The Tamesis
The brand avoided the trap of burning money cheaply on Facebook ads, only to be cornered as prices rose. “Our position over the past few years has been that we can’t just be profitable. We need to be more profitable to continue investing in growth. I don’t want to raise more money right now,” Zuccarini said. “It’s tempting when everyone else is going ‘growth at all costs.’ We’re very thoughtful about what we need to do to get to the level of expansion we want.”
Advertising spend is tightly managed, and as performance marketing becomes more expensive, the brand sets up shop in high-income markets. Two more stores will open this year. Online, the brand is investing in a new website optimized by artificial intelligence, as Zuccarini sees more traffic from ChatGPT. Fleur du Mal also took aim at Reddit and YouTube, where more and more people are looking for information and inspiration.
Zuccarini saw potential in the wholesale market. Current partners include Net-a-Porter, Revolve, Saks (although the brand didn’t ship for several months while it filed for bankruptcy protection) and Harrods, as well as boutiques and specialty stores across the U.S. and beyond. Her dream is to help people rethink the lingerie section of department stores, where currently “no one is shopping. These brands are not loved by anyone.” Solving this problem—for example, with clearer placement on the ready-to-wear floor—would unlock more sales and discovery potential for the brand. The company is also looking abroad: the Middle East, although a region dominated by conservative clothing, is a market where it sees opportunity. Its largest international markets are currently Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and France.
How big Fleur du Mal grows will depend on how far Zuccarini can push her sexy prerogative. The new fitness range will be a barometer of future categories beyond knitwear, homewear, ready-to-wear and lingerie. “I want to grow. When you get bigger, sometimes it gets watered down and people get scared because they don’t want to offend anyone,” Zuccarini said.
