The latest edition of the French lingerie trade fair Salon International de la Lingerie was very well attended. The event, which took place from January 21st to 23rd, demonstrated the resilience of the lingerie industry in an environment of inflation and rising energy costs. FashionUnited looks back at the highlights of the event dedicated to Fall Winter 2023.
The Salon International de la Lingerie et Interfiliere got a proper makeover for its first official edition under the direction of WSN. As soon as they entered, visitors were led through the main aisle to industry heavyweights such as Chantelle, Cosabella, Wacoal and others. Then came the Exposed area, the trend forum and a restaurant, before moving on to the exhibitors at Interfilière, the trade fair for suppliers to the lingerie industry. A tangerine scenography brought a refreshing touch to the physical entity of the event.
With the organization of the exhibition area, it was possible to get established and young companies talking to each other in an environment that conveyed a feeling of cohesion and good understanding despite the competition. Happy to reunite after events were restricted due to the pandemic, the industry appeared refreshed and vibrant – perhaps due to the growing importance of loungewear in the apparel market and the positive light the fashion world is currently casting on lingerie.
“Lingerie is a garment in its own right”
For several seasons, the bra has graced the ready-to-wear catwalks from Dior to Acné Studio. The new sexiness trend – the reappropriation of sexy codes through female empowerment – is driving luxury brands to reveal bodies and lingerie. According to Renaud Cambuzat, Creative Director of the Chantelle Group, this trend will continue in the coming seasons.
“Lingerie is a garment in its own right,” says Maud Friocourt, Artistic Director at Simone Pérèle, at a conference entitled “Lingerie-Loungewear-Activewear: A market where codes are shifting”. but as a piece of clothing,” she added. “We have created lingerie that is designed to be ‘worn top and bottom’.
While just a few years ago it was considered tasteless to show the straps of a bra, today the opposite is the case. The straps are on display while the lace bodysuits act as a top and are to be worn without anything on top. “Lingerie becomes the expression of a personality, a style! I think that’s extraordinary,” Friocourt said happily in an interview with FashionUnited.
Mathieu Grodner, General Director of Simone Pérèle, confirmed: “We need a fair that is more fashion-oriented, because lingerie naturally follows fashion history and is increasingly oriented towards fashion trends.
It should also be noted that, in addition to bras and panties, the home and loungewear segment continues to gain ground in stores. Mathieu Grodner notes that it is now rare within the brand for a lingerie item to be launched without a matching homewear item. Incidentally, a new term has found its way into the industry and nourishes the ranges: sloungewear, a combination of sleepwear, activewear and loungewear.
The Simone Pérèle company is preparing to celebrate its 75th anniversary in the second half of 2023 and will open an outlet near Giverny this year. The company currently has 58 of its own stores worldwide, including around 20 in France.
Innovations in the laundry industry
As a segment, lingerie remains active in terms of innovation. An example of this is period underwear, which shook up the industry a few years ago and is now celebrating its triumph in swimwear.
Period swimwear is “a product that has exploded in 2022,” says Charlotte Thomas, marketing and sales director for the Réjeanne brand, which pioneered the period clothing market and is making its second appearance at the show. Founded in 2018, the menstrual underwear company offers leggings and running shorts in addition to its briefs, and is expanding its range of swimwear with pieces designed for easy flow.
The brand is also introducing technological innovations, such as its new Réjeanne Absolu range, which can absorb discharge from up to six or seven tampons. Finally, she now also offers period panties with a closure system that makes it possible to change without having to undress completely.
Another product innovation is shapewear. Shaping underwear is modernized by brands like Heist Studio. Founded in 2015 and specializing in tights, the company is preparing to launch its first line of shapewear. The pieces have been designed to envelop without pinching, giving the wearer the freedom to sit and move without any discomfort.
Ecodesign: “We can no longer work in silos”.
However, the innovation point where the actors still need to make further efforts is that of environmental responsibility. There was hardly a brand at the fair that did not report on its initiatives for more sustainable production. The use of recycled fibers is now widespread. But this is just the beginning.
“Nowadays, underwear ends up in incinerators.”
Grégory Darcy, Director of Sustainable Development of the Chantelle Group, recalled during the conference “Corporate Social Responsibility Trends: The Challenges of the Linen Industry 2030” that eco-design is a fundamental issue in the sector. “When you design a bra, you’re building with different materials, different materials, plastic, metal, synthetic, sometimes natural fibers, and we still have a lot of work to do on those issues.”
“Today you have to work in value chains,” says Darcy. “We can no longer work in silos, we all have to work together to find solutions, because even if we can think of channels that allow us to recover the products at the end of their lifespan, today the laundry ends up being incinerated.” The expert also mentioned the goal of recovering the fibers, noting that despite being French-made, a large proportion of the dyes used in lingerie fibers come from Asia.
Communication on this subject will gradually become more regulated, both at national and European level. The public authorities are currently striving for transparent information for consumers and are tackling the problem of greenwashing. The French association of knitwear, lingerie and swimwear will publish the revision of a guide on environmental claims in a few months. In particular, this document will mention the new bans on label claims, such as the phrase “every product is environmentally friendly”.
Sterenn Lerède, Sustainable Development Project Manager at the Fédération de la Maille, de la Lingerie, du Balnéaire, encouraged brands at the conference to achieve better traceability of their products. She said, “Seals can help you with that,” before recalling that the association also supports companies in choosing private solutions for tracking products and establishing a company-specific specification.
Lingerie as a model for inclusivity
Because the lingerie industry designs clothing that fully envelops the body, it has been instrumental in driving what is known as body positivism – a movement promoting acceptance and appreciation of all human bodies. And its actors want to continue to set a good example.
If you stroll through the aisles of the fair, you will often come across models in skimpy outfits who feel comfortable next to the visitors in winter clothes. Between the stands, a young woman with XXL curves, dressed only in a thong and a laced bra, walked around without anyone raising an eyebrow. A little later, the models who walked the catwalk in the shows organized by the fair, like everyone else, had cellulite. While fashion weeks fail to adapt to the reality of body diversity, here the diversity of body shapes seems like a given. Efforts are still needed, but overall it’s clear that lingerie is a step ahead of fashion in terms of body representation.
On Monday, trend forecaster and designer Dinah Sultan and strategic advisor Estelle Mysliwiak emphasized the importance of body imagery at a conference titled “Winter Trends 23-24 by Peclers Paris.” The experts named several brands that point the way. These include: Les Girls les boys, Knix, Boys smells, Cantiq and Lou Manesse. It only remains to take an example.
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.fr.