It is one of the trends of the just-ended Spring/Summer 2027 season in fashion: lingerie. When even Matthieu Blazy at Chanel lets his all-white look number one with a feathered bra and see-through cardigan telegraph a whole new direction for the most successful house in the world, others will follow. So, this makes it an even more interesting moment for the original makers of underwear.

In Milan, the Bologna-based label La Perla had a comeback and showed its collection zero after a three-year hiatus. With over seventy years of La Perla stored in their Bologna archive, this brand is stepping out again at the perfect moment under the stewardship of fashion marketing expert Alessio Vanetti as CEO. He was part of the Gucci success under Alessandro Michele and Pier Paolo Piccioli at Valentino. Fashion expertise for the boudoir, so to speak.

And then the biggest brand for female undergarments in Germany is from the Netherlands and called Hunkemöller. Founded in 1886 by German Wilhelm Hunkemöller in Amsterdam, the brand is celebrating 140 years and threw itself a birthday party and fashion show in a theater in Amsterdam recently.

We sat down to talk to CEO Brian Grevy on the occasion. He is at the other end of Vanetti’s spectrum. A turnaround expert who honed his skills at Adidas, where he was global brand president, and approaches the business from a data-driven angle.

ACHTUNG: What is the secret of Hunkemöller?
Brian Grevy: We are not selling lingerie; we are selling confidence. We are a customer-centric business.

A: The brand’s motto?
BG: We let women empower themselves.

A: What are the basics here?
BG: Everything we make needs to be super comfortable. No underwires, soft materials, a soft touch.

A: What’s next?
BG: We have seen lingerie become outerwear. And that is interesting for us to pursue. At the same time, we are all about our heritage and want to spoil our customers with the garment they put on first in the day.

A: What is the model?
BG: We make most of our money in direct contact with our clients. So, 70 percent in stores and 30 percent e-commerce.

A: Tell me more?
BG: Many women order online and then come to the store to try on things and then purchase. Our staff is 95 percent female, so that allows us to pursue a “women speaking to women” approach, which is very successful.

A: What is your mandate?
BG: I am here to overhaul the company and bring in new impulses. We have undergone a complete brand overhaul with a new logo and colors and new and better digital services and apps. Also, letting in outside creativity to reinterpret what lingerie is, like we did with our collaboration with Vogue’s Linda Gerritsen.