The big news at the Aug. 16–18 run of CurveNV, the biannual and bicoastal lingerie show, held at Las Vegas’ Venetian hotel, was the addition of swimwear to the mix. To kick off the new category, show organizers CURVexpo Inc., based in Riverside, Conn., hosted a burlesque-themed swimwear fashion show at Crazy Horse Paris at the MGM Grand.
“We wanted to produce something that would blow people away, and we think we’ve achieved that, said Laurence Teinturier, CURVexpo’s executive vice president. Teinturier described the addition of swim to Curve’s mix as “a good surprise,” but she pointed out other burgeoning categories at the show, including men’s furnishings.
“We have a lot of requests for accessories, bath and body, yoga and fitness, also green or organic—we have a lot of demand for that,” she said.
The show features a handful of fitness resources, as well as a few eco collections, but Teinturier said those categories could grow in the future.
Bertrande Haure, vice president of sales for North America for French underwear brand Pull-In, was among the exhibitors showing menswear at the show. The 10-year-old company was founded in Hossegor, France, a seaside city in the southwestern part of the country that is a center for surfing. The company’s surf-and-sun roots are evident in its saturated colors and bold sublimation prints. Two years ago, the company opened flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York, and eight months ago, Pull-In began wholesale operations in the United States.
“We want to work with good retailers who carry good brands. It’s not a product that sells in a box without someone telling about the brand,” said Haure, who said the brand was recently picked up by West Hollywood, Calif.–based LASC.
At Curve NV, Haure said, he met with retailers from across the country, including buyers from the East Coast, Texas, Minnesota, Kentucky, Oregon and California. This was the first time at Curve NV for Pez D’or, a Barcelona, Spain–based maker of lingerie and swimwear. The family-owned company got its start in lingerie, but in 1998 it acquired a swim company that had closed its doors. Today, Pez D’or manufactures its fabrics in Spain and produces its line in China and Tunisia. The company, which has its U.S. headquarters in New York and a warehouse in New Jersey, today sells to Top Shop, Etam, Corte Ingles, La Redoute, Anthropologie and Urban Outfitters.
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