Welcome to the 4th Lingerie Industry Forum in Latvia

27 July 2018

On 25 and 26 October 2018, the city of Liepāja, the Baltic centre of the lingerie industry, will host the 4th edition of the Lingerie Industry Forum. Intima Media Group will once again be the privileged media partner of the event.

Latvia holds an important role in the production of lingerie, currently responsible for creating the wares of over 90 brands, from which 95% of goods go to export. It’s no wonder, then, that the Lingerie Industry Forum in Latvia has become an integral event for all of Europe’s lingerie and swimwear players. The event’s main media partner, Intima Media Group, updates its readers on the upcoming Forum.

Located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe, Latvia has long made important contributions to textile and lingerie manufacturing – the country’s most important economic fields. Lingerie production began in the 1950s in the capital city of Riga, expanding in the years after when the seaside town of Liepaja opened a large haberdashery factory called Lauma. The economy evolved quickly in the 90s after the fall of the Soviet Union, when many Latvians began opening their own lingerie companies. These endeavours started out small, but today Latvian manufacturers are mostly medium-size companies employing 30-70 workers, while leaders such as V.O.V.A. and Orhideja count hundreds of employees in their workforce. Among such larger-scale operations is Lauma Fabrics, the flagship of the Latvian textile industry, which today is part of the European Lingerie Group, joining the likes of the German materials manufacturer Elastic, the German lingerie brand Felina, and as of last June, the French lingerie and swimwear retailer Dessus-Dessous.

Historically, the main markets for Latvian manufacturers have been Russia and the CIS countries, but recently they have started to develop actively on the European markets as well. Among the companies that collaborate with Latvian brands are many well-known names: for example, from among V.O.V.A. partners we see such brands as Victoria's Secret, La Perla, Luwa and Miss Mary of Sweden. In general, most Latvian brands produce medium segment goods, but the nation’s diverse industry also includes brands that work exclusively in the high-fashion segment, such as Amoralle, Gracija-Rim, V.I.P.A and Flash & You.
The rapid growth of the Latvian lingerie industry is propelled by manufacturers’ investment in modern, progressive production technologies that allow them to up their competitive edge and succeed in new markets. For example, in 2017 Rosme, one of the country’s biggest lingerie producers, purchased new Gerber Paragon cutting equipment, which improves both garment quality and fit. This innovation allowed Rosme to launch their Powerlace collection using high-quality material from Germany. It is developments such as these that have enabled the Latvian industry to develop and expand its business by participating in the European trading process.

The Lingerie Industry Forum in Latvia, organized by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) and the Association of Latvian Lingerie Manufacturers, LATVERA, has been held three times to date, bringing together an increasing number of lingerie industry specialists from all over Europe.

The 4th Lingerie Industry Forum in Latvia will be held on October 25-26, 2018, in Liepaja, the Baltic center of the lingerie industry, featuring over 50 brands of underwear manufacturers as well as Lauma Fabrics, one of the leading fabrics and lace manufacturers in Europe, and part of the European Lingerie Group. The event has already established itself as a main attraction for retailers, e-tailers and trade companies seeking new brands with strong value for money, as well as brands interested in outsourcing production.

This year the Forum’s program will be dedicated to original business concepts with the participation of highly-qualified speakers, representing both the high street and online retailers from the Western European market. The special conference session will be dedicated to creating private labels for emerging and established brands. The first day will culminate in an exciting fashion show at the Great Amber Concert Hall of Liepaja, showcasing the latest collections of established Latvian brands such as V.O.V.A., Orhideja, Rosme, Stefi-L, V.I.P.A, Glora/Zebra, Gracija-Rim, La coquette, Regina N, Nikol Djumon. The second day of the event will begin with a matchmaking session to help buyers better acquaint themselves with the 15 participating Latvian companies. Guests will then have the opportunity to strengthen their new business contacts by visiting many of Liepaja’s lingerie factories and seeing their production first-hand.

We hope once again to see the Lingerie Industry Forum in Latvia confirms its reputation as an exciting and useful event for all European lingerie business.