The future of Eminence involves developing the women's market and the international market

Antonio Iandolo, président d'Eminence depuis juillet 2022, trace le futur d'un groupe qui fête ses 80 ans cette année. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Le leader français des sous-vêtements pour homme fait l'acquisition de la marque féminine Passionata, qui lui ouvre de nouveaux horizons de croissance.

Antonio Iandolo, 54, the president of Eminence, presented this Friday a real strategy for both recovery and growth. The one who has been watching over the destiny of the French leader in men's underwear (31.5% market share), based in Aimargues, in the Gard, since July 2022, has great ambitions.< /p>

Since the recent acquisition of the French brand Passionata from the Chantelle group, he has made women his future. "Today, men's underwear represents 70% of our turnover, recalls the president d'Eminence, passed by Dim, Champion and Hanes. Now, with Passionata, we are entering a new universe".

"We have very strong brands"

Éminence, acquired in 2018 by the American-Israeli textile group Delta Galil and which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year, has new ambitions. "We have very strong brands (Eminence and Athena, Editor's note) and industrial know-how which makes us the leader in men's underwear in France. From now on, we are aiming for development in retail and abroad by providing all the industrial responses to create growth.

Éminence, most of whose sales are made through large and medium-sized stores, will invest in retail businesses. Already, Internet sales, which represent 15% of turnover, have enabled it to begin diversifying its distribution channels. "We are targeting 5% market share for women's underwear and 10% market share for children's underwear".

Impose Passionata in 18 countries

The acquisition of Passionata opens the doors to the international market for the Gard group. "We will develop the brand in 18 countries, compared to just one today with our range for men, France". Created in 1988, the brand offers Eminence a big advantage: it targets 35-45 year olds, but also has "a large recruitment potential still untapped among the younger generation of 25- 35 years old.

Thanks to its "industrial and technical culture" 100% French, as Eric Abriat, group operations director, points out, Eminence has many assets to develop its skills and respond to new challenges. It has just won the call for tenders launched by the State for the supply of high-tech clothing for the national gendarmerie and police force.

A golden contract with the Police and Gendarmerie

Indeed, thanks to a collaboration with two players specialized in this sector, Leo Minor and Mark&Balsan, Eminence won a 4-year contract for the supply of' here at the end of 2024-beginning of 2025 of 250,000 units of articles dedicated to law enforcement forces. A "important contract", the value of which is kept secret.

Despite these successes and these ambitions, Antonio Iandolo does not hide his bitterness. "We are one of the last industrial companies in textiles and we are participating in the reindustrialization effort initiated by the State. But we do not benefit from any assistance from French state entities. It's a shame not to be truly supported, he slips.

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