Intimo più mare n° 208 - Luglio 2017

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Jerry
Tommolini
sable, obligatory fashion-forward
products in an articulated manner.
Even the most traditional stores
should feature at least a few more exhilarating
collections in order to inspire
and, at the same time, challenge
customers a bit. Poisson D’Amour is
geared to younger women, the so-called
Millennials. This is a crucial target
group, absolutely fundamental. These
are probably the most difficult customers,
but nevertheless highly important
for designers, manufacturers and
retailers. Up until now this age-group,
this generation has been neglected,
but it includes the most informed, fashion-conscious young
women, even if they perhaps don’t have the financial wherewithal
of other more adult targets. A product selection capable of
attracting the Millennials is able to provide a smart panache to
even the most classic of stores. These young women do their
shopping online because they often can’t find in the stores
what they have seen over the Internet. Our other collections
also manage to a very social, youthful appeal. Agogoa is the
most experimental. Here I’m not interested in respecting the
rules of the marketplace. All the models are the result of an
enormous amount of research even though at first glance they
may appear boldly daring. They are performing very nicely
even in rather traditional commercial contexts. By this point
in time Pin-up Stars, my very first collection, goes beyond the
trends of the moment. It’s sophisticated and provides better fit
than the other two lines.
What direction can be detected by analyzing sales trends
and market performance? The social aspect is proving to be
increasingly important. Our brands are happen to be the most
social one available at the moment. And the young women
who try on our swimsuits end up purchasing them and going
on to promote them (on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat).
And these social media represent the best means of communication
anyone could dream of these days. The social media
help the stores enormously. Another significant development
that is having a major impact on the marketplace is the way
the boutiques as well as the shoppers are growing weary of
the low-cost phenomenon, seeking instead collections that
are more personalized, original and unique. There’s a conspicuous
longing for luxury, product that do not appear to be so
mass produced and standardized, preferring items that are
genuinely pretty and unusual.
What are the three pieces of advice (or simply key words) you
would pass on to the boutiques of tomorrow? First of all, take
advantage of the social media. Even the store should have its
own Facebook page and it’s best to have an expert create it
in order to make sure it stands out from the myriad of other
pages. The store should boast an elegant layout and design;
dare to amaze the shoppers. Hold off on sales, avoiding the
temptation to begin them too soon, opting instead to be less
greedy with excessive markups. Try to feature products that
are innovative and imbued with social values. Remember that
shop windows are playing an increasingly pivotal role. They
must be attractive, carefully set up with a dramatic minimum
of products rather than giving in to the temptation to show too
many items. Like with the rest of the store the products displayed
in the windows should be frequently rotated in order
to maintain interest with fresh stimuli. In today’s world if you
want to sell you have to constantly highlight new and different
products. This is why it is necessary to carefully schedule deliveries
in order to avoid playing all your winning cards at the
beginning of the season. What sort of beachwear products are
you showing for 2018? As always, we want to continue blowing
people’s minds, stimulating the imagination and caching the
attention of the shoppers We also want to stay open and explore
new concepts and models, alternative approaches that
manage to appeal due to their stunning simplicity.
BIOGRAPHY
Jerry J. Tommolini was born in Philadelphia to an Italian father
and American mother. Having worked as a model in the
United States, he came to Italy (Bologna, specifically) where
he had been summoned by the Ritz Group in order to handle
both the design and commercial sides of the long-establish
American label, Catalina, sold in 1995, the year in which Pinup
Stars was launched. Jerry is a creative talent in the fullest
sense of the concept, from fashion design to the interior design
of th single-label stores, even including remarkable skills
in the kitchen. Jerry’s dinners for his friends have become
almost as famous as his gorgeous swimsuits.
SHOWROOMS (on page 28)
MAHILA SHOWROOM
R&D AND QUALITY
Announcing the opening of a new showroom in Milan, a showcase
featuring high-quality, innovative brands determined to
break in the domestic Italian and foreign markets
Long years of accumulated experience in the intimate apparel
sector has given rise to the Mahila Showroom, a commercial
showcase located in Milan, along the historic Darsena Canal.
The showroom came into being at the behest of a pool of small
and medium businesses, prompted by the desire to break into
the domestic Italian and foreign markets. This enterprising
group consists of brands featuring innovative products, distinguished
by creativity and elevated quality, with a special emphasis
on having been made in Italy; this international group
also includes French and Greek partners who boast the same
commitment to uncompromising standards of excellence.
The space has a temporary look to it. Indeed, it will be open
for just three months, from the first of July to the fifteenth of
October, during which time it will present the collections to
customers, buyers and the press, while also managing the relations
with distributors and sales reps. The Mahila Showroom
boasts and exclusively female team, with Alessia Mereghetti
who is responsible for handling the Italian market and managing
the showroom, and Maria Grazia Scardua who will
continue working as an export consultant for all the brands
involved in the project. The participating brands will be able
to avail themselves of the considerable skills of these professionals,
not only on a commercial level, but also in support of
those who would like to benefit from the services of a press
office and Public Relations professionals, by means of the
consulting activities of a professional figure who has accumulated
considerable experience in the sector. As mentioned, the
showroom is located in the Darsena district, at No. 59 Viale
Papiniano and will be open from 1 July to 15 October.