La Perla focuses on expanding its global presence

High-end lingerie label La Perla is aiming to expand its presence in the global market,

after it was acquired in 2013 by Silvio Scaglia, Italian entrepreneur and owner of Pacific Capital.

Scaglia previously revealed plans to invest over 120 million euros over a period of 18 months into the Italian-based company and had begun a campaign to strengthen its image and brand equity on three separate fronts: retail, production expansion and marketing and advertising initiative, reported WWD. Combined wholesale and retail sales are expected to reach 135 million euros this year.

The brand began redesigning selected stores and shop-in-shops earlier this year, with a new store concept created by architecture Robert Baciocchi, who also created store designs for Miu Miu and Prada. La Perla's shop-in-shop in Printemps, Paris which reopened on April 1, was the first retail location to feature the new concept.

“We have plans to open more shops-in-shop and more direct La Perla stores in premium locations in Europe,” said Joëlle Pellegrin, general manager for Europe at La Perla to WWD. The new store concept will also be rolled out to boutiques on Via Montenapoleone in Milan and Sloane Street in London, with new stores set to opened in Saint-Tropez end of this month and Zürich. The flagship store in Paris will be reopened early fall and the shop-in-shop in Harrods is slated to be updated in July.

“In the second half of 2014, we plan to open new stores in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf and Vienna, as well as a second location at the Barcelona airport where a lot of Russian tourists travel through,” added Pellegrin. La Perla will also be focusing on the US market, where it runs 11 monobrand stores. Stores in New York and Costa Mesa, California will be renovated, whilst new retail locations in San Francisco and Atlanta are being scouted as La Perla aims to open two to three new stores in the US by 2015.

La Perla currently runs 210 monobrand stores around the world and sells its lingerie, swimwear, loungewear and men's underwear globally at 1,500 specialty retailers and premium department stores.