Gentry Lane of Gentry de Paris

Gentry Lane is the fabulous designer behind the Gentry de Paris lingerie line. Ms Lane agreed to take part in the Knickers Interview series and we were very pleased. Gentry de Paris (GdP) has been featured on Knickers before. We spoke with Ms Lane just before the new year.

Can you describe how you ended up in Paris and why did you decide to stay?

I’ve always been a Francophile, but I started visiting Paris quite regularly during graduate school. (My master’s thesis was on the expatriate creative communities in Paris between the wars). I decided to move to Paris for a year just to see what would happen, but I soon fell in with a fashion crowd and seven years later, I’m still here.

How did you start in the apparel / lingerie market?

My first job was as Andrew Gn’s muse. Next I worked for a small perfume company. Then I got a job consulting at Celine. I moved around to a few other fashion houses, and eventually wound up as Vice President of Marketing for Frédéric Molénac. We were looking to expand the brand, and doing research into which avenue to explore: Shoes, perfume, handbags or lingerie. My research on lingerie showed that the market was less competitive than other industry sectors. Plus we already had contracts in place with factories and suppliers. But we decided to produce shoes since it was more within the designer’s area of competence. A few months later, Molénac closed and I decided to start Gentry de Paris.

Can you explain what a muse does?

The muse is and extra hand there for help and inspiration. I spent a lot of time researching details (trims, buttons, fabrics). I also helped out with the fashion shows. They take so much work, it’s not even funny. Every designer has a muse. Isabella Blow is both Philippe Treacy and Alexander McQueen’s muse. The muse is usually paid in clothes and prestige.

Has there been a resurgence in lingerie? If yes, what do you think is responsible? Has it increased your competition? Is there enough room for GdP to have a strong position in the market? How do stay different yet viable to hold the part of the market?

Yes! Big department stores have spent millions revamping in the last few years. The lingerie department was the last on the list for a makeover, but it’s been happening recently. To rejuvenate business, buyers have been venturing away from the big, mass brands and have started investing in niche brands. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

You are known for great fabrics – cashmere and silk. There are a limited number of basic designs (knicker, brief, string, etc). If you were designing a full clothing line, you could choose from pants, skirts, culottes, blouses, tunics. In the lingerie business, how do you plan on expanding the line? Does it include new fabrics, cuts, or colours?

It all starts with the fabric. I spend three days at Premier Vision (the international fabric tradeshow) and another three days visiting suppliers directly. If I see a great fabric that has a good sheen, the right fluidity, the correct amount of stretch, I immediately get design ideas.

But I buy the fabric and trim first, and then start to design the actual pieces. Although sometimes I go in with an idea of what I want. I’m still looking for the perfect silk jersey.

GdP tends to build classic lines that split the gap between everyday and frilly. Will that limit the number of pieces you plan on releasing?

No way! I always over design! The collection would be 800 pieces if I had my way! And plus, the line always evolves a bit. Winter 2006 has a transparent stretch tulle that is quite different for us, yet still very precious and luxurious.

Do you design for a demographic?

Absolutely. The Gentry de Paris client is successful, confident woman aged 30-55 who values quality fabric and construction. The sort of woman who doesn’t skimp on facials or haircuts, and likely sleeps on high-threadcount sheets. She could care less what Paris Hilton is wearing. And she hates the thought of wearing cheap cotton panties under her Marc Jacobs skirt.

Basically, my line is for me and my mom. We don’t like skimpy underwear (because we don’t have the sort of bodies for that!). We don’t like anything girly or frilly (we’ve worked hard to become real women). We want sophisticated, elegant underwear that reveals more about us by revealing less of our skin. We refuse to pay £90 for a tiny little tea-bag size of nylon mesh type of panties.

How do you reach out to your demographic? Is it your website?

We rely on editorial coverage in demographic appropriate magazines and newspapers. We also do trunk shows and meet and greets in every sales point at least once a year. I also do a small, targeted postcard mailing. And the website has a subscriber based thrice a year newsletter.

Where is the product headed in the next five years?

