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November 26, 2015

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Home » Business » Biz Special

Parisian brand Etam makes statement

By Yang Di | November 26, 2015, Thursday | Print Edition

A leader in lingerie, Etam recently opened its first store featuring sexy underwear, sleepwear, legwear and sportwear in China, at Super Brand Mall in Shanghai.

“At Etam, we’re experts in lingerie. But not just any lingerie: we offer lingerie that inspires and captures the effortlessly sexy spirit French women are known for,” said Marie Schott, CEO of Etam Europe.

“That means lingerie that you find yourself reaching for again and again, that always fits your mood, your outfit and — most importantly — your body.”

“With between 2,000 and 3,000 products every fashion season, we are able to deliver the best for women and make them feel joyful and chic. Because for us, lingerie is more than just underwear – it’s a way of enhancing self-esteem and sexiness.”

Jacques Roizen, CEO of Etam China, said the wide selection of designs Etam is offering is very much in sync with the expectation of the Chinese market.

“Chinese consumers in the past two decades have developed a real taste for new trends. We believe that lingerie is the next frontier in how women think about their appearance, and they will pay more attention to lingerie made outside China,” said Roizen.

Etam started in Paris in 1916 as a legwear brand. Now, it is the No.1 lingerie brand in Europe by turnover, with an average of three pieces sold every second.

“We are in the midst of a major facelift for Etam China. What we want is to make a very strong statement about the new type of stores we are going to open. Part of our strategy is obviously lingerie so we are opening our first lingerie-only store in China, which is an exact replica of the stores we have in France,” Roizen said.

“Super Brand Mall, being a prestigious mall that is frequented not only by Shanghai residents but also lots of tourists from all over China, is a great place to introduce ourselves to the China market as the lingerie leader in France and Europe,” he added.

The new store itself reflects a strong Parisian sensibility, using black and soft pink backdrops to showcase different signature collections. The black section, for instance, displays lace-decorated, sexy lingerie pieces; while the pink section features loungewear, nightwear and accessories.

Currently Etam’s Shanghai store features more than 60 percent of the items available in France.

For example, the Glam by Etam collection, now on display in Shanghai, is one of the brand’s signature lines. “We did a lot of research and designed the lace in-house. This collection reflects our concept: understated sexy, trendy, with colors in season,” said Schott.

Talking about the muse of Etam, Natalia Vodianova, Schott said the supermodel captures the French allure Etam is known for. The mother of four children, a model and creator, Vodianova designs two lingerie collections a year for Etam.

At Etam’s famous live show last year in Paris, the supermodel appeared in a white tutu, eliciting enthusiasm and applause from spectators and admirers.

Since 2010, Etam has organized a show during Paris Fashion Week. Last year, about 2 million viewers in 212 countries watched the event live online.

“More than just a fashion show, it’s a one-of-a-kind fashion experience, a joyful celebration that creates buzz throughout the fashion and social media worlds,” said Schott.

Schott and Roizen believe there is still tremendous potential for Etam lingerie in China. After 21 years in the country already, Etam is also in the midst of radically transforming its three fashion labels — Etam Paris, Etam Weekend and ES.

“Every strategy starts from the collection. We have strengthened our team of designers to help the Etam winter 2015 collections become more trendy, modern, fun and international,” said Roizen.

“We’re positioning each label. Etam Paris is a modern international brand with half of the designs coming from Paris. Etam Weekend is more romantic with a strong Korean influence and ES is more fun and cute, targeting the 17-to-22-year-old group,” he explained.

“We are creating a ‘boutique concept’ in department stores and larger stores, with all the labels mixed together,” Roizen added.

By the end of this year, 15 to 20 percent of Etam’s store network will be upgraded to this new standard. Next year, 40 percent of the brand’s 3,000 stores in China will be upgraded around this new concept.

“We’re working towards reclaiming the number one spot in China in our field and invite all Chinese women to check what we have changed and our new offerings,” Roizen said.

Biz Special


 

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