% of the outstanding Bendon Ordinary Shares. As such, Mr. Davis-Rice will own approximately 8.9%” of the merged company. He will also serve as CEO of the resulting firm. Carole Hochman, current CEO of Naked, will be board chairman of the merged entity with 1.8% of the shares. — NM

aerie sale jump 34%

Aerie lingerie total brand comparable sales in the fourth quarter of 2017 jumped 34%, a stunning increase particularly since comparable sales for the brand were also up 17% in the fourth quarter of 2016.

This is the 15th consecutive quarter of positive comps for the company, and will lead to “35 to 40 new Aerie store openings in 2018 with roughly 70% in under penetrated markets,” according to Jen Foyle, global brand president of the lingerie division of American Eagle Outfitters (AEO).

Of the new Aerie stores, 10 to 15 will be standalone, the rest side-by-side Aerie locations.

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For the entire fiscal year, ended February 3, 2018, comparable sales for the Aerie brand jumped 27% after rising 23% in the year ended January 28, 2017.

In the conference call with analysts to discuss the quarter, Foyle said “I’m extremely proud of the consistent growth we experienced throughout 2017. In fact, even a key milestone using $500 million of sales.” She continued, “Our next target of $1 billion is in place, and we can’t wait to get there. In the fourth quarter, we saw a terrific growth in both our brick-and-mortar stores and in our digital business. We strategically capitalized on the key holiday weeks with a powerful gifting strategy and distortions in the big product categories.”

In the fiscal fourth quarter ended February 3, 2018, American Eagle itself, which also sells a variety of men’s and women’s apparel other than lingerie, earned $93.957 million on sales of $1.229 billion, compared to $54.622 million on sales of $1.097 billion in

the quarter ended January 28, 2017.

Foyle explained that there was “excellent growth” in Aerie’s “signature active line as well as our leggings, fleece, swim and accessories. With bras and undies at the core of our brand DNA, we see potential to expand our offerings and more broadly address our lifestyle needs.”

“In 2017, we generated over 8.5 billion media impressions and a 28% increase in social media followers. And we consistently expanded our customer base at a doubledigit pace throughout the year.”

Foyle noted that a “strategic focus in 2018” will be to get more American Eagle apparel shoppers to buy Aerie lingerie. “Today, only 50% of women who shop our AE brand shop Aerie. This represents a tremendous opportunity to introduce new customers to the Aerie brand.” Speaking about new stores she added, “we have had an incredible opportunity to expand our brand presence across the country. Customers love our new store design, which debuted last fall in Miami.

And recently, we opened in a mall location

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APRIL 2018 • BODY

with terrific results so far.”

During the call, Bob Madore, American Eagle’s CFO revealed “total gross square footage declined slightly in the year as we continue to close under performing stores, including 25 AE stores and eight old format Aerie stores.

We opened 15 AE stores, 15 Aerie standalone stores and 28 Aerie side-by-side stores in 2017.”

As of February 3, 2018 there were 91 U.S. and 18 Canadian stand alone Aerie stores. As of that date there were also many Aerie “side by side” stores, which are “part of AE mainline or factory stores.” 90 of these were in the U.S., 13 in Canada and 13 in Mexico. $1 billion in sales is not the only goal for Aerie. Jay Schottenstein, American Eagle’s executive chairman and CEO noted that with the brand “it took us the last 7, 8 years to get to $500 million. I believe in the next two years, we can achieve over $1 billion. And when I look at Aerie, I look at the American Eagle and I see the progress that’s being made in Aerie. And with the experience we have, I think this could become, in the next (Continued on page 6)

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few years, a $2 billion, $3 billion brand.”

By comparison, L Brands’ Victoria’s Secret and Pink store and direct business generated $7.387 billion in sales in the U.S. and Canada in fiscal 2017. — NM The complete conference call can be found here: https://seekingalpha.com/ article/4154803-american-eagles-aeoceo-jay-schottenstein-q4-2017-resultsearnings-call-transcript?page=1

soma comps down 2.3%

Comparable sales at Soma were down 2.3% in the 13 weeks ended January 27, 2018. They were also down 1.5%, for the 52 week period ending on that date.

Until the middle of last year, comparable sales at the lingerie division of Chico’s FAS had been notching up every quarter for almost eight years. But they fell 1.8% in the quarter ended July 29, 2017, reversing a

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lengthy series of positive sales comps dating back (with one negative exception in the third quarter of 2015) since the second quarter of 2009.

Soma’s net sales rose slightly in the latest

quarter but fell a bit for the year. Sales for the 14 week fiscal quarter ended February 3, 2018 were $99.165 million compared to $97.411 million for the 13 week quarter ended January 28, 2017.

For the 53 week fiscal year ended February 3, 2018 sales were $343.864 million compared to $344.545 million in the previous 52 week fiscal year.

“While we did see early positive response to our holiday floor set, overall fourth quarter performance did not meet our expectations,” admitted Chico’s president and CEO Shelley Broader, in the conference call to discuss the results with analysts. “We went into the season focused on sleep, and saw good response to separates.

But our assortment in PJ sets was too limited and did not offer the right print and color options to appeal to our customers.”

“In the solutions category, demand for our Vanishing Back bra was healthy, but sales in the Embraceable bra and Cool Nights were (Continued on page 8)

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softer than anticipated. Mary van Praag joined us as brand president in the fall, and she and her team have been actively working the brand and making operational improvements. From a merchandise perspective, the team remains focused on key initiatives, including redefining the core franchise and emphasizing solutions, including the

Vanishing Back bra, Vanishing Edge panty, and Cool Nights sleepwear. We are also refining our loungewear offering.”

Broader continued, “While we expect Mary’s work to improve top-line results, we are pleased that the 2017 cost management of the brand, operational improvement, and a shift to digital marketing resulted in Soma’s most profitable year ever. These disciplined improvements position Soma for top line growth in the back half of the year. To support our efforts at Soma, we are increasing our marketing spend for the 2018 year, and will be airing responsive TV ads in March to kick off the spring season. We are also testing a new and innovative bra at selected stores, which has been generating very good feedback and we expect to launch this fall.”

As of the beginning of February, there were 1460 Chico’s FAS stores in North America, including 692 under the Chico’s name and 479 under the White House Black Market name. During the past year the company opened one and closed two Soma “frontline boutiques,” ending with 270 locations. There are also 19 Soma outlets. — NM The full transcript of the Chico’s call can be found here: https://seekingalpha.com/ article/4151802-chicos-fas-chs-q4-2017-results-earnings-call-transcript?page=1

2018, compared to $6.199 billion for the 52 week fiscal year ended January 28, 2017.

Direct sales for the two brands fell from $1.582 billion in 2016 to $1.508 billion in 2017.

Parent company L Brands earnings in 2017 fell to $982.986 million on total sales of $12.632 billion compared to $1.158 billion on sales of $12.574 billion in 2016. L Brands also owns Bath & Body Works, La Senza and Henri Bendel.

In the conference call with stock analysts to

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Victoria’s Secret and Pink North American comparable store sales fell 6% in February.

However, when the brands’ strong direct business is added to the store results, there was a 2% total increase.

Amie Preston, chief investor relations officer at parent company L Brands, explained that in February the two brands registered “growth in lingerie and beauty. Pink comps were about flat. The merchandise margin rate was down significantly to last year driven by additional promotional activity in order to drive traffic.”

Looking back at the fourth quarter 2017, Victoria’s Secret and Pink North American comparable store and direct sales fell 1%.

They were down 8% for the full year 2017.

Total sales for Victoria’s Secret and Pink stores in North America were $5.879 billion for the 53 week fiscal year ended February 3,

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discuss the fourth quarter, Jan Singer, CEO of Victoria Secret, declared, “While results overall were down, we improved sales and margin throughout the year from down high single-digits in Q1 to down mid-single-digits in Q4. This progress was led by a deep focus on the customer and products, starting with the core, our bra business. Based on continued engagement with the customer, we continue to rebalance the bra mix, offering her choices of bras with benefits, balanced with high-fashion in constructed and unconstructed. This was led by launches of (Continued from page 9)

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news Illusion, Angel Max, T-Shirt, and the results here were sales growth in our constructed bra business.”

Singer listed various areas of improvement, including resetting the brand’s panty business, growth in the “sport business,” success in attracting new customers with “casual sleep and lounge” and “progressive growth” in the digital arena.

She concluded, “We’re proud of the progress, but also recognize there’s much more for us to do, as we continue to reset this business.”

Looking forward at the rest of 2018 Singer explained “we’re focused on continuing to strengthen the core with bras with benefits, balancing with fashion, and we feel optimistic.” She cited the “fashion pipeline,” improvements in the panty business and a new marketing team as factors that will lead to success this year.

Answering a question from an analyst about the “decline in the unstructured bras,” Singer noted that bralette sales were strong in the first two quarters of last year, and that the company is working on “balancing our mix.” She added, “I would say the more velocity we have on constructed, the faster we can get there, but we’re still in a balancing mode and the bralettes are still part of our mix. But I’m very confident in the bras that we are launching and those driving a rebalance in the time needed.”

