Tiggy Derham & Sarah Maskell
Co - Founders Oola Lingerie
We plan to be the number 1 destination for plus size luxury lingerie
Launched at the end of 2020, Oola is the creation of lingerie obsessed co-founders Sarah Maskell and Tiggy Derham, who between them have gained over 20 years’ expertise in design, development, and production within the plus size retail industry. The UK-based brand offers premium quality lingerie aimed exclusively for the curvy figure. In a chat with Fibre2Fashion, Tiggy Derham and Sarah Maskell talks about plus size luxury lingerie, its markets and trends.
What is the size of plus size wear market in the UK? What is the annual growth rate?
According to PwC, the plus size womenswear market in the UK is valued at £4.7 billion and is anticipated to grow at a rate of 7.1 per cent in the coming years.
How would you describe the market and demand for plus size lingerie in the UK?
Underserved! Lots of retailers claim to offer plus size but it’s often just graded up and not really considered for a curve body. We knew there was a market for Oola because you would shop lingerie and often sizes were not available over a back size 40, or there was a real lack of choice in style and colour. I see this across all product areas.
When did you start Oola? How has the brand evolved since its inception?
We launched our website at the end of 2020. Oola is currently sold on Debenhams, Simply B, Very, Amazon, John Lewis and will soon be on Zalando. Our strategy is all about brand building and we have worked very hard to build up a highly engaged social media following. We have a high repeat customer rate and are confident that our audience will grow as we increase our product offerings. When launching a brand, it’s important to play the long game. We have recently launched on TikTok, we have started Google advertising campaigns, and are starting to work with affiliates so we can reach new customers. It’s a very exciting time for us and we are seeing consistent growth in our traffic and our sales. It’s evolving all the time and we have the luxury of being a very small team, so if we need to change direction slightly, we can. We are all very hands on and have our vision very clearly on the same goal. We plan to be the number 1 destination for plus size luxury lingerie in the UK and around the world.
What were the initial hiccups in starting a niche brand that caters to plus size luxury lingerie?
The hiccups have all been around getting the brand onto websites. Technology is challenging and when we started Oola we thought we would be mainly selling wholesale. But the world and the future is all about full integration, which once set up works really well. We have seen challenges in the setting up processes on some platforms, which has tested my patience! However, I am really starting to understand API integration now.
Which are your major markets in and out of the UK?
We are selling Oola well in the Middle East and are soon to launch on Zalando, across eight country platforms. I hope that Germany will be a successful market for us. In the future, we hope to expand into the US as we are confident that our products will appeal to the American consumers.
Which are your best performing products and which price points work well?
Our Lace and Logo range and our Tonal range are our best performing. We sell padded and non-padded styles equally and our customers love our knickers. Colour sells better on some platforms, while other platforms tend to sell neutral colours more successfully.
What kind of fit, fabrics colours and patterns are trending in lingerie?
Following COVID, comfort is still important! Solutions lingerie are growing as people still want great everyday comfortable products. The importance is in the details and there is a trend for logo/monogram. We see a lot of microfibre and mesh in the trend, with embroidery making a big comeback. Colour tones are the new must have with a lot of barbie pink and lilac for summer.
What new innovations and technologies do you plan to bring to Oola?
We have an amazing new range of recycled microfibre launching at the beginning of 2023. This is our first everyday range, and we will be offering it in different skin tones. It’s fantastic quality and the comfort is excellent. This will really bring something new to our current offer.
Are you looking at just digital expansion or plan to get into physical stores soon?
We are concentrating on our digital expansion for now. There are so many new markets we want to get into and there are plenty of opportunities to expand online.
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Published on: 30/11/2022
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
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