LOS ANGELES — For the Baril sisters, setting up their own lingerie company was one way to pay tribute to their grandfather.
“He escaped from a concentration camp in World War II, took refuge in Paris and started cutting women’s underwear on his mother’s kitchen table. Soon, he was selling to Galeries Lafayette,” said Laura Baril who, with sisters Vivi and Tina, founded Lavit Lingerie last year. (The name is composed of the first letters of the sisters’ names.)
Inspired as much by their grandfather as by their own Mexican-European heritage, the sisters decided to come up with a line that looked like the lacy underthings for which European women are accustomed, but at a more practical price.
“We discovered that there was either the really expensive stuff or the cheap products, but nothing luxurious and beautiful at more affordable prices,” Baril said.
Now in about 30 stores across the country, Lavit expects about $250,000 in sales in its first full year of business, according to Baril.
“We’re growing at a fast pace,” she said. “We have a lot of people inquiring about the merchandise and we are opening accounts every day. We even got a personal letter from [‘Desperate Housewives’ star] Eva Longoria telling us how much she loves the line.”
The collection, worked mostly in European fabrics, is manufactured in Brazil. The emphasis is on satin for fall, in muted metallic shades, earthy tones and geometric argyle prints with Swarovski crystals. The 30 or so different styles include bras, panties, camisoles, chemises, bralettes, thongs and boyshorts. Wholesale prices range from $10 for a pair of panties to $42 for a top-of-the-line bra.
“They’ve done a very smart thing by creating a luxurious European feel to lingerie, but doing it in a size scale to comfortably accommodate large- and small-chested women,” said Kathy Branch, owner of Underwear, a lingerie boutique in Austin, Tex.
“A lot of old-style lingerie is not very comfortable, but this has a lot of softness. The value is tremendous. We have French lingerie in the store that is three times as expensive. This is in the same league. It’s great value and our customers are happy.”
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“It’s just a beautifully innovative collection,” said Suzette LaValle, senior buyer at Institut, a New York boutique that carries better designer clothing, accessories and lingerie. “Lingerie can get a bit stale, so my interest is in the prints and material.”
All three sisters are actively involved in the Beverly Hills-based business, having left their other careers. Laura worked for Salinas Swimwear in La Jolla, and most recently for Charles David. Vivi attended both the Otis College of Art & Design and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising before becoming a consultant and buyer for accessories vendors, while Tina went to law school and traveled extensively.
“It’s always hard to have the discipline to start your own company, but the response has been great,” said Baril. “We just wanted to make beautiful, affordable lingerie for women of every shape and size.”