Why it belongs in ORBIS
Italian lingerie chain launched in 1996 near Verona by Sandro Veronesi's Calzedonia group, built on Italian-made bras priced under 30 euros.
Intimissimi was launched in 1996 in Dossobuono di Villafranca di Verona by Sandro Veronesi, founder of the Calzedonia hosiery group, as the group's dedicated underwear line. The brand's original pitch was Italian-made bras priced under 30 euros, an attempt to raise the average lingerie price point without abandoning mass-market accessibility. It expanded quickly: by 1998 it had 80 stores in Italy alone, and within a decade it had grown to more than 1,000 points of sale across Europe. The product range later broadened from lingerie into knitwear and loungewear, though bras and briefs for men and women remain the core category. The chain's international expansion extends beyond its Veronese base; the Calzedonia group also owns Calzedonia hosiery and Tezenis.