São Paulo – Liz, a Brazilian lingerie manufacturing company, is betting on increasing its exports to the Middle East in 2009. The textile mill, which owns a factory in the interior of the state of São Paulo, already sells to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
“Our local distributor (based in Lebanon) has identified a growing demand in three countries (Saudi Arabia, Emirates and Bahrain) and we are quite optimistic regarding the possibility of expanding our sales to the region,” said the export manager Erika Bovo.
According to the manager, the Lebanese representative is exclusive and works with more than 100 clients. Exports to Lebanon, the first Arab country to import underwear and brassieres by Liz, started in September 2003. The products shipped to the Arab countries are the same as the ones that are sold in Brazil. “The only demand that they make concerns the sizes of the brassieres, which must follow international standards of measurement,” he said.
Arab countries are among the 15 largest markets for Liz. Chile and Mexico are the leading importers of the brand.
The company’s closer relations with the Arab market have even resulted in the development of a line of underwear and brassieres inspired by belly dancing in 2005. The products were first launched in Brazil and then exported to the region. The inspiration for the line, named "Raks Sharki," which means "belly dancing" in Arabic, came from research work conducted at the Arab World museum, in Paris, by the company’s director of operations, Ligia Buonamici Costa, who was also responsible for designing the product.
The products were designed in jacquard, a type of fabric that enables the mixing of colours during the manufacturing. The prints for the products were taken from arabesque books. Aside from the prints, research was also done on the garments worn for belly dancing. At the time, Ligia travelled to Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to introduce the new collection.
The brand
Owning a factory in the municipality of Jundiaí, in the interior of the state of São Paulo, Liz is one of the brands of company CMR Indústria e Comércio Ltda., founded in 1989. Focusing on women aged 25 to 50, the company has six different lines of products. In addition to Liz, there is also In. Joy, which is turned to the adolescent public.
Liz exports to more than 50 countries and 20% of its revenues come from foreign sales. The factory is located in a 35,000-square-metre plot, and employs approximately 900 people.
Contact
Telephone: (+55 11) 4589.3500
Site: www.liz.com.br
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
