Lively developed “leisurée” to provide underwear and sportswear for women of all sizes.
The brand opened its flagship store in New York in July and partnered with Nordstrom in September.
Founder and CEO Michelle Cordeiro Grant said they want to expand stores outside the East Coast.
Lively’s success comes from Victoria’s secrets, once seen as a market leader, has become popular.
As Michelle Cordeiro Grant grew up, she thought she must be a doctor or a lawyer. As the daughter of Indian immigrants, it seems to be the right path to success.
But Victoria’s secret work not only changed her career path, but also changed her thoughts about what women meant. Now, she is the founder and CEO of a fast-growing lingerie brand and is accepting her former employer.
“I started thinking about this idea if you mastered the power of the brand and used it to build a community – a female community,” Grant said. “Now we are talking about what we want to do, we support each other, pursue those ideas and those What we call the crazy things of dreams. If women really make the most of their potential instead of living in a safe area, what happens in the world? This is where Lively comes from.”
Lively was founded by Grant in April 2016 and has been growing since then – the latest move in partnership with Nordstrom this year. The brand follows the enthusiasm of women, using comfortable bras and sportswear to achieve the goal – combining underwear and leisure to describe the word “leisurée”.
Each bra of the brand is $35, including a T-shirt bra, bra, push-ups and strapless style. Seventy percent of the parts are wireless and range in size from 32A to 40DD. But Cordeiro knows that not all women fall into this category, and that as the company perfects more products, there will be more sizes.
Lively’s success came from the popularity of companies that were once seen as lingerie leaders. In August, L Brands, the owner of the lingerie giant Victoria, fell more than 10% to $28.66 a share, trading at its lowest point since 2011. So far, the company has fallen 33% this year, mainly because L Brands has failed to keep up with the inclusive soaring and attractiveness of all sizes.
In contrast, Lively has found its niche and is booming – in 2017 it has grown by 300% and is expected to achieve triple-digit growth again in 2018. Although the company did not publicly disclose its earnings, Forbes estimates that Lively’s net income exceeded $10 last year.
Known for its $7 billion underwear category, Lively not only sells products that cater to all shapes and sizes, but also creates engaging events and experiences for consumers. The brand’s collaboration with Nordstrom this year helped to consolidate this approach and further strengthens the company’s position in the market.
The brand announced a partnership with Nordstrom in September, and its products are available on retail giants’ websites and in 11 locations, including stores in San Diego, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and Seattle. Grant said that the partnership is helping Lively “know which market trends” by feeling the department store space.
“Two years ago, they [Nordstrom] asked us to work with them, we said no, because we really want to make sure our brands are cohesive and the experience is always the same,” Grant said.