In the same conference call, Denise Landman, CEO of the Pink brand, said, in the fourth quarter, “bras and panties, both drove mid to high single-digit growth versus last year, while expanding margin rates. Bra sales and unit growth were driven principally by our Wear Everywhere and sports franchises, driven by a strong fashion offering. Panties were also strong across all silhouettes and collections, driven by continued newness.” Commenting on the holiday season she said “gifting collections” drove “strong double-digit growth versus last year on an expanded margin rate.”

“Apparel had areas of success and disappointment. Therefore, we would characterize our apparel performance as mixed. Key packages related to opulence, cozy and bling,” she continued, “performed very well and experienced high sell-throughs. The balance of the apparel assortment, however, disappointed our self-purchaser, and we’re applying those learnings to our go-forward assortment architecture. Therefore, in aggregate, Pink’s Q4 comps were up slightly and category performance, as mentioned, was mixed. Despite this result, we continue to feel positive about the (Continued on page 10) DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

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strength of the brand and our ability to serve and emotionally engage our customer.”

Martin Waters, president and CEO of international operations at L Brands, spoke during the call about expansion outside of the U.S. “We continue to invest in China, which we believe will be a significant market for us. VSBA [Victoria’s Secret Beauty and Accessories] stores and e-commerce through the Tmall platform are both doing well. And the seven full assortment [Victoria’s Secret] stores, five of which were opened in the fourth quarter, are progressing pretty much as we expected.”

He noted that “the UK business was very challenging for us in 2017.” The company has five Pink stores in the U.K. as well as 19 Victoria’s Secret stores there and in Ireland.

Waters continued, “In 2018, our priorities with respect to international are: firstly, continuing to scale in China, where we’ll open

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another 10 to 11 stores; secondly, improving our performance in the UK; and finally, continuing to build on the success of our partnerowned stores globally.” In all, L Brands lists 813 partner-owned stores around the world.

Waters explained that the company’s

China expansion is “anchored with three flagships that enhance the presence of Victoria’s in China, in Hong Kong, in Shanghai, in Beijing, and then opening smaller mall-based stores at sort of 5,000 to 7,000 square feet in all of the major tier 1 to tier 2 cities.”

There “will be significant growth yearover-year,” in 2018, he predicted. “We’ll read through the early part of Q1, Q2 and then make commitments for 2019 beyond that.”

Waters emphasized Victoria’s Secret moved cautiously into the country. “When we opened the lingerie business in China, we started with two stores deliberately, just two stores, in different geographies, so we could get a read on what was happening with the sizing. As you would expect, we anticipated that the customer would come up smaller than in other parts of the world and we distorted merchandise accordingly.

Well, as soon as we opened, we realized that we hadn’t distorted anywhere near enough.

The customers’ significantly smaller than we see anywhere else in the world, and that (Continued on page 11)

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shows up particularly in 32 band bras.”

He said that the five Victoria’s Secret stores most recently opened in China, “opened with at least 50% of their bra inventory in 32 band or smaller.”

The company’s online business in China has gone through three phases, he continued. Initially it was shipping from the U.S. with a 14 day lead time. “We then morphed to Tmall Local, which is shipping on a next-day basis and business has been growing very rapidly. It is now more than our largest store, as one might expect, and we’re seeing growth day-on-day, week-on-week, and a really, really good response to that. We’ll, also, this year, be adding a China.cn site so that we can direct customers directly from all social media platforms to our own site.”

Also during the conference call, L Brands CFO Stuart Burgdoerfer revealed “we’re making substantial investments in what I’ll call the core technology platform for the Victoria’s Secret digital business. It’s a platform we’ve been running with for a long time that needs to be updated, and we’re in the process of updating that. And it will provide the foundation to do a lot of things from a customer standpoint that we’ll look to do over the next several years.” He added the improvements will “give us a foundation for global business over time on that same platform, but 2018’s investment is a significant one, but I would describe it as foundational.”— NM The complete conference call can be found here: https://seekingalpha.com/article/4152489-l-brands-lb-q4-2017-results-earnings-call-transcript?page=1

top financial officer at naked exits

The principal financial officer and vice president of finance at Naked Brand Group has resigned as of March 23. Kai-Hsiang Lin has held those positions since March 22, 2016.

Naked, a publicly traded firm, is apparently in the final stages of completing a merger with Bendon Limited, a much larger privately held, New Zealand-based company.

In a February 21, 2018 filing with the SEC, Naked reported, “The outside date for completing the merger has been extended to April 27, 2018, subject to an extension which date shall not to be later than May 7, 2018, after which either party may terminate the Amended Merger Agreement.” Originally the companies had planned to complete the deal by mid-2017.

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naked-bendon merger news

The proposed merger between Bendon Limited and Naked Brand Group has undergone significant changes, with Naked appearing to have won better terms.

First, according to a February 21 release from Naked, its “stockholders will, upon the closing to the merger, receive approximately 9.0%

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of the outstanding ordinary shares” of the combined enterprise. When the deal was first announced in January, 2017, Naked shareholders were slated to receive a 6.4% portion of the merged entity.

Second, “Bendon will pay an amount equal to Naked’s net operating loss each month until the closing of the merger.

Naked and Bendon will work together in good faith to optimize all costs while continuing to focus on the strategic growth of Naked’s business.” Those monthly losses could be significant. In its latest quarter, Naked reported an operating loss of $900,070, or an average of $300,023 per month.

Both companies have stated they hope the merger, between Naked, a public company with sales in its last full fiscal year of $1.8 million, and privately-held Bendon, which claimed annual sales of $100 million, will result in a single publicly traded entity.

In the latest release Naked noted, “The outside date for completing the Merger has been extended to April 27, 2018, subject to an extension which date shall not to be later than May 7, 2018, after which either party may terminate the Amended Merger Agreement.” Originally the companies planned to complete the merger by mid-2017.

“The ability of Naked to solicit alternative transactions has been modified,” the release continued, “so that Naked may solicit such transactions if the Merger is not completed by the outside date or if Bendon fails to pay to Naked a monthly amount equal to the net operating losses of Naked.” Naked has repeatedly postponed looking for another partner (or an alternative transaction). In January, 2017 it had “agreed to adhere to a no-shop provision until the earlier of the date

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the Merger Agreement is executed or the LOI is terminated. If the Merger Agreement is not executed by February 10, 2017, or the Merger is not consummated within six months thereafter.”

During the past year, Naked’s sales have risen but its losses have continued, it’s team has moved into the Bendon offices in New York and parts of its sales force have left.

As part of the announcement of the new merger terms, Naked’s CEO and chief creative officer Carole Hochman, declared, “I am proud of the hard work and continuous effort that our team has put in to this amended merger agreement with Bendon. We continue to work towards finalizing the registration statement, which remains subject to the SEC’s review, comment and approval process. We believe that these amendments to the Merger Agreement provide additional benefits for both our stockholders and the go-forward business.” — NM

adore by allure

Canada-based Allure Lingerie is launching a new line, Adore by Allure, which it describes as “intoxicating high fashion lingerie and nightwear,” at the upcoming Altitude Intimates trade show in Las Vegas.

“Adore is redefining the perception of lingerie as being only worn ‘sometimes’ through its styles that easily traverse from the boudoir to nightwear by layering with other outfits in your closet,” the company explained.

The collection launches with 26 pieces, “combining lace, sheer, sequins, tulle and wet look.” U.S. retail prices for two or three piece bra sets will range

fmmg advising Advisor to Cortland Foundations in its recent acquisition by Rago Foundations, LLC 718-676-4444 · Nick@fmmg.com / Nick.Monjo@gmail.com from $39.99 to $79.99. “The typical price for a body ranges from $49.99 to $59.99,” according to a spokesperson. Adore is sized small, medium and large, and “the collection will be available in stores by mid-May.” “The woman who wears Adore doesn’t need a reason to wear lingerie; she wears it just because she feels like celebrating every moment. She is complicated and chaotic, but is always sexy.” (See photto in the Lingerie section).

wacoal u.s.sales down in q3

At Wacoal, a variety of factors led to a decline in sales of “new products” for Wacoal’s U.S. division for the three months ended December 31, 2017.

Meanwhile, Japanese parent company Wacoal Holding Corp., sales fell 0.4% and income plummeted 18.3% for the nine months ending December 31, 2017.

“Sales (on a local currency basis) of new products from Wacoal International Corp.

(U.S.) for the autumn/winter season did not achieve the level of sales recorded for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, and growth in overthe-counter sales weakened,” the company reported. “Further, sales were adversely impacted by the (Continued on page 14)

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management of inventories by certain department stores and the EC companies specialized for e-commerce and by damage from a hurricane that caused distribution delays, resulting in a decrease of 3% for the third quarter (three months ended December 31, 2017) from such sales for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.”

