Pittsford retail shop launches its designs

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By selling its own designs, a Pittsford lingerie shop is adapting to the shape of the suburban woman.

Opened a year and a half ago by two fashion designers, Embrasse-Moi carries 30 to 40 brands that, its owners explain, are seldom designed for the voluptuous women the boutique often serves.

Slimmer, less shapely women are the preferred model for luxury brands from Paris or New York City. To fill the merchandising gap, Embrasse-Moi bras are made of high-end lace and offered in sizes D and above.

Embrasse-Moi sold its first finished underwire product this month and is working to develop more. Eventually, the aim is to sell its creations to other boutiques.

With more than $500,000 in sales, Embrasse-Moi exceeded its first-year sales projection of $380,000. Anticipating delayed fallout from the recession, projected sales for 2010 will be flat with 2009. Staffing at the boutique varies by season from six to11.

Kristine Iannazzi, through her observations of customers and existing merchandise, did not have to wait long to launch her own designs. It was the long-term goal for Embrasse-Moi from the beginning.

The boutique’s founders, couple Craig and Kristine Iannazzi, met a few years ago in New York City while studying design. Craig, a native of Rochester, moved back with Kristine to pursue their dream.

"She studied lingerie design at (Fashion Institute of Technology), and I was at FIT in menswear design and worked for Calvin Klein," Craig said. "We decided to leave the city, with the idea to do a retail shop that would allow us to support developing a design line. The whole shop is secretly an art project."

After six months of running the 1,800-square-foot retail shop, the couple rented a 1,000-square-foot office upstairs to use as their studio.

They started pulling apart and analyzing bras on the market, researching fabrics and compiling data from the customers they already served: Slightly more than 70 percent of the boutique’s sales are bras.

Kristine hired a person for the sewing and last April got her feet wet by making basic lingerie items, such as silk robes and stretch-lace bottoms.

"It helped make us a little money, and it was a good test to find out what other materials we need. What do we need to learn; what components are we still lacking?" Kristine said.

It was an inexpensive experiment, she added.

"Some of it was just to kill time as we waited for our underwires to be manufactured," Craig said. "Finding the fabric has been the most difficult piece of the puzzle, and then (to) come up with a cohesive image for our line. A lot of it is fabric-dependent."

The couple has purchased most of the fabric and materials from the United States. Doing that costs more, but the nature of the garment requires a high price point, Craig explained.

With a full cup, entirely covered in lace, the price is $89. In the market, he said, that is low compared with other all-over lace bras. Still, he admitted, the price would be considered high by many locals.

"There is price sensitivity here in this area, and we’re well aware of it," Craig said. "But when you get into these materials, comparing a bra to a T-shirt or jeans, there are so many more stitches and components in a bra. It is a complicated garment, and you need skilled people to do it."

The line is named after Kristine, and is the second milestone for the couple this year: In January, Kristine and Craig had a baby. Even as hectic as her life has become, Kristine said, launching her business has been smoother than she could have imagined.

"You plan so much; you write about a business plan, outlining what you’re going to do, but it’s always such a gamble. But then to see that everything really is going according to plan … , it’s amazing."

3/19/10 (c) 2010 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or e-mail [email protected].