One of Germany's "coolest" brands, Lala Berlin, will be launched in the United States.
One of Berlin's oldest and most successful independent brands plans to expand into the American market.
Lala Berlin was founded in 2004 and has quietly established itself since then, including via a boutique in the center of the German capital.
The brand was founded by Leyla Piedayesh — Lala is a nickname — with her own collection of knitwear to handmade and later, with unique prints inspired by its Middle Eastern origin. Born in Iran, Piedayesh and her family moved to Germany in 1979 as a child, after the revolution that brought religious authorities to power.
Related GalleriesWhat started as a one-woman operation has grown into a multinational brand with a recognizable style — the original signature print was based on the pattern found on a traditional keffiyeh scarf - and around 60 dealers, mostly in Europe. The brand is particularly successful in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries.
Now Piedayesh and CEO Livia Lee say they are ready to take on the US market.
The brand started with what the pair calls a "very quiet" soft launch in August of this year, making online deals in their online store available to US customers. But they expect physical products to be available in the US in time for the 2023 winter season.
The two are heading to New York this week — the city will likely become their US base — and Lee says the final aspects of their launch strategy, including the appointment of sales agents, are being put in place.
"Our ambitions are modest," Lee told WWD. "We don't want to get 100 or 1,000 doors. For the initial launch, we'd like to have one or two majors, and then some specialty retailers as well, to showcase the brand."
Pop-up stores are also planned and the brand has 1 million euros in its budget marketing to make everything happen. The U.S. launch is being funded by the company's own profits, the businesswomen said.
Lala Berlin CEO LIvia Lee, left, and designer Leyla Piedayesh.In 2021, Lala Berlin's turnover amounted to 10.5 million d euros and earnings before interest and taxes have grown steadily, between 9 and 14%, over the past four years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is...
One of Berlin's oldest and most successful independent brands plans to expand into the American market.
Lala Berlin was founded in 2004 and has quietly established itself since then, including via a boutique in the center of the German capital.
The brand was founded by Leyla Piedayesh — Lala is a nickname — with her own collection of knitwear to handmade and later, with unique prints inspired by its Middle Eastern origin. Born in Iran, Piedayesh and her family moved to Germany in 1979 as a child, after the revolution that brought religious authorities to power.
Related GalleriesWhat started as a one-woman operation has grown into a multinational brand with a recognizable style — the original signature print was based on the pattern found on a traditional keffiyeh scarf - and around 60 dealers, mostly in Europe. The brand is particularly successful in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries.
Now Piedayesh and CEO Livia Lee say they are ready to take on the US market.
The brand started with what the pair calls a "very quiet" soft launch in August of this year, making online deals in their online store available to US customers. But they expect physical products to be available in the US in time for the 2023 winter season.
The two are heading to New York this week — the city will likely become their US base — and Lee says the final aspects of their launch strategy, including the appointment of sales agents, are being put in place.
"Our ambitions are modest," Lee told WWD. "We don't want to get 100 or 1,000 doors. For the initial launch, we'd like to have one or two majors, and then some specialty retailers as well, to showcase the brand."
Pop-up stores are also planned and the brand has 1 million euros in its budget marketing to make everything happen. The U.S. launch is being funded by the company's own profits, the businesswomen said.
Lala Berlin CEO LIvia Lee, left, and designer Leyla Piedayesh.In 2021, Lala Berlin's turnover amounted to 10.5 million d euros and earnings before interest and taxes have grown steadily, between 9 and 14%, over the past four years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
There is...
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