WWD: Tani Takes on Women’s | Luxury underwear is a niche that could grow
Luxury underwear is a small niche with few players, but the market has room to grow significantly, according to Adam Dinkes, president of Tani USA, the Hong-Kong based luxury underwear and loungewear manufacturer.
Last month, Dinkes introduced Tani women’s to the U.S., to augment the men’s offering that has been distributed in the States for the past two years. He describes the target customer as “the companions for the male customers we already have….There’s also a similar demographic — 18 to 35 years old. The products are all complementary.”
Tani women’s and men’s products share the same fabrics, colors and design aesthetic — simple and clean and no hidden pouches or panels. Tani has been promoting its basic women’s collection on its Web site, and this month will launch its first spring collection. The company is planning to have its online retail partners based in the U.S. selling the men’s underwear also carry the women’s products in the next three months. The brand in the U.S. is primarily sold via Amazon, Gilt and MyHabit as well as on Taniusa.com.
Dinkes says he’s seeking to expand Tani’s wholesale distribution in the U.S. to certain luxury retailers and considering freestanding retail boutiques in the future, though nothing is set.
Abroad, Tani’s retail distribution is advanced, with a total of about 450 stand-alone and shops-in-shop in Asia and Australia, as well as a handful of shops-in-shop in Europe and the Middle East. Tani, which in Japanese means valley, was started by Kenneth Tang 15 years ago. It’s a family-run private label manufacturing business in Japan, providing premium products for its own shops and such clients as Hugo Boss and Dsquared2.