“Sales for the nine months ended December 31, 2017, however, increased by 5% as compared to such sales for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year as a result of overall sales driven by e-commerce sales through our website and third-party e-commerce websites, which continue to show strong sales growth since the first half of the current fiscal year, as well as the initial product delivery from an increase in the number of department stores handling Wacoal brand products during the first quarter of the current fiscal year.”

“Operating income on a local currency basis significantly contributed to the business results for the first half of current fiscal year due to a greater percentage of products sold at full price and an increase in the percentage of sales from our own e-commerce website, as well as an increase in the gross profit rate which decreased the percentage of manufacturing overhead as to cost. While we experienced a slowdown in sales during the third quarter of the current fiscal year, we continued to incur costs related to product listing advertisements and website renewal to strengthen e-commerce sales. As a result, operating income for the nine months ended December 31, 2017 increased by 18% as compared to such operating income for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year.”

Wacoal as a whole earned 9,868 million

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yen (about $92.8 million at current exchange rates) on sales of 148,416 million yen (about $1.4 billion) in the nine months ended December 31, 2017 compared to 12,085 million yen (about $113.6 million) on sales of 149,019 million yen (about $1.4 billion) in the same period the year before.

The European intimates brands that Wacoal owns, a portion of which also sell into the U.S. market, reported mixed results.

“While sales on a local currency basis (Sterling pound) for Wacoal Europe fell below such sales for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year due to the effect of loss of sales that could have been recorded from the brands which were liquidated in France, sales in the major markets, including the United Kingdom and the United States were strong. Sales through third-party e-commerce websites which specialize in selling luxury lingerie were strong in the United Kingdom and the United States. Sales of our swimwear increased and showed high growth in North Europe, Germany and Australia, and sales also grew as a result of the effect of the weak Sterling pound in the Eurozone area.”

The company continued, noting that “In our underwear business, sales of our plus-size brand “elomi” products increased by 23% as compared to such sales for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, and continued to achieve high growth, and sales of our swimwear products under “Fantasie” and “Freya” were also strong with an increase of 26% and 18%, respectively, and as a result, overall sales

increased by 4% as compared to such sales for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year. Operating income improved over budget as a result of the absence of the non-recurring expenses related to the liquidation proceedings for our French subsidiary which we recorded during the corresponding period of the previous fiscal year, as well as of minimizing selling, general and administrative expenses following the postponement of our website renewal for e-commerce sales.”

clo intimo: sexy, colorful

At the last New York Curve show we stopped by to admire the colorful lingerie at the CLO Intimo booth. We asked about new directions for the company, and about what seemed to be a sexier, more provocative feeling with the collection.

Designer Claudia Ochoa, nodded, but explained then (and expanded in follow-up email exchanges), “We’ve always been pretty sexy, but wearable every day. Not so much special occasion as feeling special all the time.

Bright colors and sexiness are what Colombia is all about and that’s where I’m from.”

“CLO Intimo (CLO being and acronym of my name: CL O) was founded in 2003 and the idea was to create something that wasn’t really in the market at that time: non-padded, no-wire soft bras that were colorful and sexy. Young minded styles with a definite South American (Latin) flavor, but better quality than what was coming from there.

We started with European fabrics, but as Colombian fabrics got better, we moved exclusively in that direction.”

Ochoa continued, “I think this still sets us apart although there have been many new companies with varying styles. Our colors are always very unique (we don’t follow trends) and our fit can compare to the best (Continued on page 16)

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(Continued from page 14)

and biggest brands in the business. I grew up in a home based sewing company, it was my life from the minute I was born. Even before that, my mother was sitting at a sewing machine while she was pregnant with me, probably the first sounds I heard. I went to design school in Colombia, and when we started the company I had already worked in the business for 10 years in Colombia and NYC. My mother, who still helps with designs, is a lingerie fit savant, no spec sheets just eye and experience.”

“We are based in NYC and manufacture with small family owned companies in Medellin, Colombia, so we have one foot in each market. We try to take the best of both and make it work for the U.S. market.”

Currently the bras in the line range from $40 to $80 at retail, the chemises, from $80 to $140 and the panties from $18 to $40. Parts of the collection are sold by such stores as Azaleas, Brooklyn Fox, Coup de Foudre, Oh Baby, Lulu’s Nouvelle, Birdies and Anthropologie.

Ochoa explained, “We do two [collections] per year with deliveries every month; January through June and July through December.

Contact CLO at info@clostudio.com or (212) 244-2414. (See photto in the Lingerie section).

q4 sales -1% at delta galil

Fourth quarter sales fell 1% at Delta Galil, but jumped 16% for the full year. Net income was up 8% in the quarter, but fell 6% for the twelve months.

Delta earned $20.071 million on sales of $371.637 million in the quarter ended December 31, 2017 compared to $18.547 million on sales of $376.315 million in the same quarter in 2016.

The firm earned $48.959 million on sales of $1.368 billion in all of 2017, compared to $51.902 million on sales of $1.179 billion in 2016.

The company said that for 2018 sales were

16

APRIL 2018 • BODY

“expected to reach” $1.4 billion to $1.44 billion.

Declared CEO Isaac Dabah, “The results reflect the strength in our Global Upper Market and Schiesser business and the positive contribution of our recently acquired business (Delta Galil Premium Brands) – all demonstrating the strength of our diversified portfolio. We continue to focus on driving both organic growth and accretive acquisitions, and seek new opportunities to apply our competitive and financial strengths to deliver shareholder value.”

“Our recently acquired Delta Galil Premium Brands (DGPB) segment continued to be a strong contributor to sales throughout 2017, and remains an exciting growth opportunity looking ahead. We have several strategic initiatives and category expansions in place for 2018 that are intended to maximize growth opportunities within that segment.”

“Throughout the year, we focused on making meaningful changes to the company that will improve our efficiency and production capacity and best position us to develop the most innovative, high quality products for our customers worldwide. We also enhanced our focus on e-commerce, and increased top-line growth to key customers, as well as our proprietary brands.”

“As always, we remain committed to investing in new products and resources to drive sustained profitable growth and longterm shareholder value and, with a strong balance sheet, we have the necessary financial resources to continue to innovate and grow -both through organic means and strategic acquisitions.”

luminoglow packaging

LuminoGlow, recently introduced to stores in the U.S., has just added packaging for the collection, something retailers have requested. The colorful new envelopes clearly depict how each style looks in normal daylight — and when the room is dark.

Launched in 2009 in Australia, LuminoGlow first established retail markets in that country and in Europe, then focused

on direct to consumer sales elsewhere in the world before introducing the line to retailers here. The brand is owned by founder Jan Hawley and James Sutton.

The lingerie, which is usually soft white, is composed of two fabrics. The lace, which glows a soft green in the dark, “is made up of 30% polyester, 60% polyamide and 10% elastane which gives it just the right amount of stretch and support,” explained Hawley.

“The accompanying non-glowing Italian fabric we use feels so soft against the skin, like tissue and it is 70% polyester and 21% elastane and is a woven stretch crepe fabric.

Those in the know will immediately recognized it as being the holy grail of lingerie fabrics. Combined together these two fabrics have made a simply stunning lingerie collection that not only looks feminine but feels soft to touch and against the skin.”

Wholesale prices range from $9.05 to $16.45, and are sized small, medium and large.

“The collection is made up of bras, thongs, a scanty lace body piece, suspenders and a lace cuff, all priced very fairly,” continued the founder. “The collection is currently available in soft white however when the lights are off and the lace is glowing, the soft lace swirls change to a mix of soft white and green which looks heavenly especially over the fabulous contours of the body.” Contact LuminoGlow Lingerie at info@luminoB glow.com and 011 61 427 537 879.

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event report

The New International Lingerie Show 2018

The New International Lingerie Show kicked off its very first event, March 12 through 14, at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. While some pundits had maligned the recently renovated hotel in advance, our reporter found it to be

fresh and clean, with the same to be said of his room. On the show floor itself we photographed exhibitors and buyers, and discovered an interesting phenomenon.

Because certain larger lingerie firms were not on hand, many of those that

John Wiltgen of Starline/Raveware with Chad Timney of the new ILS Show.

Rosita Yazditabar of Felina with Kenisha Mays and Brittany Mays of Lace Addicts.

Hannah Hrebel and Jennifer Reynolds of Daisy Corsets with Raymond Fabre of Boutique Sexie Folie.

Yossi Rudomin of Electrique Boutique.

Dora Talbot of Sex Symbol, Rick Smith of Studio Lites, Chris Bradford of Studio Lites, and James Talbot of Sex Symbol.

Katrina Cooney of S & G Entertainment and Lili Li of J Templeton.

Joe Frawley of Armadillo’s Hands and Steve Carpenter of Minor Creations.

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did have booths found themselves the focus of enthusiastic attention.

Several exhibitors have already signed on for the next event September 24-26, 2018, with management expecting a larger turnout in the fall.

Mary Gorghuber of Wilderness Dreams and Cheryl Christie of CJ’s Lingerie.

Laura Fitzpatrick of Oh Baby Lingerie with Joan Perry of Starline/Raveware.

