2018 EDITION Top 100-Meilleures Boutiques de France

Against the backdrop of the breathtaking Pavillon Cambon Capucines, in the heart of France’s capital, the 100 finalists of the competition’s third edition came together for the gala organized by Intima Media Group’s French-speaking magazine, Intima. It was an exciting moment as up until then, the names of the 100 stores had been kept a secret!

19:00 Welcomed by saxophone, the guests passed in front of the photocall, before passing on to the magnificent mezzanine where welcome refreshments were served. Guests could treat themselves to champagne, hors-d'oeuvres and the very special “Top 100” cocktail, a tipple with a vermouth base, created especially for the event! Selfie fans were also welcomed to take a photo in front of a photo wall featuring the Eiffel Tower on the cover of Intima!

20:30 The 270 guests were invited to head to the prestigious Salon Mewès, an impressive space which features magnificent windows and marble columns, where they found tables ready to host them for an elegant dinner. Everyone naturally found their place and greeted those at their table.
Marco Pisani and Francesca Spinetta, co-owners of Intima Media Group, welcomed a selection of top industry professionals such as Martina Brown, Deputy Managing Director, Aubade; Liesbeth Van de Velde, Creative Director of Primadonna; Grégoire Chalumet, Director, Le Chat; Stephan Hohmann, CEO, Hanro; Guido Campello, CEO, Cosabella, Caius Zimmermann, General Sales Director of Maryan Beachwear; Xavier Martin, Director of Development, Simone Pérèle; Jérôme Bulte, President, VFB; Kei Oya, General Director, Wacoal; Tomoyasu Ito, Senior General Director, Wacoal; Vittorio Siviero, General Sales Director at Iluna Group, co-sponsor of this edition; and, finally, Ana Patricia Urrea et Juan Carlos Espinal, Creative Director and CEO of Ellipse (respectively).

Dining was a true experience from the famous Potel et Chabot and unfolded through a series of mini tastings, without forgetting the live culinary shows by the chefs! From the foie gras and truffle lentils to the beef filet, fresh salads, poultry terrines, and carpaccio with Wasabi peas, one thing is sure, the guests weren’t sure what to choose!

21:00 After the dynamic Charlie Clarck, the evening’s MC, kicked things off and Marco Pisani and Francesca Spinetta, co-owners of Intima Media Group, officially welcomed the invitees, a representative from each of the prestigious brands on the jury took to the stage to address France’s top boutiques. All of the representatives, such as Yasuyoshi Nakajima, President of Asahi Kasei Fibers Italia (one of this edition’s sponsors), gave warm and welcoming opening speeches.

12 Special Prizes
This year once again, the jury was primarily made up of a select panel of both national and international brands, including big names from the world of lingerie, nightwear and loungewear. However, this year marked a new inclusion…Swimwear! And with it the possibility to also nominate swim stores. The jury deliberated over six months in order to nominate the best stores from across France and its overseas territories so that from the 334 nominated stores, 100 happy boutiques could be named France’s top 100 stores. Just like in past editions, the nominations, number of votes and comments from the jury were the deciding factors when it came to who made the selection. During the dinner, five stores were awarded with Prix D’Excellence or Special Recognition Prizes. Liesbeth Van de Velde, Creative Director, PrimaDonna, awarded Lingerie Slip (Logelbach), Stéphanie Bujart, Co-Director Simone Perele, awarded Le Boudoir (Strasbourg) and Pierre Steinecker, CEO of Anita France, awarded Lilou Lingerie (Cholet). Two stores received an impressive number of votes, one in the lingerie category and the other in swimwear: Rêve Ligne (Rennes) was given the Prix d’Excellence for lingerie by Stephan Hohmann, CEO of Hanro, while Cupidon (Lyon) was given the Prix d’Excellence for swimwear by Lénaïg Métreau, Commercial Director France, Maryan Mehlhorn.

This year, five other stores caught the attention of Intima’s editorial team thanks to their particularly eye-catching decor. Each store was awarded a Prix Coup de Cour d’Intima by Francesca Spinetta, Editorial Director. The winning stores were È Così (Compiègne), Opium  (Montbrison), Fleur d’Eden (Saint-Malo), Glamour Lingerie (Paris), and Milles et Une Excuse (Reims).

There were many individual successes this year, and two other important stores were recognized at the gala. The Prix de la Communication (Communication Prize) was awarded to Les Dessous de Virginie (Douai) due to the way she has utilized her participation in the gala, which has allowed her to attract a wider range of clients and to grow her business. Her prize was presented to herby Guido Campello, CEO of Cosabella, and she didn’t hesitate to share the moment with her social media following! Another success story is that of Julie Sidiot, the dynamic owner of the three eponymous boutiques on the island of Réunion.  Xavier Laurette, CEO of Lise Charmel, presented her with the Prix de l’Entrepreneuriat (Entreneurship Prix).

23h00 Une coupe de champagne à l’open bar par ici, une photo devant la couverture de Intima par là, la soirée bat encore son plein. Entre réseautage d’affaires – ou plus informel –, rires et bonne humeur, les invités profitent encore de ce moment unique partagé entre « collègues » et, certainement, fédérateur de toute une profession... et ils n’hésitent pas à se féliciter mutuellement tout en se confiant certains petits secrets de réussite !

23:00 A glass of champagne at the open bar, a photo in front of the photo wall…the evening was in full swing. Between networking and more informal laughter and chatting, the guests were able to share in a moment together as “colleagues” and coming together to share their secrets of success.



00:30 After one last selfie, exchange of numbers, even the last group of guests was heading home with a smile on their lips and a heart full of fond memories.

All of the images from the event, the logo and press kit are available for free at the following link: www.flickr.com/photos/top100meilleuresboutiques/albums