Etam and Vog to back launch of new lingerie label Livy

By

Sandra Halliday

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Dec 20, 2016

There will be a new name in the lingerie sector in 2017, Fashion Network has learned. Livy is aiming to make a major impact as it debuts in France then rolls out internationally.

The creative director of Undiz, Lisa Chavy, is designing the new brand and is being backed by intimates specialist Etam and by Vog (the group behind Ba&sh, Eleven Paris, and Ella Luna) for the launch.

They have ambitious launch plans for the label and will kick off next spring, before a full-scale rollout in September.

The collaboration is key because it brings together a designer with a high profile in intimates, a lingerie specialist retail group and a fashion investor active in accessible luxury. This latter aspect is crucial because Livy is drawing its inspiration from the fashion sector rather than just the lingerie market.

"We want to be innovative, to break the mould in the lingerie world with a range that responds more closely to the expectations of 25 to 45 year-old consumers,” said Chavy, adding that the positioning will be high-end, with an average price for a set between €125 and €135.

The range will consist of three lines: New York, which will be edgy and innovative; Paris, which will have more of a chic, couture edge; and Los Angeles, which will be relaxed and casual. A fourth line is expected to be launched later, with a more experimental and directional profile.

The companies said Livy will embrace multiple cultures and outlooks and has international ambitions. It will launch initially in France, with an e-shop and physical stores opening in Paris next September. But expansion abroad is already being planned.

The cross-border approach extends to the design team with the designers who have worked on the collection coming from France, the US, the UK and Australia.

So what is the thinking behind the launch? ”Traditional French brands have not evolved as quickly as consumers, there is a need for something new both in terms of product range and mood," said Chavy.

That means breaking with lingerie tradition by using a more fashion-oriented approach, while at the same time focusing on manufacturing expertise and avoiding the woman-as-object stereotype.

That is an approach also taken successfully by American Eagle Outfitters’ young, more affordable Aerie brand in recent years. The US brand aimed to shake up lingerie with un-retouched ad images and a more ‘real world’ outlook and has made a major impact with its target market.

Livy, meanwhile, intends to build buzz within its target of highly connected urban consumers by investing heavily in advertising across all media from next spring, as a prelude to the autumn/winter 2017 full launch.

It is a big challenge for Lisa Chavy, Laurent Milchior of the Etam group and Dan Arrouas of the Vog group. But it is a team with a track record of success.

Adaped from an original article by Anaïs Lerévérend