Lingerie maker La Perla to expand its footprints in China

Luxury Italian lingerie maker La Perla plans to open around 30 offline stores in China's key cities by 2023, along with its focus on e-commerce, said Pascal Perrier, group CEO of La Perla.

Perrier, who has been working in the fashion industry for almost 30 years with previous stints at leading luxury brands such as Burberry, CELINE, Saint Laurent, and Balenciaga, the demand for luxury lingerie is multiplying in China.

"Since 2000, Chinese customers are buying more luxury items, whether it's beauty, fragrance, eyewear, shoes, handbag, ready-to-wear, watches, jewelry, and so much more. The needs are moving extremely fast, with an acceleration of the luxury consumption from 2010, mostly driven by Chinese customers," said Perrier. "China is certainly the largest luxury market."

Perrier said it is time to introduce La Perla to Chinese customers based on his understanding of the Asian customers since working as the Burberry's Asia CEO for nine years.

Founded in 1954 in Bologna, La Perla has nine stores and four outlets in the Chinese mainland, including in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Xi'an, Nanjing, Sanya, and Hangzhou. Premium shopping malls are its target.

La Perla involves anthropologists, and experts in human behavior to study women's emotions and needs. It takes 54 weeks from coming up with an idea and the start of production of a single style of bra, said Perrier.

"For modern women, Luxury lingerie means quality, design, and comfort," said Perrier. "La Perla wants to be there for every woman's big moments in life, birthdays, graduations, weddings, engagements, and serving them every day."

Perrier said Chinese customers are sophisticated with the improving personal taste and booming self-education, and also have more choices than any other customers in the world due to the mature e-commerce technology.