Is lingerie all about pleasing the man—or the woman herself?
By Cheche Moral
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 23:03:00 05/15/2008
MANILA, Philippines—When a lingerie brand puts the idea of pleasing a man ahead of what an undergarment means to a woman, then it gets it all wrong and backward.
The success of La Senza, Canada’s leading lingerie brand, owes to its getting the formula right: first, for women to please themselves, second to have something to show off to their friends, and only third to please their man.
La Senza launched Tuesday the first of its four stores to open in the Philippines this year. The outlet, at Bonifacio High Street, is the latest addition to its 840 stores across the world. Suyen Corp., owner of Bench, owns the Philippine franchise.
La Senza clicks with women all over “because we put a tremendous fashion twist to everyday underwear and night wear,” said La Senza president Joel Teitelbaum. “It’s affordable and is made available in a luxurious environment.”
New concept
The La Senza concept is new in this market as it follows the seasonal trends in couture and ready-to-wear runway shows. According to Bryan Lim of Suyen Corp., its arrival in the country is just right as Filipinas who used to have conservative tastes are becoming more aware of and willing to try new things, including new styles of undergarments.
While La Senza has a sampling of the basic black and skin-tone pieces, its selection is characteristically brighter and more colorful.
The current collection borrows from the bold floral motifs and wild prints, frilly bows and ruffles, and the vibrant palette of the spring runways, such that the racks and shelves of the Taguig store are awash in yellows, fuchsias, turquoises and purples.
Its design philosophy is sensual and fun, never racy, Teitelbaum said. You won’t find crotch-less panties from this brand. The approach is youthful and fashionable, he added.
“Other brands have it backward when they try to design what would please a man and not what it would mean for a woman,” he said. “A man buying a gift would usually pick red or black; a woman wouldn’t usually buy red. He would buy her something revealing; she would buy something comfortable.”
Overseas reach
La Senza’s first store opened in 1990 in Ottawa, Canada, run by a family who owned an apparel store called Suzy Sheer since the 1960s. From a bras-and-panties business, La Senza (literally Italian for “without”) has expanded to include luxury nightwear, loungewear, active wear, tween apparel and other related accessories.
Ten years ago, it started its overseas reach, growing exponentially in 45 countries with 480 stores, in addition to its 360 outlets in Canada. In January last year, the business was acquired by Limited Brands, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret.
The merging was the right fit, according to Teitelbaum, as it gave La Senza access to Victoria Secret’s production units abroad.
“Victoria’s Secret has no store outside the US, and La Senza is not available in the US. They’re learning from our international experience to hopefully start taking their brands abroad.”
And no, Teitelbaum doesn’t mind his brand being labeled “the Victoria’s Secret of Canada.”
“(Victoria’s Secret) is the best known lingerie brand in the world. It’s a well-thought-out brand, we have similarities in our approach, we have the same strong imagery and the same fashion appeal.”
La Senza has broad appeal, extending beyond its core target of 21-35 years old. This season it introduces its Lola & Coco line for the teen segment. Its more popular lines include those made from tech fabrics, like the ITEC, which is cut seamless from a single fabric, so there’s no visible panty or bra line.
It also boasts of the flexibility of its bundling offers. Twofer pieces, for instance, aren’t pre-packed, so customers have the option of picking from several styles.
Panties retail from P395 and bras from P995.
La Senza will later open stores in TriNoma, Greenbelt and Mall of Asia.
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