Lindsey Edmonds of Daisy Corsets; Jennifer Koelling, Karen Mediavilla of AZ Entertainment Video Network; and Claudio Puggioni of Hove.

Christopher Yoo of Andrew Christian, Larry Block of BlockParty and Chris Sapienza of Andrew Christian.

APRIL 2018 • BODY

17

Fred Wells of Wells Intimates with Pati and Brent Reid of All For Love with Betty Wells of Wells Intimates.

Alberto Magana Quesada of By Underwear and Raul Valencia of Male Basics.

Raymond Fabre and Sylvie Lafleur of Boutique Sexie Folie with Wink Wells of Wells Apparel Group.

Michael Menard of Crave Romance Boutique, Alesia Poynter of Forplay and Jolene Menard of Crave Romance Boutique.

Rachel Hazelbush and Michelle Meyer of Karnation with Tony Lam of Golyta.

Kismet Pfeiffer and Amanda Faulkner of Private Lives and Branden Lark of Yocisco.

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APRIL 2018 • BODY

Hannah Hrebel and Lindsey Edmonds of Daisy Corsets with Kathy Henry of Xcite Lingerie & Clubwear.

Kevin Cooney of S & G Entertainment with Anthony Brito of Just to Flirt.

Teresa Weaver of Karnation and Fred Wells of Wells Intimates.

James and Dora Talbot of Sex Symbol with Jane May of Lady Jane’s Exotic Apparel.

Emily Crutchfield and Shauna Feldhaus of 8(ATE).

Amanda Faulkner of Private Lives, Jennifer Reynolds of Daisy Corsets and Kismet Pfeiffer of Private Lives.

Parviz Sharaf pf Je Taime and Lovey Wilson of Lovey’s Boutique.

Lily Li of J Templeton with Kathryn Guy, Kara McGee and Kraig McGee of Taf Distribution.

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Jennifer Reynolds of Daisy Corsets, Jeanne and Bright Ryan of Wicked Chamber, Lindsey Edmonds and Hannah Hrebel of Daisy Corsets.

Muhammad Husain and Muddasar Zohaib of Hillcock International.

Robb McCullough of Starline and Tammy Borde of Chocolate Walrus Boutique.

Magda Fanous and Rania Eddik of Maggie’s Designs with Beatrice Pothier of The Hot Spot.

Desiret Perez, Elkis Gil and Dadaris Ocasio of BC innovations.

Tim Gettler and Delilah Carr of Glamory Hosiery with Leslie Robinson of Leslie’s Lovely Luxuries.

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Mary Gorghuber of Wilderness Dreams with Luq Shannon and jacqueline Ramirez of Belle Dentelle Lingerie.

Kismet Pfeiffer of Private Lives, Jennifer Reynolds of Daisy Corsets and Amanda Faulkner of Private Lives.

Tatiana Reger of Rockstar Wigs with Karim Sepulveda and Elkis Gil of BC innovations.

Sandra and Dennis Smith of For Lovers Only with Jennifer Reynolds of Daisy Corsets.

Lindsey Edmonds of Daisy Corsets and Louise Cobb of Beverly Hills Hosiery.

Shelli Wesson and Elbony Hawkins of Envy by Alexis.

Lindsey Edmonds of Daisy Corsets and Mike Driver of Driver Etc.

Rosita Yazditabar of Felina, Cozy Adams and Brook Stephenson of Brook’s Secret Drawer.

APRIL 2018 • BODY

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retail profile: Bridal Garden Q&A with Danielle Hoysa, co-owner

Ted Vayos, BODY: Please tell us about your full service bridal salon.

from selling to buying to marketing. We are nestled in the outskirts of Philadelphia so we have Danielle a big reach. Our elite H o y a , selection of designers and B r i d a l styles is the most distinG a r d e n : guished and extensive I’ve been in the area. From bridal in this in- gowns of all sizes to dustry for bridesmaids, headpieces the past and accessories, we offer a 28 years. unique collection to perMy mom, fectly fulfill every bride’s N a n c y dreams.

Saccomanno started the business when I was Ted: What makes your still in high school and store special?

I started as stock girl just helping out. Now I Danielle: We are a fulldo a little of everything service bridal salon that

provides an experienced team of specialized consultants who value sharing in the wedding experience that is unique to each bride. We pride ourselves on understanding every bride’s needs, emotions and dreams. This, accompanied by our extensive knowledge of designers and styles, allows us to create a vision that brides can only imagine.

Ted: What do you look for in an intimate apparrel brand?

Danielle: We look for bras that really help lift and give extra support especially for girls with bigger busts. For our smaller girls we have great cups that really help lift and add extra fullness where needed. It’s so im-

Key Brand Dominque

portant to have the proper undergarments when fitting a bridal gown, if it isn’t correct the whole dress will not look right.

Our seamstresses are the best in the area and know exactly how to place our bras, cups or slips if needed. It can definitely make a difference in the way a dress looks and fits.

I think it’s very important to have this in our store and when girls first come in to find a dress we always start with the bra first so the dress will look the best!

Ted: List some of the intimate apparel brands that are important to your store.

Danielle: The main brand that we have had forever is Dominique. They give the best support and really help smooth girls out.

We carry both their short and long versions.

Ted: Have you brought any new products or brands into your store recently?

Danielle: Honestly, Dominique has been our staple for our go to bra for brides.

Ted: Do you carry other products?

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ARIL 2018 • BODY

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

Danielle: We also have full and fit and flare slips that brides sometimes want under their dress for extra fullness.

Ted: Describe the popular styles or trends in your store.

Danielle: Brides are really liking the low plunge neckline with interesting backs. We do sell a lot of fitted dresses but ball gowns are definitely making a comeback.

points with gorgeous gowns. Over the past year Ted: What are your most we expanded our sample sizes and opened up a plus popular styles? size showroom. The repuDanielle: Lately Aline tation of our expert alterstyles has been a lot ations is well renowned of brides requests but along the East Coast. we still sell a lot of fitted. Each bridal gown is cusGirls love gorgeous back tomized to fit and flatdetails with illusion and ter each individual. Our motto is “A dress for evbeading. ery bride” and we mean it.

Ted: What are your most Our new Plus Size Bridal Gown Showroom is sure popular colors? to amaze. Although this Danielle: Ivory and is not a perfect world, we refuse to apply this phiChampagne. losophy to the most imTed: Describe your price portant day in a woman’s life - her wedding. points and size ranges.

Danielle: Our price point ranges from about $1200$7000 so we really try to accommodate all price

Ted: What does your average customer spend per visit to your store?

in our building has also helped give brides who are curvier an amazing selection of bridal gowns Danielle: $2500. to try on in all different price points. Just beTed: Describe your cus- cause your not sample tomer base. size doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have as beautiDanielle: Female all ages, ful selection to choose young and older brides from. We have a dress for 20-50yrs or older. We every bride! also have some really young girls in our flower Ted: What have you done girl dresses. to draw attention to your new business?

Ted: What has impacted your business the most Danielle: I think its imover the past year? portant to have a great website and good presDanielle: Over the Past ence on the internet since Year we have really dedi- that’s how most people Ted: What is your typical cated time to increas- find where their going to or average customer size? ing our social media shop. Also social media presence and staying on is extremely important Danielle: Size 14. top of Facebook, Insta- such as Facebook and Ingram and Pinterest. The stagram especially in the younger gen- Bridal Industry. Most eration com- brides are searching onmunicates so line for specific styles much through and designers so you resocial media ally need to be on top of that you have it. We also like to engage to constantly be our brides taking pictures on top of it and celebrating that they’ve updating on a found the dress and post consistent basis. them on our facebook Also, by open- which they love and then ing up a Plus they share it with all their B Size Showroom friends.

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APRIL 2018 • BODY

21

interview:

Rodrigo Cano: Why He Bought The Company He Managed For Years

BODY publisher Nick Monjo conducted this interview with Rodrigo Cano, president of the Cano Group, the firm that produces EuroSkins shapewear and intimates as well as Eurotard dancewear. Cano had worked for the firm for over 30 years, most recently as general manager, before purchasing the company from former owner, Tolbert Yilmaz, last September.

MONJO: You recently moved from being a manager at Eurotard to owner.

What gave you the confidence to make such a bold move at a time when the industry is so challenging?

CANO: Managing this great company of two globally reputable brands (Eurotard dancewear and EuroSkins luxury intimates and shapewear) for over 35 years gave me the skill, knowledge, expertise, and most importantly, the vision, to continue shaping its success. As such, it was not confidence that drove this move but an insatiable hunger to continue the Eurotard and EuroSkins mission to fill the markets with exceptional products that consumers trust, while supporting the local retail system.

Yes, the industry right now is challenging, which is exactly the reason brands like EuroSkins and Eurotard need to prevail. As owner, this concept of preserving the livelihood of local retailers is at the forefront of every business decision.

MONJO: Now that you are in charge, what changes have you made?

