From Verona to Hollywood the step is short, especially when Sandro Veronesi, president of the Calzedonia Group, the giant with more than 5,000 stores, is involved. After Julia Roberts and Sarah Jessica Parker another international artist joins the palmarès of divas who have lent their image to the group’s brands: for spring-summer Veronesi bets on Jennifer Lopez, the new global ambassador of Intimissimi. “A very popular artist – explains Veronesi – who represents an idea of a woman in vogue at the moment, beautiful and talented, with a non-stereotyped physicality. It is the mirror of the energy that one breathes in American society».
Jennifer Lopez will therefore be the one to bring the new spirit of Intimissimi all over the world, in a campaign designed to celebrate women. Set in Positano by Chris Colls, under the artistic direction of Riccardo Ruini, the campaign portrays the Italy also loved by Lopez, that of the Mediterranean Sea, with the coast and the islands in the background, where the artist also appeared last summer. Jennifer sipping a coffee, lying in the coolness of the «contrara» or singing to herself The sky in a room: every moment was thought out so that every woman could identify with her gestures. “I love Italy, the people, the fashion, the culture, the food and its history – said the artist – . When I discovered Intimissimi, I was immediately attracted by its silks, laces, cuts that enhance shapes: I am proud to be an Intimissimi woman and honored to embody their qualities».
Intimissimi returns the affection and with Jennifer Lopez increases the expectations placed in the United States, “a complex market where we want to grow: they seem very close to us, but there are differences,” explains Veronesi, who built his group thanks to the intuition of dreamy but cheap socks and a workaholic Northeast. “When we started with Calzedonia we wanted to create a shop only for hosiery: at the time there were few and expensive outlets”. Today she takes credit for having revolutionized women’s habits, «that they stopped carrying spare socks and nail polish to fix stretch marks in their purse: our tights are indestructible».
Safety, vivacity and strength – the values he says he has identified in Jennifer Lopez – are the same ones that guide a group present in 56 countries worldwide, with 252 new points of sale, of which 196 abroad and an integration between physical and online: a strategy that has led the group that owns Calzedonia, Intimissimi, Tezenis, Falconeri, Atelier Emé, Signorvino, Intimissimi Uomo and now also Antonio Marras to exceed 3 billion euros in turnover.
The commercial thrust goes hand in hand with the identification of new themes to be exploited. TO”We are increasingly inclusive, we have included the seventh size among the bras and we are concerned with comfort». A respect that is reflected in the company’s choices: “When we approach foreign markets we must not have complexes of superiority or inferiority”. The relationship with the employees is also at the centre. «It comes naturally to me to involve them, focus on young people who have energy and enhance female talent, starting from mothers of several children, who have made a wonderful career in the groupTO”. The diversification of brands has made it possible to take shelter from the fluctuations in fashion: «When stockings go down we compensate with the growth of other products, even if we usually benefit from the fact that competitors stop producing them. The choice of to be top on mindor the first brand that comes to mind for each category, has allowed us to grow constantly». A primacy that has dictated styles, from socks worn with heels (“before they seemed beastly to me, today I appreciate them”), to visible lingerie. “Also with Jennifer Lopez we focus on a bra in embroidered and colored lace, to show off, perhaps with an open silk shirt”.