DENVER—Angelique Lingerie experienced more than 50 percent growth last year, an increase that the company attributes to the increased demand for a wide variety of plus-size lingerie.
Angelique Lingerie is one of the few companies that specializes in larger lingerie, offering sizes up to 6X.
Mia Bulifa developed an idea for what is now the profitable lingerie business after trying to shop for plus-size lingerie. She couldn't find any plus-size sleepwear while shopping in the Denver area. Dismayed by the lack of choices for that niche in the market, Mia and sister Nadia launched Angelique Lingerie in 2005 in their mother's basement.
Apparently the sisters were onto something: Angelique Lingerie grew 54 percent last year, to date having served more than 20,000 customers from around the world. It's no longer run out of a basement, but rather a warehouse with seven employees plus the sisters. Angelique keeps more than 60 percent of its wide selection of items in stock.
Trends in the lingerie industry have included a greater selection in the plus sizes and the use of more colors and prints rather than the normal solids and blacks, Bulifa said. Because of the increasing market, Angelique Lingerie is increasing its inventory by about 40 percent this year, including adding new colors and items that go up to a size 6X.
Mia, 27, said that Angelique has little competition. Some plus-size stores sell lingerie and sleepwear, but very few specialize in it. Angelique sells sizes 14-28.
"Our goal is to dominate that market," she said.
Without a large marketing budget, Angelique invests most of what it does have in SEO and some web marketing. Recently Mia appeared on The Tyra Banks Show as part of an episode on breaking stereotypes, as an example of how a plus-size woman could be a successful businesswoman.
Both Nadia and Mia have adjusted to the sagging economy by working full-time jobs to avoid taking an income from Angelique, allowing them to instead reinvest profits into company growth. They also both are finishing bachelor's degrees at the University of Colorado.
The Angelique Lingerie product line includes babydolls, bodystockings, bra sets, bridal lingerie, camisoles, sleepwear, corsets and bustiers, dresses, gowns, peignoir sets, and more.
For more information, visit AngeliqueLingerie.com.