CANO: My intention is not to change the company, but simply reinforce the existing framework and then grow from there. My focus is to preserve and

22

Rodrigo Cano of the Cano Group talks with a buyer at a recent trade show.

enhance the core values, missions and strategies of EuroSkins and Eurotard. To do this, a huge shift towards digitalizing the brands’ operations, processes and marketing initiatives is my first order of business.

MONJO: What new things can we expect from Cano Group in 2018 and beyond? For example, I understand you have recently launched an activewear collection. Can you tell us about that?

CANO: EuroSkins new activewear collection, which we are calling ‘Athleisure’ due to the variety of uses and markets of these products, is an example of our extensive background in dance and ballet which distinguishes us from other brands. The knowledge that we have on how the body moves and how to design garments to complement this movement lends itself nicely to the active market. The beauty of our Athleisure Collection is the blend of

APRIL 2018 • BODY

shapewear and sportswear. EuroSkins Active Leggings feature stylish colors, patterns and designs with the added bonus of wide tummy control waistbands. The shaping waistbands are disguised as a trendy high-waist design, and onlookers would have no idea that the waistband is actually flattening the tummy and cinching the waist.

MONJO: I know you believe strongly that wholesalers should not be selling direct to consumers. Can you summarize the key components of your commitment to helping retailers remain strong?

CANO: The belief that wholesalers or manufacturers should not sell directly to consumers is so engrained in EuroSkins and Eurotard’s company culture that literally every move we make is done with this concept in mind. For instance, we understand that in order for any business (wholesale or retail) to survive the shift to online, digital

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

presence must be made. We, just like any other company, have made that shift with our websites, social media and digital catalogs. However, unlike any other company, we have made the transition with retail stores by our side. Our Consumer Order Referral Program allows us to promote our products and brands online while automatically routing online consumer orders to the nearest participating retail store. With this program, we have effectively turned the most daunting and formidable retail store competitors, online direct-to-consumer brands, into an ally. Over the years, EuroSkins and Eurotard has funneled thousands upon thousands of dollars BACK into the local retail system.

MONJO: Why are retailers so important to the process?

CANO: There are two very simple answers to this question.

The first answer is business-oriented; retailers are the reason for manufacturer’s success. Traditionally, brands relied on local retailers to promote their products and help them achieve market entry.

Over the years this symbiotic relationship has turned into a competitive one.

In some ways, EuroSkins and Eurotard’s commitment to retail stores is somewhat of an homage-an acknowledgement and appreciation-of everything the stores have done for our brands.

ing. Do you see some signs of hope, as we do?

CANO: I am very glad to see more and more retailers embracing technology.

This adoption of the digital world is imperative to retail success. We are seeing retailers making the move to having an online store site to help sell their products and promote their ‘brand’. We are getting more and more requests for digital catalogs, social media content, and product material for their websites.

All of this brings hope for retail survival.

MONJO:Your company started in the ballet dance category. How did that impact your approach to intimate apparel, shapewear and activewear?

The second answer is a little more personal: without retailers, our communities would lack enrichment, variety, uniqueness and culture. Small brickand-mortar stores are the backbone of our neighborhoods. They play a vital role in funneling money back into the communities in which we live, work and play.

CANO: EuroSkins foundations in dancewear give the brand a unique edge in the intimate apparel industry. Our garments are intentionally designed to fit and move with the body during movement.

Our materials and fabrics are of the highest quality, and the shape and recovery properties are exceptional. Even in our shapewear collections, users find it to be incredibly comfortable and breathable yet it still shapes their silhouette. It is our background in dancewear and our kinesthetic knowledge that allows us to make apparel that effectively shapes the body without restricting movement.

MONJO:I know you have been skeptical about the long term survival of some retailers in the face of all this direct sell-

MONJO: Can you give a quick summary of all the categories in which your company is involved today?

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CANO: We are involved in a number of categories of apparel ranging from our flagship of shapewear and intimates to figure enhancing gel products and legwear. Currently on our website, euroskins.com, we have the Power Collection of super strong shapewear, Noir Collection of lingerie-inspired shapewear, EuroSkins Seamless Collection of lightweight yet firm shapewear, Enhance Collection of silicone figure boosting products, Activewear and every day Intimates and liners.

B APRIL 2018 • BODY

23

retail profile: yes she can!

Ted Vayos, BODY: Please tell us about your intimate apparel specialty store.

Dana Wilson, Yes She Can!: December 2011 I was reading Family Circle Magazine on my lunch break from work and an article about a Mobile Bra Fitter in Chicago Illinois peaked my interest. I wanted to know more about the profession. Bras had always been a struggle for me. I did some research to see if anyone in New Jersey was doing the same and found a woman in North Jersey over 3 hours away from me. I asked if we could meet half way for a fitting and so that I could pick her brain about her business.

After our meeting, on my long drive home I called my husband and said, “I am quitting my job and I am selling bras!” I immediately fell in love with the feeling of helping others. This year my youngest began Kindergarten and I knew it was my time for a store front. I could work while the kids were in school, choose my own product, have more space and help more people. I chose my hometown because there is no where within a 30 minute drive to receive a bra fitting. I also included in my store swimwear (including competitive), ladies athletic apparel and accessories. I also love the convenience of living so close to my shop.

My cell phone is printed on the door for bra emergencies. Yes! Bra emergencies

24

Q&A with Dana Wilson, owner

do exist!

Ted: What makes your store special?

Dana: Yes She Can! Is special because within a small 625 square foot building - Yes She Can! Everyone is helped. Cancer survivors, nursing mothers, active women, budding teens, weight gain, weight loss, etc. Yes She Can! Promotes encouragement. It instills confidence. We want ladies to leave ready to take on the world.

Ted: What do you look for in a brand?

Dana: Yes She Can!’s primary objective is always comfort. Ladies walk into the store and immediately start feeling the fabrics.

They ask what it is, where it’s made, do I have it in more colors? As women we are told that sometimes we have to feel uncomfortable to look beautiful. This is false. When selecting the stores products I like to wear the products myself and if I can’t I find someone who can. Just last week I gave a pair of maternity underwear to a pregnant customer. I asked her for her feedback. It is important to me that while we work, care for kids, exercise, run errands and sleep that we are

APRIL 2018 • BODY

confident and comfortable.

In selecting our mastectomy bras I wanted a pocket bra that looked wonderful under a t-shirt but also felt good on the skin. Royce’s Maisie bra is just that! I sell it to ladies who haven’t even had a mastectomy. When I tell a cancer survivor that She Can even get matching panties that are just as soft her face lights up!

Ted: List some of the brands that are important to your store.

Dana: The 6 brands that have made the biggest impact on my business and have outsold the rest are Wacoal, Royce, Panache, Dolfin, Swoob and Soul Flower. Wacoal is a trusted brand. I get phone calls weekly asking if I carry it.

The Lace Impressions bra is my number one selling bra purely because of comfort.

It hides seamlessly under clothes and feels as if you are wearing nothing. I have

Key Brands Cosabella Dolfin Elila Natori Panache Royce Soul Flower Swoob Wacoal Yellowberry Yummie Tummie

sold it to ladies as young as 16 and as old as 90. In my active wear Swoob is my num ber one selling brand. Their Leggings With Pockets feel so good on the body. I sold so many pairs in my first 4 months of business that the owner, Kyle, let me pick the color schemes for Spring.

I chose Swoob because it’s based in the USA and a

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

small business like myself.

Ted: Where do you like to shop for your merchandise?

Dana: Most of the merchandise I have selected I have worn myself first than ordered wholesale online if satisfied. I did a lot of research into companies based in the USA as well. I sell Bolder Band Headbands with my active wear which is also a small family USA based business. Yellowberry is a training bra company that is also a Mother/ daughter venture and produces high quality bras and tanks. We proudly support these entrepreneurs.

Ted: Have any brands disappointed you? How? Dana: So far I believe I’ve been lucky in that no brand has disappointed me. There have been specific styles or bras that have disappointed me and the companies I work with understood and quickly resolved the issue.

Ted: What could these companies do to improve?

Dana: The companies need to stick to what they are good at. If you are producing quality merchandise that people love don’t try to be trendy and duplicate something already on the market.

Ted: Have you brought any new products or brands into your store recently?

Dana: Yes! I brought Cosabella in this month. My starting order sold out in 14 days! I am thrilled with the new Curvy Sweetie

Bralette. I have already placed another order. I personally have never felt supported in anything Wireless and I can wear it too. Can’t wait to get the next shipment in.

Ted: Do you carry other products?

Dana: I carry Natori for my smaller customers as well as those with a wide set chest. The Natori is a favorite amongst my 30-38 B-DD clients. I also love Yummie! I cannot say enough about their Bralettes, high waisted thongs, pearl scoop neck tank and bustless slip! My larger customers love Elila.

Their newest styles are comfortable, provide superior coverage and are affordable.

If you haven’t seen the 2517 Nude with Black, you must!

Ted: Describe the popular styles or trends in your store.