We’re opening three boutiques in September (Paris, Monaco and Zurich). That’s going to keep my hands full for the next two years. After that, we’ll start branching into bedroom textiles: Sheets, duvets, etc. And this season (Winter 2006) we’re adding mink-liked silk slippers.

Is there room for a GdP “Femme” line for 20-30 years old without the Marc Jacobs skirt, but wanting to move away from La Senza to “La Sensible”?

Absolutely. One day soon!

How do you see the Internet in you business model? Does your demographic find you on the web?

My demographic loooooves ordering online. And so do their spouses. My website generates around 7% of sales, which isn’t very significant. But it’s nice to have cash coming in year round. We have an enormous amount of repeat buyers. Perhaps they picked up a pair of cashmere panties at Liberty, and now they want another pair, but can’t be bothered to trek down to get them. We send them straight to their house, wrapped in lovely black tissue paper, with a handwritten thank you note on the back of a vintage French postcard.

But it’s hard selling a luxury product on line. It’s difficult to keep the purchasing process and delivery as high quality as the garment.

Do you see GdP as a French brand or an international brand?

France is actually our weakest market. The majority of our sales points are in the US and England, and we’re focusing on growth in other European countries. “Made in France” doesn’t carry as much value with French consumers.

You’ve recently won an award. What was the award? Has it helped business? Are there other awards that denote legitimacy in the industry that are worth pursuing?

I won second prize at the Trophée Evian de Créateurs de Mode. And it’s a surprising that I ranked because lingerie designers compete directly with ready-to-wear. I think I’m the first lingerie designer to win any prize. And it’s been extremely important to the company, because now we were validated by a panel of fashion industry executives. The press loves us, our clients love us, our buyers love us, now the French fashion industry recognizes and supports or efforts. And they’re a difficult crowd to please. There are two other design competitions open to professionals in France. Maybe we’ll enter them next year.

How many people work at GdP? Do you need more help?

Yes, I need a part-time production manager and a new assistant (my beloved assistant Sarah went back to college). Otherwise, we’re a team of 2 patternmakers, one intern and one assistant…plus me of course, and an extended family of accountant, lawyers, investors and venture capitalists. And then there’s Napoléon the pug who takes care of licensing agreements and Mimine the cat, who helps with transportation logistics.

But…we’re a French-speaking company. (I’m the only one who speaks English). So you have to be fluent and have valid EU working papers.

Would you recommend lingerie as a business goal for any of our young readers? Any suggestions for them?

I wouldn’t recommend the fashion industry for anyone! We work way too hard for much too little compensation. My advice would be to become a doctor, and then buy all the luxurious lingerie your heart desires.

How did you know who to contact in the business sector to get started?

That was my area of expertise. A marketing director’s job is to build and streamline brands for maximum profitability. I still have an uneasy relationship with my banks, just because French banks don’t trust young companies. Our lawyers are friends of friends. I hate our accountant…. As far as retailers, again, I was lucky to have worked for other companies that sold to the best boutiques in the world, so I already knew many of the owners, or could easily identify 100 top sales points throughout the world.

How did you find manufacturers for your product?

I already knew and had relationships the best factories for luxury ready-to-wear. (Our loungewear is made in the same factory as Givenchy, Céline, Hermes, Kenzo…). Finding a corsetry and lingerie factory was a matter of trial and error. I did a lot of spying to find out who produced for brands that I like.

How long did the process take for you to enter the industry and generate revenue? (from sketch to sale…)

I’d already done a good 6 months of market studies while still employed. Design and production is quick…perhaps a 6-8 week turn around. But it took 7 months to secure all our seed capital and to prepare for the Salon de la Lingerie.

Do you see the product being made in France or do you expect some sort of localization?

Both. There is a certain French savoir faire that is incontestably superior. Especially in what we call “flou” which is all flowy, silky styles and fabrics. But underwear isn’t particularly difficult to produce. I certainly envision a time when we work with other European factories. My main concern is not accidentally employing a sweatshop. They just don’t exist in France. (My sewing ladies earn a higher wage than I do). I’m so anti-sweatshop that I won’t buy clothes that have a “made in China” or “made in Malaysia” tag.