In Adelaide, in the South of Australia, Alexandra Vaissière is known as “The French big boobs expert”. Her store Alexandra Lingerie is the go-to place for LL cups, and for a rare expertise in support and shape. So much so that last year, she declared a 10% increase in revenue, reaching a million Australian dollars.

And it’s only the beginning. Alexandra has just launched her own lingerie brand, Alexandra V Paris. We caught up with her for her first session as a buyer for both Interfilière Paris and the Salon International de la Lingerie. 

How are you handling this new adventure and your double schedule at the trade shows?

I basically don’t stop running for three days straight! It’s a long trip from Adelaide to Paris but it’s always worth it because I get to chat with my suppliers before meeting with their Australian reps, which saves me a lot of time. And my stylist helps me a lot with Interfilière, she knows all the right people and suppliers.

What were your motivations for starting your own brand?

I work with fantastic suppliers such as Wacoal, Panache, Prima Donna and Chantelle. But I noticed that women with a narrow back, such as me, are still struggling to find good bras that can contain all this volume without restricting the underarm area. I’ve decided to fill this gap in the market.

What challenges did you face when working on your first product?

My clients usually don’t buy bras that cost more than 200 Australian dollars, so our stylist did an excellent job with sourcing and manufacturing. We have European fabrics which are soft but don’t loosen, and elastics encased inside the fabric so they don’t scratch the skin. My customers awarded it the most comfortable bra in the store!

What types of bras do your customers look for nowadays?

There’s an increasing demand for stretch. We really must pay attention to it, considering that most women have slightly different breast sizes, not to mention the variations that the chest undergoes in a single month. It’s important to have this flexibility, while maintaining a structure that can provide good support.

Can the wireless trend work for large cup sizes?

We are seeing some very promising things, such as Elomi’s Downtime bralette. But we are not there yet. Large breasts still need wire support. We should think of bras in the same way we think of shoes. Whether it’s for sports, for going out or for staying at home, each should have its own purpose.