La Senza
Encyclopedia
La Senza Corporation is a Canadian
fashion
retail
er based in Dorval, Quebec
, Canada
, which sells lingerie
and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands
.
of Columbus, Ohio
.
La Senza's products focus on tasteful lingerie and nightwear
but also include loungewear, daywear, and accessories
. The concept is similar to Victoria's Secret
, which is also owned by the Limited Brands corporation.
In the United Kingdom
and Ireland
(with sub-franchises in parts of the European Union
), La Senza stores have been separately owned since July 2006 by Lion Capital
, a private equity company. Theo Paphitis
is on the board of the La Senza U.K. business, and retains a minority shareholding in that company.
and panties
, and La Senza Spirit for activewear.
and university
students, much like Pink by Victoria's Secret. Beauty by Victoria's Secret was available but was discontinued 1 March 2010 in favour of La Senza Beauty.
, was asked to design a Pussycat Doll-inspired lingerie collection for the La Senza brand. The collection uses luxurious fabrics imported from Italy
and Spain
. The line ranges from girly and flirtatious to sexy and glamorous intimate apparel. Antin says, "The words for me on this collection are flirtatious, fashion, and fun!"
, Petra Němcová
, Isabeli Fontana
, Bianca Balti
, Yamila Díaz
, Doutzen Kroes, Daniela Pestova
, Sophie Anderton
, Rebecca Romijn
, Caroline Winberg
, Emma Heming
, Jessica Stam
, Maria Sokolovski, and Niclyn Rendall have been featured in array of campaigns. La Senza does not limit their advertising to high fashion models and often uses high profile celebrities to endorse their brand. Previous celebrities to endorse the brand include Dancing on Ice's Tess Daly
, Ex Hollyoaks actress, Gemma Atkinson
, and legendary English
soccer player Gary Lineker
's wife and commercial print model, Danielle Lineker
.
David Davies
, Conservative MP for Monmouth
, Wales
UK, claimed La Senza was "willing to make profits at the expense of public morality but yet we allow things like porn, because that is OK". We currently have the highest level of teenage pregnancy in the whole of Europe and the last thing we need is to encourage further sexual experimentation in young, because God forbid, if these girls start wearing bras, they will get pregnant, maybe we should just surgically remove them."
La Senza released a statement denying that they were sexualising children and that their intentions were to create fun and colourful underwear for children.
10 from 2005 and its profits more than doubled from the previous quarter.
sued La Senza for a breach of contract. La Senza refused to pay her for a catalogue photo shoot because the company did not like her appearance. Herzigova had cut her hair short and lost a substantial amount of weight, which were not the conditions in which they booked her. Herzigova sued La Senza for £20,000 because she felt that she fulfilled her part of their agreement and claimed her new look didn't prevent her from obtaining modeling work.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
er based in Dorval, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which sells lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
and intimate apparel. The La Senza brand is currently owned by Limited Brands
Limited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
.
History
Since its first store opened in 1990, the company has grown to include more than 300 stores in Canada. A further 487 stores under the La Senza brand operate in 45 other countries worldwide via licensing, franchise, and cooperation agreements. La Senza is wholly owned by Limited BrandsLimited Brands
Limited Brands is an American apparel company based in Columbus, Ohio. In 2009 it reported 9.04 billion dollars in revenue for the last fiscal year.-History:...
of Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
.
La Senza's products focus on tasteful lingerie and nightwear
Nightwear
Nightwear, also called "sleepwear", "sleeping suit", "nightclothes", or "nightdress", is clothing designed to be worn while sleeping. The style of nightwear worn may vary with the seasons, with eg. warmer styles being worn in colder conditions...
but also include loungewear, daywear, and accessories
Fashion accessory
Fashion accessories are decorative items that supplement and complement clothes, such as jewelery, gloves, handbags, hats, belts, scarves, wigs, watches, sunglasses, pins, stockings, bow ties, hand fans, leg warmers, leggings, neckties, suspenders, and tights....
. The concept is similar to Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
, which is also owned by the Limited Brands corporation.
