For Lingerie Retailer, 13 Is His Lucky Number
Lingerie retailers developed a higher profile in the past 20 years by opening boutiques in shopping centers across the United States. But Jaivin Karnani believed the market lost some of its sense of exclusivity by appealing to a broad mass of consumers. The 25-year-old entrepreneur hopes to fill a missing retail niche with East 13, his boutique with European cachet, which opened Dec. 16 in Pasadena, Calif.
The boutique, in the Paseo Colorado shopping center, emphasizes lingerie brands such as Andres Sarda of Spain and French brands including Argentovivo and Huit. Price points range from $45 for a Cosabella bra to $210 for a bra from Andres Sarda.
The 1,200-square-foot store was financed by Femina, a Los Angeles–based manufacturer of value-priced women’s underwear that Karnani’s family founded in 1995. In the next couple of years, Karnani hopes to open another East 13 boutique, possibly in Orange County. The focus of the stores should remain, he said. “We want to carry brands that are not widely available but are respected,” he said.
The competition for retailing European lingerie is heating up nationally. Last year, Victoria’s Secret started carrying Italian lingerie line Intimissimi and Paris-based Chantal Thomass. Karnani hoped to overcome the competition by carrying a wider range of sizes at his store and offering extras such as serving customers wine and bottled water. —Andrew Asch
