Sexy stockings give firm a leg up

Karen Short, managing director of Intimissima, has been amazed with the feedback on the packaging of the Bellamagia range of stockings. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Injecting some sex appeal into the hosiery market is paying dividends for an Auckland company.

Newton-based Intimissima launched Bellamagia, its stocking brand, to New Zealand retailers in April and says it is already seeing encouraging sales growth.

Managing director Karen Short said the family-owned company - which has 18 years' experience as a distributor - saw a gap in a hosiery market filled with stale, generic offerings.

With names like The Mistress, The Goddess and The Femme Fatal, Bellamagia's 15 product collection enabled women to connect with their "alter ego", Short said.

"We've been absolutely amazed at the feedback we've had on our packaging - it's been just amazing and the retailers in New Zealand have really got behind us."

Short said the company had made an effort to create packaging that was easy for consumers to comprehend.

"A lot of women struggle to actually read the packaging when they go into a hosiery department ... it's just not explained properly," she said. "We've tried to make the sizing as easy as possible to understand."

The stockings are manufactured in Italy. "We wanted a sophisticated hosiery brand that resonated strongly in the Southern Hemisphere without compromising on the flawless fit and quality of manufacture that comes from a European product," Short said.