Dana: I have an amazing inventory program that actually calculates sales by product for me. My Top 10 Bras Sold are 1. Cari by Panache, 2. Lace Impression

by Wacoal, 3. Visual Effects Minimizer by Wacoal, 4.

2401 Embroidered Microfiber by Elila, 5. Maisie by Royce, 6. Curvy Sweetie

by Cosabella, 7. Red Carpet Strapless by Wacoal, 8.

Sports Wired Bra by Panache, 9. Bliss Perfection by Natori and lastly 10. Envy

by Panache.

Ted: What are your most popular colors?

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

Dana: Nude bras sell the best followed by Black, pale pink, purple and blue.

Ted: Describe your price points and size ranges.

Dana: Yes She Can! Has bras ranging from $35-$74.

We offer Sizes from 28-46 A-K. If something is not in the store for a client we order it.

Ted: What is your typical or average customer size?

Dana: Our top 5 selling sizes are 32DD, 32G, 34F, 36G and 42F. However, in our short time open I can honestly say we’ve seen just about every size.

Ted: What does your average customer spend per visit to your store?

Dana: The average customer spends $140 and tends to shop again within 4-6 weeks of initial visit.

Ted: Describe your customer base.

Dana: Yes She Can! Has a majority of female clientele

between 13 and 90 years of age. I love when a daughter, mother and grandmother come in together. Around the holidays however we did see a lot of men for Gift Certificates.

Ted: What has impacted your business the most over the past year?

Dana: Family. My family has stood behind me through all of this. They helped me build my new business and now are getting acclimated to a major lifestyle change of Mommy working a lot.

Ted: What have you done to draw attention to your new business?

Dana: A good marketing mix is essential. I use social media, SenText (Text BRAVIP to 51660), local newspaper, local gyms, doctors offices, etc. I have found that the newspaper articles written about Yes She Can! That were not paid for have been the most effective marketing tool. Ladies love a good back story. They feel as if they know you when visiting the store.

B

APRIL 2018 • BODY

25

Looking for an INVESTOR or BUYER for Your Apparel Firm?

Our Clients Are Currently Seeking:

Established Apparel Wholesalers · Branded, Licensed Or Private Label Firms

·Firms Selling To Consumers On The Internet · Kids Sock or Sleepwear Companies ·Men’s Sleep, Lounge or Underwear Firms · Patented Bra or Apparel Inventions · Sexy Costume Companies · FMMG Advisors

Contact Nick Monjo in confidence.

718-676-4444 · Nick@fmmg.com

event report

February Las Vegas Shows 2018

We completed another round of shows last month in Las Vegas. Many companies came to exhibit at a wide array of different trade shows between February 10 and 15. Specialty stores, boutiques, multi-door retailers, discounters, department stores and online retailers were found shopping

at Magic, Curve, Project, Pool, WWIN and Off-Price. Many store buyers stopped to smile for our cameras at the brands they found to be important. This season retailers expressed an interest in finding new products and suppliers that would improve their businesses. Competition with the on-

Rosita Yazditabar of Felina, Martin Nakatani of Understuff, Rob Gardner of Felina and Hilary White of Understuff.

Brian Hamilton of Essentials Shop, Terresa Zimmerman of Wood Underwear and Robert Hickman of Essentials Shop.

Becky Harmon and Heather Rubio of Fashion Forms.

Joanne Grazzini of The Cat’s Pajamas & Rama Zoe Heinrich of Pacific Trading.

Sylvain Chartier of Laura Canada, Holly Adams of Shapeez, Staci Berner of Shapeez and Marie-Louise Hrisohoidis.

Pedro Espino Romero of Active Brands, Gabriel Viera of Tulio and Ramses Ruiz Padilla of Active Brands.

Lachelle Bussell of 545 Couture & More, Steve Chernoff and Alexa Fernandes of Rago.

Joey Jagod of Bluebuck.

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

line market has pushed many of these stores in new directions. The focus is on creating uniqueness in their stores that will help trap the business to them.

We did several in depth interviews, which will appear as retail profiles in future issues. - Ted Vayos

Rodrigo Cano of Euroskins and Liz Menaker of Trade Secrets.

Dennis Chen of Nubra and his model.

Erin Reilly, Lori Reilly of Boscovs, Erica Weeks of Doneger and Jan Swan of Euroskins.

APRIL 2018 • BODY

27

Marta Ciesnowska of Axami, Mark Franks of Castle Megastores, Edyta Skutnicka and Karina Pajolek of Axami.

Rozita Yazditabar of Felina and Rebecca Johnson of Bella Vous.

Adam Childers of Trim, Terresa Zimmerman of Wood Underwear and Thomas West of Trim.

Tiffany Lepe of Vixen’s Vice, Stacey Gossman of the Gig Showroom and Megan Michalski of Vixen’s Vice.

Bob Foster of Eveden with Ken and Dawn Mumaw of Hourglass Lingerie.

Sheila Daly of Universal Screen Arts, Anny-Claude LaPierre and Francois LaPierre of Claudel Lingerie.

28

APRIL 2018 • BODY

Jack Curry, Dave Williams and Jeff Curry of 2UNDR.

Louise Schmidt of Lace by Louise, Rob Gardner and Megan Mcintyre of Felina.

Diana Doskoch and Tatyana Kravchuk of Ajour and Hikaru Takahashi of Belle Forme.

Curtis Kelly and Charmin Kelly of Sin City Superstore with Theresa Antretter of Anita.

Kelly Barrett of Silent Arrow with Jessica Conaway of Dylan Wylde.

Hannah Kanawaty of Cocksox and Chip Beam of Full Kit Gear.

Mario Pace and Chantelle Simpson of Bravado.

Raul Paz of Leonisa; Yvonne Samson and Charlotte Cho of Personal Touch; and Octavio Quintana of Leonisa.

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

Moises Colin of 2Clovek, Michel Messarra of Code 22, Richard Van Rossem of Code 22 and Libeth Chavez of 2Clovek.

Cheshi Boston of B. Zuri and Rob Gardner of Felina.

Sarah-Danielle Gagnon of Claudel and Janet Mitchell of Gils Clothing.

Craig Kaiser of Torso, Gabriel Viera of Tulio and Scott Rouski of Torso.

Valerie Linenberger of True Betty Boutique and Steven Chernoff of Rago.

Ellen Stephens of Heavenly Blue Fine Lingerie and Theresa Antretter of Anita.

Rodrigo Cano of Euroskins with his model.

Joe Thiel, Hidetoshi Takeyasu and Masahito Shindo of Body Wild.

Debra Caselli of Calla Lily Fine Linens, Stacy Gossman of the Gig Showroom and Judith Diehl of Calla Lily Fine Linens.

Joey Nakash of Main street and Christina Chou of VIP.

Sue Petracek and Ken Petracek of Bosom Buddies.

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

Holly Adams and Staci Berner of Shapeez.

Susan McMahon of Donna Bella and Francois LaPierre of Claudel.

Mimi Desmond of Camouflage and Rozita Yazditabar of Felina.

Morris Hara IHL Group and Rimma Shusterman of National Stores.

Victoria Bartl of TLC Lingerie, Kathryn Shaw of Eveden and Linda Levy of TLC Lingerie.

APRIL 2018 • BODY

29

calendar event & show dates 2018 2018 april 8-10

Stylemax Spring Chicago, IL The Merchandise mart (312) 527-7750 stylemaxonline.com

april 10-12

Vows Atlanta Mart Atlanta, GA (404)-220-3000 americasmart.com

april 15-17

FMNC Show San Meteo, CA (415) 328-1221

fashionmarketnorcal.com

april 15-17

The Knot Couture Metropolitan Pavilion 125 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 (212) 515-3563 coutureshow.com

april 15-18

Neac Show Royal Plaza Trade Center & Hotel Mariboro, MA (781) 326-9223 neacshow.com

april 17-19

Altitude Intimates Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, Nev. (615) 924-4822 www.altitudeshow.com

30

APRIL 2018 • BODY

april 18-19

Old Dominion Fashion Exhibitors Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center 800-468-2722 odfe.org

april 19-21

China International Brand Underwear Fair Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center Shenzhen, China siuf.com

april 21-23

Trendz Palm Beach County Convention Center Palm Beach, FL (305) 718-4320 trendzshow.com

april 29 - may 4 Intimate Apparel Market Week

may. 2-4

Trendz West Bradenton Area Convention Center One Haben Boulevard Palmetto, FL (305) 718-4320

may 22-24

Licensing Expo Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas, Nev. (888) 644-2022 licensingexpo.com

june 6-9

Dallas Market Center 2100 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas (214) 744-7444 dallasmarketcenter.com

june 10-12

Accessories the Show Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

june 10-12

Moda Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

june 10-12 Fame

Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

june 10-12

Accessories Circuit Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

june 10-12

Coterie Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

june 11-12

Off Price Penn Plaza, New York, NY (262) 782-1600

june 17-19

Neac Show Royal Plaza Trade Center & Hotel Mariboro, MA (781) 326-9223 neacshow.com

june 20-21

Old Dominion Fashion Exhibitors Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center 800-468-2722 odfe.org

june 24-26

FMNC Show San Meteo, CA (415) 328-1221

fashionmarketnorcal.com

july 7-9

Interfiliere Paris Porte De Versailles, Paris, France +33(0)1 47 56 32 32 eurovet.com

july 7-9

Unique by Mode City Porte De Versailles, Paris, France +33(0)1 47 56 32 32 eurovet.com

trendzshow.com

may 3-6

Michigan International Women's Show (800) 849-0248 southernshows.com/wde

may 9-12

The Bride Show Abu Dhabi National Exhibtiion Centre www.thebrideshow.com DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

july 10-12

AABCP Breast Care Harrah's Casino New Orleans, LA (800) 892-1683 AABCP.org

july 10-16

Gift Show Atlanta Mart Atlanta, GA (404)-220-3000 americasmart.com

july 14-17

SwimShow Convention Center Miami Beach, Fla. (305) 596-7889 swimshow.com

july 19-20

Premiere Vision Pier 94, New York, N.Y. 646-351-1942 premierevision.com

july 22-24

Accessories Circuit Javits Center New York, NY (212) 686-4412 ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