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(with sub-franchises in parts of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
), La Senza stores have been separately owned since July 2006 by Lion Capital
Lion Capital LLP
Lion Capital LLP is a British private equity firm, primarily focusing on leveraged buyout investments in Europe. The firm specializes on investments in the consumer sector...
, a private equity company. Theo Paphitis
Theo Paphitis
Theodorus "Theo" Paphitis is a retail magnate and British entrepreneur of Greek Cypriot origin. He made the majority of his fortune in the retail sector, and is best known to the general public for his appearances on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den and as former chairman of Millwall...
is on the board of the La Senza U.K. business, and retains a minority shareholding in that company.
Labels
Similar to most fashion brands, La Senza owns and operates other labels, including La Senza Girl clothing stores for teenagers as well a clothing for younger children, La Senza Express stores for brasBrassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
and panties
Panties
Panties are a form of underwear, usually light and snug-fitting, designed to be worn by women or girls in the area directly below the waist. Typical components include an elastic waistband, a crotch panel to cover the genital area , and a pair of leg openings which, like the waistband, are often...
, and La Senza Spirit for activewear.
Lola and Coco
La Senza has recently launched a line called Lola and Coco by La Senza that is aimed at high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
students, much like Pink by Victoria's Secret. Beauty by Victoria's Secret was available but was discontinued 1 March 2010 in favour of La Senza Beauty.
Robin Antin
In 2008, the creator of The Pussycat Dolls, Robin AntinRobin Antin
Robin Antin is an American dancer, choreographer, music video director, actress, showgirl, clothing designer and entrepreneur. In 1995 in Los Angeles Antin, Christina Applegate and Carla Kama founded the modern burlesque troupe The Pussycat Dolls...
, was asked to design a Pussycat Doll-inspired lingerie collection for the La Senza brand. The collection uses luxurious fabrics imported from Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The line ranges from girly and flirtatious to sexy and glamorous intimate apparel. Antin says, "The words for me on this collection are flirtatious, fashion, and fun!"
Advertising
Similar to Victoria's Secret, La Senza uses high profiled fashion models to endorse their product. Models such as Lauren GoldLauren Gold
Lauren Gold is an English model and actress. Gold is most recognised as the DJ in Robbie Williams's "Rock DJ" music video as well as her recurring appearance in La Senza ad campaigns...
, Petra Němcová
Petra Nemcová
Petra Němcová is a Czech model, television host, author, and philanthropist. She is the founder and chair of the Happy Hearts Fund. In December 2004, she was injured in Thailand by a tsunami resulting from the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake; her fiancé, photographer Simon Atlee, was killed in the...
, Isabeli Fontana
Isabeli Fontana
-Early life and discovery:Fontana was born in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. In 1996 she made it to the finals of the Elite Model Look when she was just 13 and in the following year she moved from South of Brazil to Milan, Italy, to start her modelling career.-Career:...
, Bianca Balti
Bianca Balti
Bianca Balti is an Italian model born in Lodi, in the Lombardy region of north Italy.-Career:Balti was first booked for the cover of L'Officiel, shot by Alexi Lubomirski. Her first notable advertisement campaign came for Dolce & Gabbana...
, Yamila Díaz
Yamila Diaz
Yamila Díaz-Rahi is an Argentine model.-Background:Díaz was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and is of Spanish and Lebanese descent. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a health care manager...
, Doutzen Kroes, Daniela Pestova
Daniela Peštová
Daniela Peštová is a Czech model. She was born in Teplice, Czech Republic, and was discovered by the Madison Modeling Agency's Dominique Caffin. She had plans to attend college but after winning a modelling contest she moved to Paris to sign with Madison Modeling Agency...
, Sophie Anderton
Sophie Anderton
Sophie Anderton is an English model and reality television personality.-Early life:Anderton attended Redland High School for Girls in Bristol between 1988 and 1993...
, Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Romijn
Rebecca Alie Romijn is an American actress and former fashion model. She is best known for her role as Mystique in the X-Men films, and for her recurring role as Alexis Meade on the television series Ugly Betty.-Early life:...
