California Apparel News

Though most women know Biatta from its presence in the lingerie section of department stores, Chief Operating Officer Amy Berliner wants to shake off the perception that the brand’s image ends at what is on the racks at the mall.

The company’s new Web site (www.biatta.com)—launched in July this year—displays the full scope of Biatta’s style ranges for juniors, women’s and plus sizes.

“This opens up our product to the consumer. We want to send that clear message: ’No matter what demographic you are in, we have something that’s reachable,’” said Berliner, adding that the price points are targeted to the mass market. “These are people who are going to Target, to Sam’s Club. They are looking for that value, but they still want fashion. We’re able to deliver that to them.”

Biatta’s retail prices range from $6 to $15 for bras, $18 to $22 for camisoles and $4 to $9 for panties. The brand is currently developing a shapewear line that will merge shapewear’s slimming properties with fashionable, ready-to-wear styling.

In January, Biatta will launch an iPhone application that will allow customers to view and purchase any product on the Web site. The application will also include an interactive game akin to The Sims and Second Life, where the user can choose the look of a female avatar (and dress it in Biatta) and play out the “life” of her character, be it a high school student or a yoga instructor. As the player progresses among the game levels, she can earn free Biatta products or discounts at specific retail locations. “It will have a GPS on it, so it will show you the closest [partnering retail store] to you virtually right now. If you go within 24 hours, you’ll be able to receive this discount on Biatta product,” Berliner said.

The next phase of Biatta’s marketing push online is to launch a design contest next year. The application will allow the player to “design” a Biatta lingerie outfit. The public will vote for the best outfit online, and Biatta will produce the winning design, with a portion of the proceeds going to a charity.

Biatta enters the mobile-phone app market at a time when consumers are warming up to shopping on their phones. Within the lifestyle category of the iPhone application store, shopping applications by Wal-Mart, eBay, Target and Amazon.com are in the top 20. Branded-apparel manufacturers such as NikeID, Gucci, Gap, Bebe and Dolce & Gabbana have applications that allow users to browse current collections and/or purchase products.

Other applications act like fashion editors or boutique retailers, such as Lucky magazine’s “Lucky at Your Service,” Seventeen magazine’s “Fashion Finder,” and iShoes, Gilt Groupe and ShopStyle’s mobile, which allow users to browse handpicked products or search for specific brands.—Rhea Cortado