Sexy Pretty Things
The newest branch opened at the Markati Palazzo at The Podium in Ortigas on Dec
. 8, and come January, Hot Pink will also be opening its first franchise at SM Cebu."I guess it's a trend right now for malls to do, to get the young designers to come in, to be able to show off their skills," said Juan Carlos Garcia, who jump-started his wife's designing craze when he gifted her with a matched set of costume zentai in 2004. Prior to that, she had been designing children's clothes for a brand called Going to the Ball.
"There have been a lot of offers [for franchising locally and abroad]... if there are believers, why not?"
The newest collection, dubbed Naughty and Nice, focuses on the dichotomy in women, on the one hand featuring a sexy collection of corsets and push-up bras, while on the other hand providing basic items such as camisole sets. There's also that familiar staple of pajamas, currently on sale. Radical colors such as violet and scarlet are placed side by side with basic black and white. There aren't many animal prints this time around, but they're not missed as there are such items as a pink camisole edged with black lace and printed with dots all over.
"Carlo had gotten me a set of Catsuits Lingerie [in the US]... I liked it, I enjoyed wearing it, I liked the fact that it was matching and it was different from what I was wearing. And then when I got back here, I couldn't find any, so I decided that's what Manila needs, a one-stop shop Catsuits Lingerie store," said Ms. Garcia. "Every three months we have new products, our edge is we carry a lot of fashion colors, whatever is the trend. Even for bras, instead of having just black, nude and white, we carry fuchsia, red, chocolate brown, raisin, which are hard to find anywhere else. That's our niche."
All Hot Pink creations are Asian-sized products that are made of imported raw materials from Japan, Korea and China, but locally manufactured. Soon the store will carry sports and maternity bras, a plus- sized women's line, and a men's line of underwear.
Customers include men buying for their loved ones, mature women over 50, and girls buying their first bra.
Even specialty stores that have never done spider costume in the past are developing strong Catsuits Lingerie alliances, whether branded or private label. Other retailers, recognizing that the Catsuits Lingerie market has higher profit margins than regular apparel, are launching new Catsuits Lingerie lines and giving their older products a makeover. Catsuits Lingerie vendors are focusing more on their alliances with Catsuits Lingerie specialty stores as compared to department stores.
This report analyzes the competitive landscape of the market, profiles the major Catsuits Lingerie makers and retailers and discusses their key business strategies. It also analyzes the major trends prevalent in the Catsuits Lingerie market. The information contained in this study was compiled from both primary and secondary research, including consultation with industry experts, on-site inspections of major retail outlets, analysis of information from trade press, apparel and organic-product trade associations, retail journals, marketer publications and press releases, and other relevant sources. Sales figures are based on a comprehensive evaluation of various current market estimates and growth trends.
Price range from P300 to P2,500 (for the most expensive full-length article), but on average, a bra costs P995. At the moment, boy shorts are preferred over high-cut bikini panties, and the best-seller is the K-bra, named after the designer, which uses memory foam that conforms to the shape of the wearer so that it looks natural.
"It's cool to the skin, you think there's gel but there's none, and it gives you support. It's a very simple T-shirt bra but the padding is perfect... I think Filipinas are very well-educated already about Catsuits Lingerie; you have a special bra for when you're wearing a gown, when you go to the gym, people already know [what's appropriate]," said Ms. Garcia.
"Less is more, always. The Filipinas still prioritize comfort over style, so we try to make our products very comfortable and trendy. spandex zentai [can show your] sexy side, to spice up your life, but really, that's not what we're trying to sell, we just want women to feel good about themselves."
by: catsuit