, Caroline Winberg
Caroline Winberg
Caroline Maria Winberg is a Swedish model.-Early life:Caroline Winberg was born in Sollentuna, Sweden. Winberg, a tomboy and aspiring professional football player in her youth for AIK from Solna a suburb north Stockholm, was en route to football training when scout Cesar Wintland spotted the...
, Emma Heming
Emma Heming
Emma Heming is a Maltese-born American model and actress.-Personal life:Although born in Malta, Emma has stated that she grew up in California....
, Jessica Stam
Jessica Stam
Jessica Stam is a Canadian model. She is considered to be part of the crop of models described as "doll faces" alongside Gemma Ward, Sasha Pivovarova, Vlada Roslyakova, Lily Cole, Caroline Trentini, Devon Aoki, and Heather Marks...
, Maria Sokolovski, and Niclyn Rendall have been featured in array of campaigns. La Senza does not limit their advertising to high fashion models and often uses high profile celebrities to endorse their brand. Previous celebrities to endorse the brand include Dancing on Ice's Tess Daly
Tess Daly
Helen Elizabeth "Tess" Daly is an English television presenter. She is married to the presenter Vernon Kay.-Early life:Daly was born in Derbyshire to Vivian , who died of emphysema, and Sylvia Daly...
, Ex Hollyoaks actress, Gemma Atkinson
Gemma Atkinson
Gemma Louise Atkinson is an English actress, television personality and glamour and lingerie model.-Personal life:...
, and legendary English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
soccer player Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker
Gary Winston Lineker, OBE , is a former English footballer, who played as a striker. He is a sports broadcaster for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live...
's wife and commercial print model, Danielle Lineker
Danielle Lineker
Danielle Maria Lineker , is a Welsh lingerie model, television personality and actress. She is married to former English footballer Gary Lineker.-Early life:...
.
La Senza Girl
In 2008, La Senza has provoked controversy after launching La Senza Girl, which is aimed towards 5-12 year old girls. Parents and critics claim that the line sexualizes children, despite the fact the line was designed to offer young girls "coverage" before they are ready for a training bra.David Davies
David Davies
-Politics:*David Davies , also known as David Davies Llandinam, MP for Cardigan, 1874–1885, and Cardiganshire, 1885–1886*David Sanders Davies , Liberal politician, MP for Denbigh 1918–1922...
, Conservative MP for Monmouth
Monmouth
Monmouth is a town in southeast Wales and traditional county town of the historic county of Monmouthshire. It is situated close to the border with England, where the River Monnow meets the River Wye with bridges over both....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
UK, claimed La Senza was "willing to make profits at the expense of public morality but yet we allow things like porn, because that is OK". We currently have the highest level of teenage pregnancy in the whole of Europe and the last thing we need is to encourage further sexual experimentation in young, because God forbid, if these girls start wearing bras, they will get pregnant, maybe we should just surgically remove them."
La Senza released a statement denying that they were sexualising children and that their intentions were to create fun and colourful underwear for children.
ITEC
In 2006, the company faced a major law suit with major competitor Victoria's Secret. La Senza launched the ITEC bra, which claimed to be "the world's most technologically advanced bra" because its one-piece design eliminates tags and seams. After the launch of the ITEC, Victoria's Secret sued for copyright infringement claiming the ITEC was a knock off of their popular bra, the IPEX. Despite the controversy, the La Senza shares were up US$United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
10 from 2005 and its profits more than doubled from the previous quarter.
Eva Herzigova
In 2003, Eva HerzigovaEva Herzigová
Eva Herzigová is a Czech model and actress.-Early life and career:Herzigová was born in Litvínov, Czechoslovakia . She began her modeling career after winning a modeling beauty contest in Prague in 1989, at the age of sixteen. After arriving in Paris, her popularity increased...
sued La Senza for a breach of contract. La Senza refused to pay her for a catalogue photo shoot because the company did not like her appearance. Herzigova had cut her hair short and lost a substantial amount of weight, which were not the conditions in which they booked her. Herzigova sued La Senza for £20,000 because she felt that she fulfilled her part of their agreement and claimed her new look didn't prevent her from obtaining modeling work.