Etam has chosen Miami for its first freestanding U.S. boutique, choosing a fast-growing city — and a gap date coinciding with peak swimwear season.

The three,000-square-foot unit, now under construction, is slated to bow in mid-July on the Dadeland Mall, across from Sephora and Lululemon, and within the vicinity of Zara, Victoria’s Secret and Intimissimi.

The French innerwear giant — which entered America last April via shop-in-shops in 10 Nordstrom locations, Nordstrom’s e-commerce and Etam’s own online store — intends to open and operate three freestanding boutiques as “proof of concept” before expanding further Stateside, said Etam Lingerie’s chairman Laurent Milchior, the grandson of certainly one of the founders of the 107-year-old firm.

It’s actively scouting locations in Florida, Texas and Latest York, and goals to open two more locations before the tip of the 12 months.

“We wish to bring our Frenchness, but now we have to do it the American way,” Milchior said in an exclusive interview at Etam’s headquarters in Paris.

To wit: He’s constructing a small team with retail, digital and marketing expertise within the U.S., led by general manager Kelly Wood, whose résumé includes stints at Gap, Third Love, Williams-Sonoma and Maiden Home.

“There’s a particular way of promoting things to the American consumer,” he stressed, drawing an analogy to the wine industry. Many American consumers order by grape variety, akin to chardonnay, whereas French producers emphasize origin, with Bordeaux and Burgundy the 2 principal growing regions.

Milchior noted the lead time to open stores within the U.S. is considerably longer than in France, where only 4 to 6 weeks are required. What’s more, “store construction is far more expensive than it’s in Europe, it’s double the worth,” the chief marveled. “We only need to open in prime locations.”

Nevertheless, he’s convinced there may be space for “alternative” innerwear brands in America, where the likes of Skims and Aerie have grabbed market share as leader Victoria’s Secret restructures and charts a recent direction.

Known for its stretch lace, mix-and-match sets and reasonably priced pricing in its core European market, Etam logged 70 percent sell-through in its first two weeks at Nordstrom locations, but has experienced some hiccups in success because it doesn’t yet have warehouse facilities within the U.S.

Like other retailers, Etam can also be coming up against inflation and recessionary pressures, causing most average consumers to place the brakes on discretionary spending.

To smooth its supply chain in America, it plans to forge synergies with Mexico, where Etam recently signed a three way partnership with Diltex to distribute in department shops and freestanding units, of which two are up and running and five more are planned.

Yet Milchior said American customers recognize the strong price-quality ratio in Etam’s products, its know-how by way of fit and luxury, and its colourful and chic fashion offering, less in-your-face than a few of its American competitors.

In addition they appreciate Etam’s corporate social responsibility credentials, with about 70 percent of its offering eco-conceived in organic or recycled fibers.

“For an informed American customer, this could be very vital,” Milchior said. “In the event you compare us to the opposite lingerie brands, we’re far more advanced on this topic…. We’re the greenest lingerie brand within the mass segment.”

Etam operates 860 stores in greater than 55 countries, along with global e-commerce. The Etam Group also markets the Undiz, Livy, Ysé and Maison 123 brands.

At home, Etam boasts an 11 percent share of the French lingerie market.

To boost its appeal within the U.S. market, Etam added extra sizes to appeal to the widest possible audience. Starting this fall, select bras will range from 30A to 42G, and choose bottoms will range from XXS to 3XL.

Within the medium-term, the brand plans to explore some product collaborations, while also drawing links to Etam’s French activities, which include a swimwear focused cruise fashion show, which unfurled in Saint-Tropez last month.

An annual blowout fashion show during Paris Fashion Week ranks as one other of its boldest marketing statements.

The Miami store might be the seventh unit on the planet to reflect a recent “cozy yet modern” design concept, whose elements include pale wood, concrete, pink tones, neon lights, and brass details.

Etam enters the U.S. market with a wealth of retail expertise, omnichannel selling tools and high-tech razzmatazz, including connected fitting rooms.

Etam touts its French origins and elegance, and savoir-faire due to 60 bra specialists based in Lille, some boasting 40 years of experience. The brand was a pioneer in run-resistant lingerie.

Etam started off as a hosiery business, opening its first store in Berlin in 1916. The privately held firm is controlled by the Milchior, Tarica and Lindemann families.