Accessories the Show Javits Center New York, NY (212) 686-4412 ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

Fame Javits Center New York, NY (212) 686-4412 ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

Moda Javits Center New York, NY (212) 686-4412

ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

MRket Javits Center New York, NY (212) 686-4412 ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

Project Jacob Javits Center New York, NY ubmfashion.com

july 22-24

Supreme Body&Beach MTC World of Fashion Munich, Germany

munichfashioncompany.com

july 22-24

Pure London Olympia London, Hammersmith Road, Kensington, London www.purelondon.com

july tba

Capsule Men's New York, NY (212) 206-8310 capsuleshow.com

july 23-25

Texworld USA Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, N.Y. 770-984-8016 ext. 2401 TexworldUSA.com

july. 27-29

MMC Dessous Paradies Schkeuditz, Germany

mmc-dessousparadies.de

july. 29-30

LingeriePro Antwerp, Belgium info@lingeriepro.be lingeriepro.be

july 29-31

Curve New York Jacob K. Javits Convention Center New York, N.Y. (212) 993-8585 eurovet.com

july 29-31

Stylemax Spring Chicago, IL The Merchandise mart (312) 527-7750 Stylemaxonline.com

july 29 - aug 1

ASD Show Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, Nevada (800) 421-4511 asdonline.com

july 29 - aug 3

Intimate Apparel Market Week

aug. 1-2

Swim & Active Collective West Anaheim Conv. Center Anaheim, CA activewearcollective.com

aug. 4-6

Wasche und Mehr Dortmund, Germany +49 221 99 22 390 waescheundmehr.de

aug 5-7

INDX Show Cranmore Park Exhibition Centre Solihull, UK 0121 713 4453 indxshow.co.uk

aug. 5-7

Moda UK Lingerie & Swimwear NEC Birmingham, London, UK

+44 (0) 844 588 8084 www.moda-uk.co.uk

aug. 7-11

World of Prom Atlanta Mart Atlanta, GA (404)-220-3000 americasmart.com

aug. 11-14

Off Price Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV (262) 782-1600

Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 13-15

Pool Show Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV

aug. 13-15

Stitch Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 13-15

The Tents Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 12-15

Sourcing Las Vegas Convention Centers Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 13-15

MRket Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 13-15

Accessories the Show Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 14-17

WWIN The Rio Hotel Las Vegas, Nev. (702)-682-3475 wwinshow.com

aug. tba

Capsule Sand's Expo Center Las Vegas, NV (212) 206-8310 capsuleshow.com

aug. 19-21

FMNC Show San Meteo, CA (415) 328-1221

aug. 13-15

Curve Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Las Vegas, NV (212) 993-8585 eurovet.com

fashionmarketnorcal.com

aug. 22-25

Dallas Market Center 2100 Stemmons Freeway, Dallas, Texas (214) 744-7444 dallasmarketcenter.com

aug. 13-15

MAGIC Las Vegas Convention Centers Las Vegas, NV ubmfashion.com

aug. 22-23

aug. 13-15 Project

Active Collective East Metropolitan Pavilion New York, NY activewearcollective.com

Not responsible for errors. Please check dates with shows before making plans. Got an intimate apparel industry event, and want to let people know? Send us the information for consideration in an upcoming calendar.

Please include a contact phone number, email and web address, if available. Send all submissions ATTN: BODY Calendar, 2826 Stillwell Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11224. Or, email Ted Vayos at Ted@bodymagazine.us.

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

APRIL 2018 • BODY

31

finance

pvh: q4 sales, income up

PVH income in the fourth quarter of 2017 rose to $107.9 million on higher sales of $2.38 billion, compared to income of $100.5 million on sales of $2.00 billion in the same quarter in fiscal 2016.

For the full fiscal year ended February 4, 2018, income was down slightly to $536.1 million on higher sales of $8.44 billion compared to earnings of $548.7 million on sales of $7.79 billion for the year ended January 29, 2017. The company sells a variety of apparel, including intimates and underwear.

Chairman and CEO Emanuel Chirico noted “These results are ahead of our long-term targets, driven largely by strong momentum in our Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein businesses.” He added, “We continued to make investments that centered around areas most impacted by the changing dynamics in the industry - the growing prominence of digital, the importance of having a nimble and responsive supply chain and our ever-present commitment to driving consumer engagement. We encouraged our associates to be forward-thinking, with a focus on adapting to the evolving consumer environment, enhancing our brands and their competitive positioning across product lines and geographies, and better aligning our business to make it easier to initiate and effect change.”

Chirico concluded, “We believe that the incredible brand power behind Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger positions us well in the marketplace against our competition and will drive continued momentum, as reflected in our 2018 outlook.”

Discussing its Calvin Klein business in detail, PVH explained, “revenue in the Calvin Klein business for the quarter increased 23% to $977 million (increased 18% on a constant currency basis) compared to the prior year period. Calvin Klein International revenue increased 33% to $512 million (increased 23% on a constant currency basis) compared to the prior year period, driven by outstanding performance in Europe and Asia, including a

32

4% increase in international comparable store sales.” Meanwhile, Calvin Klein North America revenue increased “13% (also on a constant currency basis) to $464 million compared to the prior year period as a result of strong wholesale performance across all categories and a 4% increase in North America comparable store sales.”

Sales for Tommy Hilfiger “for the quarter increased 22% to $1.1 billion (increased 15% on a constant currency basis) compared to the prior year period. Tommy Hilfiger International revenue increased 37% to $702 million (increased 24% on a constant currency

basis) compared to the prior year period, driven by exceptional performance across all regions and channels, as well as the benefit of a 53rd week in 2017. Tommy Hilfiger International comparable store sales increased 6%. Tommy Hilfiger North America revenue increased 5% to $439 million (increased 4% on a constant currency basis) compared to the prior year period. The increase in revenue was principally attributable to a 10% increase in comparable store sales offset, in part, by a reduction in wholesale off-price distribution.”

At the company’s Heritage Brands division,

APRIL 2018 • BODY

which include such intimates labels as Warner’s, Olga and Speedo, revenue “was flat compared to the prior year period. Comparable store sales increased 1%. Earnings before interest and taxes for the quarter decreased to $8 million from $13 million in the prior year period, primarily driven by an increase in marketing expenditures as compared to the prior year period.

PVH is projecting increases in both sales and earnings for the full year 2018. “Revenue in 2018 is projected to increase approximately 7% (increase approximately 4% on a constant currency basis) as compared to 2017. Revenue for the Calvin Klein business is projected to increase approximately 9% (increase approximately 7% on a constant currency basis). Revenue for the Tommy Hilfiger business is projected to increase approximately 8% (increase approximately 4% on a constant currency basis). Revenue for the Heritage Brands business is projected to be relatively flat.” It added that “earnings per share on a GAAP basis will be in a range of $8.76 to $8.86 compared to $6.84 in 2017.”

During the conference call with analysts to discuss the financial results, Chirico spoke about the company’s acquisition of True & Co, an online retailer of intimates, in early 2017. “We’ve definitely seen the company move into PVH without a hitch. We’ve managed to retain the talent, we’ve managed to keep the systems up and running and it’s been a good learning experience for us. Just to put it in perspective,Bit was a fairly small acquisition in PVH.” He continued, “As we look backward at the acquisition, we did talk about some of the benefits of data. We are working with the True team, and the True team is working with the PVH team.

We have seen some benefits across divisionally particularly in the underwear and the women’s intimates categories and consumer data is a focus for us and we are moving it forward through True and with our underwear and intimates group with PVH.” — NM The complete conference call transcript can be found here: https://seekingalpha.com/ article/4160085-pvhs-pvh-ceo-manny-chirico-q4-2017-results-earnings-callB transcript?page=1.

