On March 21, Bpifrance organized the Explore & Match mission: English touch Dubai et took away 22 companies in immersionx United Arab Emirates. Among them, Aubade had the opportunity de tests its business potential on site. The occasion for François Thorel, its export manager to review the international strategy of the lingerie brand.  

From medicine to seduction, here is the original journey from Aubade, born at the end of the 19e century from the hands of a doctor who wanted to create a corset to help his wife to no longer have back problems. Subsequently bought by the Parisian Pasquier family, the latter has constantly renewed the collections to follow the demand of consumers. This has now become one of the strengths of the brand, which renews 90% of its collections each year. Building on its success in France from the 90s with its "daring lessons in seduction", Aubade very quickly reached new countries in the 2000s: first in Europe, then in the United States, Russia, Japan or even in China. " We work with a universal collection, which we present to all our partners, whether they are in France or abroad. This is also what seduces: the fact of buying a French corsetry brand, of buying a French Touch product », explains François Thorel, Aubade's export manager. The brand, now present in some forty countries through department stores in particular, is now seeking to stand out in new regions of the world. 

Seduction yes, but seduction for oneself 

To stand out, Aubade chooses to position itself in the niche of seduction, but first seduction for oneself. The product is sold all over the world with the widest possible size spectrum. " It is our corsetry know-how that allows us to adapt each line to all sizes », adds François Thorel. This know-how is accompanied by selective distribution, with experts in the sale of lingerie. For this, Aubade relies on companies specializing in premium lingerie to reach its customers. " Specialized sales assistants know how to spot what the customer wants. A consumer in store needs someone who knows how to guide her to help her choose the right model. Beyond three product trials, the sale will not occur “, he analyzes. To succeed in selling its collections worldwide, the company also takes care of its storytelling, but also and above all the human aspect. " There are a lot of intercultural exchanges, the business is just a pretext. We are mainly trying to find out how to collaborate ". This aspect of business, Aubade finds it with its ambition to develop a little more in the Middle East.  

The challenge of conquering the oriental market as a lingerie brand 

Present for many years on the Arabian Peninsula without meeting the expected success there, Aubade now wishes to return in force to this market. " It is a region with strong potential for quality lingerie. It is true that in the past, we have not gone there with the right offer, but we are looking to return to this territory », explains François Thorel. The insufficient range of sizes offered by the brand was indeed lacking at first glance. This detail has now been corrected, with cups up to H, the company is once again setting off for some of these countries where these sizes are essential. However, the matter remains delicate in this oriental market where explicitly displaying one's social status is a prerequisite for attracting customers – something that lingerie does not allow – and which the export manager also describes as “modest”. " We are in a very particular sector, on the culture of intimacy, on the female body which is also highly political. But to sell a product, you have to show it ". To promote its product, Aubade is once again relying on an image of “seduction for oneself first and foremost”. If the brand usually chooses to go through importers who distribute its lingerie in corners or in multi-brand boutiques, she now wants to go further and find her rare pearl: a partner specializing in retail with whom she would work closely in order to open the first Aubade boutique in the Middle East. 

“I would never have obtained such exchanges by leaving alone with my suitcase and my samples” 

To find this privileged partner, Aubade chose to participate in an international mission organized by Bpifrance and Business France alongside 21 other companies last March. Focused around the discovery of the oriental market and its specificities, this Explore & Match mission dedicated to La French Touch companies enabled the delegation to have qualified meetings with potential partners. For Aubade, this immersion in Dubai was the confirmation that the market was not so simple, through a complete program. " We had a flawless organization without any downtime: the visit to the Universal Exhibition, meetings with buyers, retail tour which allow to have a good knowledge of the field, … Each moment of meal was also a moment of meeting with investors and local entrepreneurs ". The rich program also seems to have favored the cohesion of the delegation, whose companies were able to share their experience after each meeting, the best practices they learned, and even exchange contacts. " You meet people who come for the same reasons, with other experiences and horizons. These are human encounters with informal exchanges and discussions that allow us to create a network enthuses François Thorel. The export manager, who was able to meet five potential partners, left with a better field knowledge of a market " where retail is evolving very quickly and potential buyers with whom to further develop relationships even once back in France. " I would never have obtained that by leaving alone with my suitcase and my samples. The fact of being stamped French Touch, with Bpifrance, Business France and the French State behind us represents an additional business card ", he says.  

« Where I am satisfied today is that I have contacts with whom to discuss and to whom I regularly give news, and I know that by dint of stubbornness we will get there. », concludes François Thorel.  

Relive the Explore & Match French Touch Dubai mission with this video: