In Saint-Tropez, Etam promotes glamorous and sexy swimwear for everyone

Saint-Tropez, May 11, 2023. The French lingerie brand is counting on the village of Var, one of the cradles of the myth of the French woman played by Brigitte Bardot, to present its spring-summer 2023 swimwear collection. Strong luck! At its annual underwear show, which has been running for fifteen years, Etam last year launched a new swimwear event, the Cruise Show. For this second edition of the Riviera, the show is naturally imbued with the spirit of the French Riviera, with Cafe Senequier as the backdrop. For the event, the venue, which has served as a hangout for jet-set vacationers since the 1950s, was recreated on a nearby pier with the Mediterranean Sea as a backdrop. This season’s models on the catwalk, proud of their sexuality, were decorated with pieces of blown glass, made in collaboration with Home In Heaven, a brand specializing in craftsmanship.

2019, erotic year

In addition to immersing in the charm and ease of legendary Saint-Tropez, the parade is a way for Etam to promote diversity and self-acceptance. In 2019, at the heart of the “body positive” movement, the Nordic brand offered the first Live Show, which presented a number of different morphologies. Time has turned. A year after Victoria’s Secret’s last lingerie show, it has since been vilified on all sides for its discriminatory vision of beauty. It also comes a year after singer Rihanna launched Fenty, which marked a break from underwear campaigns with muses and an offering that showcased sizes from XS to 5 XL. Five years later, this impulse has not run out. Etam perseveres and signs with a bet on heterogeneous castings.

“The important thing is to want all women»

But the approach has evolved since Advent positive body, which represented a demand for representativeness of underwear brands. “We had to go to extremes, so we just agreed to live together,” analyzes Etam co-manager Laurent Milchior. Is it about extreme? A sudden and radical change in the emphasis of bodies by brands, from 34 to 46, without half size. What to tax? woke up beating, understanding, the act of showing a form of tolerance with the sole purpose of selling. For the brand, the representation should talk to its customers. “The important thing is to inspire all women,” adds Laurent Milchior. When you take too radical a turn, the majority is not necessarily found. For example, we don’t want to show metrics that we can’t cover in our range. Size M dominates sales at Etam.

All in the same bathroom

And there’s nothing like a field of swimsuits to perpetuate this democratic vision. The star beachwear is an image tool for a brand that sells 70% of underwear, intimate pieces that cannot advertise themselves, being invisible in the public sphere. On the catwalk at Cruise’s fashion show, muse Constance Jablonski mingles with Namie Isaacson, model labeled “curvature“. The salon is diverse and showcases the latest hit brand: One Size jersey, one stretch size. Launched last year, the piece, which claims to be suitable for bodies aged 34 to 46, has been a commercial success. So much so that this summer the offering welcomes new sizes to cater for up to 52 silhouettes. A way to keep his promises, even in the season of sunshine and song.