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shapeez •

shapewear

(877) 360-8426

• STACIB@SHAPEEZ.COM

tc shapewear BY cupid • (404) 625-5215 • ecrawford@cshape.com

euroskins • (800) 222-0026 • VP@EUROSKINS.COM

rago

• (718) 728-8436 • info@ragoshapewear.com

winning edge BY

tc shapewear • (404) 625-5215 • ecrawford@cshape.com

active

retail profile:

Heart Strings Breast Care and Women’s Boutique Q&A with Ulrike Entwistle, owner c o n f ro n t e d with wheel chairs and oxygen tanks when shopping for that intimate lacy thing called a bra.

Ted: Tell us about your location.

Ted Vayos, BODY: Please tell us about yourself and your mastectomy specialty store.

Ulrike Entwistle, Heart Strings Breast Care and Women’s Boutique: I became a mastectomy fitter after my own breast cancer diagnosis in 2005 and being sent in 4 different directions for 5 needed items. I thought it was poor service that a woman in my situation can’t find her bra, breast prosthesis, wig, swimsuit and other necessities under one roof. At the time I was in chemotherapy in Germany where free standing mastectomy boutiques were not available. In the US mastectomy products are also often represented within a medical supply store. I felt the need to offer a feminine environment like a boutique, where the client is not

38

Ulrike: New S m y r n a Beach has been my home for almost 20 years and therefor I decided to start my business here. I found a nice downtown location at first, but moved after 3 years as we needed more reliable parking and a bit more space. Being on a major highway like US1 makes us easy to find.

Ted: What key products do you carry?

Ulrike: Our key products are bras (mastectomy, sport and hard-to-fit), breast prostheses (silicone, active and non-silicone), post-surgery garments (camisoles and bra kits), swimsuits, hair replacement (wigs, hats, scarves, turbans), active and sleep wear.

Ted: What makes your store special?

Ulrike: So many times,

APRIL 2018 • BODY

a new client walks in and exclaims that she doesn’t have something like Heart Strings back home! She enjoys the option to look around and decide for herself which style and color she would like, and we try to make that happen for her. As a fitter the blessings are in the details. The little things make a huge difference when it comes to making a good bra a great fit. After a breast surgery the customer needs to be newly educated about how her bra should fit.

The personal touch is literally ‘it’. I personally attend the client when I put a bra on her and fit her with a prosthesis, and at the time talk her through how to maintain the best outcome of strap settings, aligning the prosthesis and keeping her bra wardrobe fresh. A bra that is years old simple can’t do a good job anymore as the elasticity has been worn away.

Key Brands

American Breast Care

Amoena Anita Jodee

Nearly Me THE

Trulife reflects in our product choices. Occasionally we fit a special-order maternity bra. We certainly carry good supportive bras and prostheses for the person on a limited budget, but at the same time I strive towards new styles and colors. So many ladies enjoy the combination of a pretty bra and matching panties. Being in the Sunshine State tropical colors are a winner in bras, swimsuits and beach covers. Anita has a

Ted: What do you look for in a brand?

Ulrike: We live in a rather unique demographic area with many retirees, which DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

high-quality line of swimsuits with pareos, blouses, other covers and beach bags. We also order panties, girdles and comfort corselets for the interested client. Amoena has great leisure wear with build in bra-shelves to support the breast and a prosthesis if needed.

Ted: List some of the brands that are important to your store.

Ulrike: I am partial to American Breast Care for their outstanding prostheses and their customer service. It is a pleasure to have a live person answer the phone without a multitude of options first.

Anita has wonderful bras from imported materials and I like working with the rep from both these companies.

Ted: Where do you like to shop for your merchandise?

Ulrike: I have accounts with American Breast Care, Amoena, Anita, Jodee, Classique, Trulife, Nearly Me and others for breast care. We also carry

wigs and swimsuits from different companies including Anita, Amoena and THE. Ted: Have any brands disappointed you? How? Ulrike: Some breast care manufacturers have taken to selling directly to the public. In the past I have taken major orders away from companies when I learned that they made mastectomy products available online. Effectively they are robbing the client of the benefit of a fitting, which is so very important, especially at the beginning of a patient’s journey with breast cancer. How will the client get all the important information about what is available to her on a web page with just a picture of a bra? She has no knowledge of how a certain item will fit her specific need.

How must she know what can be worn how soon after her surgery or what her insurance will allow for? As I build my business over the years I met many clients who were astonished to learn years after their surgery

DAILY NEWS UPDATES AT WWW.BODYMAGAZINE.US

that Medicare allows for six bras every year and a silicone prosthesis ever 24 calendar months. Nobody had ever told them.

come in many cheerful colors and prints.

Ted: What could these companies do to improve?

Ulrike: We carry a variety of scarves, turbans and hats. We also have a few fun items with pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness. More importantly we carry compression garments for the upper and lower extremities, which are still in great demand, although surgeons have been far more careful in harvesting lymphnodes from the axillary and therefore less damage is done to the lymph system. The breast cancer survivor is hardly ever aware of how to take care of a swollen arm or advised to wear a compression sleeve preventative for unusual activities, long car trips or flights.

Ulrike: Every manufacturer should have store locators on their web pages and promote them. Being a manufacturer is not being a fitter. A woman after breast surgery should always have the opportunity to see a certified and experienced fitter.

Ted: Have you brought any new products or brands into your store recently?

Ulrike: Every season we get new swimsuits, camisoles, leisure wear and bras. I try to order new styles, especially when a better, maybe seamless bra becomes available in a similar cost bracket than a previous bra that had seams. We are always conscious on what the insurance will reimburse the client. Leisure, or soft support bras, are always in demand. Nowadays they

Ted: Do you carry other products?

Ted: Describe the popular styles or trends in your store.

Ulrike: The trend is certainly away from seamed bras to seamless and/or a molded cup bra which will provide good cover-

APRIL 2018 • BODY

39

age for the nipple area.

Some of my bestsellers are nude, champagne and black T-shirt bras that offer all of that.

Ted: What is your top selling color?

Ulrike: There is a saying, “we buy the sizzle, but we eat the steak”. Same is true for the client who comes in admiring the red bra and then decides to buy a nude one. In my observation the older generation (over 80) is fixed on white underwear, while the younger ones usually reach for neutral colors, including a pretty black for a special occasion. A good number

of clients love the colors and I certainly try to have fun items for them.

The younger clients have a different relationship with their bra – straps may show, or a darker bra maybe worn under lighter garments, following the current fashion trends.

Ted: Describe your price points and size ranges.

Ulrike: We have exquisite bras for all women in sizes 32AA to 56K. The price point is $25 to $80, depending on the item.

Is it a high-performance sports bra ($$$) or a super soft leisure bra ($) or maybe it’s an underwire in an unusual size ($$)?

over the past year?

Ted: What is your typical or average customer size? Ulrike: The first change was that after 10 years Ulrike: I have seen wom- in business I decided to en go from a 38B to 40A change our shop hours and find that especially and only be available on as we age and get more Saturdays by appointsedentary the back seems ment, but no longer have to widen a bit. Same is Saturday shop hours. A true for the woman go- year later everyone has ing from a 40C to a 42B, well adjusted to the new same breast sizes, but schedule. 2017 had a difneeds more room around ferent feel than previous the back. In the wider years and at the end of the population the trend is year a lot of clients said that women have fuller that 2017 wasn’t a good breasts and the demand year for them. Hurricane on DD (E) or DDD (F) Matthew was very disis increasing. Mastectomy ruptive. Many were rather bras have adapted and stressed with the extra gone to F cups in many worry, running after restyles. pair people and insurance refunds.

Ted: What does your average customer spend per Ted: What have you done visit to your store? to draw attention to your new business?

Ulrike: Between $120 and $500.

Ulrike: When I started the shop, I didn’t realize Ted: Describe your cus- just how much the older tomer base. demographic is still relying on the daily paper.

Ulrike: Being a breast Advertising in three of care boutique, our clients our major papers has been are mainly female. The a good investment. Couyoungest are 14 and 16 pons go out in the differwith development issues, ent publications and elecone breast being differ- tronically. In both formats ent in size to the other. As the coupons make their these young ladies grow way back to the shop, up they become self-con- which is a good measurescious and need our assis- ment for the advertising tance. effectiveness. More and more of my clients reMy oldest is 102 years old spond to email advertisand very spritely. When I ing and show up smart double checked her DOB, phone in hand. The best she smiled “yes, I am 102”. advertising is when an The majority are between existing customer brings 55 and 85 years old and her friend or sister and retired. says, “go to Heart Strings where you’ll be well taken Ted: What has impacted care of.” Word of mouth your business the most is the best advertising!

B

40

APRIL 2018 • BODY

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wood underwear • (310) 339-4355 • Terresa@woodunderwear.com

men

male basics • (786) 245-0594 • wholesale@malebasics.com

clo intimo

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lingerie

dominique • (800) 664-5447 • INFO@DOMINIQUEAPPAREL.COM

nubra

• (909) 598-8808 • daren@bragel.com

fine lines

• russ@eastoninternational.com • (201) 391-3492

brabar • 908-208-6151 • BRABAR@innerwearbasics.com

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corin

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patrice catanzaro

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escanté

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FROM

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