Guess Underwear & Beachwear goes global

What do we need to know about the new division?
The new business unit, based in the Swiss city of Lugano, will be our global operations base for Underwear and Beachwear. We have invested in a new team, one that creates the right mix between existing staff, as well as industry professionals who were recruited for their specific technical know-how. Design, product development, quality control, sales, sourcing and planning will all come together in one open space at Guess Europe’s headquarters in Lugano to ensure the fastest possible growth in the European, Asian and American markets for the following collections: underwear, beachwear, activewear, nightwear, loungewear and legwear.  
Where does Underwear and Beachwear fit into Guess’ overall brand strategy?
Lingerie is a category that has been strongly linked to the brand’s identity since the 1980s. The image of a lace bustier perfectly paired with Guess denim was immortalized in iconic advertising campaigns featuring leading supermodels from fashion’s golden age. Our current aim is to give new life to this connection, by taking updated lifestyle clues from social media, as well as the hottest places in the contemporary landscape. As the birthplace of the brand, Los Angeles’ character and attitude represent the ultimate expression of our swimwear collection.
What are the target markets of your global expansion?
The American domestic market has incredible potential. Of the key players present in today’s global market, half of them are American brands with large sales volumes in the domestic sphere. Our second pillar of growth is Asia, where we have a chain of monobrand Guess underwear stores; we may export this concept to other countries in the future. At the same time, we will strengthen our position in markets where we already achieve excellent results, such as, Italy, Spain, France and Germany.
What strategies will you implement in various countries?
We are a global group; every country has its own way of doing things, so we operate with a network of qualified professionals in each market. Our approach ranges from the traditional system of using agencies, such as in Italy, to self-managed offices in new markets, including the USA and Asia, to local distributors for certain European zones. Our business unit works in close contact with all our various teams to ensure that everything, everywhere goes in the right direction – not only the collections, but the entire process – whether it is New York, Shanghai or Milan. Even though it seems obvious, the golden rule of “think global, act local” always yields excellent results.
What will change in terms of style, product offer and collection?
For women, animal prints and lace are hallmarks of the Guess style, while a fresh, youthful look, reminiscent of the denim scene, is our approach for men. The challenge is to capitalize on these key elements and integrate them into lingerie and swimwear – which are selling well in Europe –  and adapt them to international standards in terms of style and fit. Fitting the Asian market is very different than the American, which, again, is different from Europe. Each market has its own needs; the objective is to cover the broadest range of body types as possible, with an adequate range of cups and sizes, as well the proper amount of opaqueness or transparency, especially in panties. The main goal is to give continuity to the women’s line, which utilizes various elements from the Guess apparel collections, as well as to develop men’s underwear, featuring new models for better fit and comfort, that can easily be found in a large variety of shops.
And the new “Athleisure” trend?
For S/S 17, we are launching an activewear line – sporty, yet glamorous, body-shaping garments in technical materials make the active sportswear trend an obtainable luxury.
With your focus on improving fit, do you plan on developing styles with different cup sizes?
Not only are we developing bras with cups ranging from 30B to 36D, but we are planning dedicated capsule collections for various markets, such as the bra-and-panty collection designed exclusively for Asia, debuting in 2017. We also are planning to offer a wider range of bra sizes for the American market.
What about your most historic European markets like Italy, France and Spain?
These are markets with a strong tradition in corsetry, where specialized retailers have a very strong understanding of the product. These are definitely our more established markets, but we cannot rest on your laurels and must be prepared. A broad, well-made product range at the right price point is essential in order to compete in these areas. We are also counting on the appeal of new swim and activewear collections in these markets.
How does the relaunch of your men’s underwear collection fit with your new strategy?
We will start off by offering a permanent collection called Hero. The relaunch of our mens underwear range is founded on four fundamental cornerstones: high standards of quality and style; prices in line with market demand; striking packaging that delivers product information at-a-glance; and a communications campaign to support the launch. All of this is reflected in the new cotton-stretch Hero line, which arrives in shops at the end of January 2017, and best represents the division’s change of tack.
What are your new strategies in terms of distribution?
We hope to strengthen our presence in department stores. We are already present in major national players such as, Spain’s El Corte Inglés or Germany’s Kaufhof; we aim to enter the lingerie departments of several European giants – and beyond – within a couple of seasons. At the same time, we are approaching traditional lingerie stores, as well as sports chains, for the activewear line.
What turnover targets are you aiming for?
Lingerie and swimwear don’t represent the company’s core business, but do give the Guess Man and Woman the opportunity to achieve a complete, total look, which underscores the brand’s image. Turnover for these categories falls short of their potential, as well as our expectations, but I am convinced that with the new team and global strategy, we will obtain excellent results.