GO FOR GOLD

LANIDOR (THE NAME MEANS WOOL OF GOLD) IS AN ICONIC PORTUGUESE FASHION BRAND. WE CAUGHT UP WITH MARIA XAVIER, HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS AND GRANDDAUGHTER OF FOUNDER ARMANDO XAVIER, TO HEAR THE INTRIGUING STORY OF THE COMPANY’S PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Words: SALLY DIXON

I’M THE first to admit that in a past life I was a bit of a shopaholic (I blame my role as a former magazine fashion director). To this day I love checking out the clothing stores in any new countries and cities that I visit. Having spent a considerable amount of time in Portugal since age four, I have had plenty of opportunity to do some retail ‘research’ in places like Faro, Tavira, Quinta Shopping and Lisbon. However, Lanidor is one brand that seemingly missed my retail therapy radar. Surprising, given that Lanidor is well known in its home country and abroad, as Portugal’s largest ready-to-wear brand, with shops and franchises dotted around Portugal, Ireland, Spain, Ecuador, Qatar and Oman.

Early days

Lanidor started life as a yarn and wool factory, Arrancar, founded 56 years ago by Armando Xavier in the north of Portugal. To this day more than 80% of the brand’s knitwear is still produced in-house (in their new factory), and some of the current employees have been there since the very beginning. Armando studied textile engineering in the UK to bring knowledge of new technologies and production techniques back to the family business. Looking to diversify his product range, he decided to his own garments using yarn and wool, opening a few stores selling knitwear alongside garments by other companies. And a fashion brand was born.

Lanidor Woman was launched as a knitwear specialist and remains synonymous with knitwear to this day. Several years later, the company expanded into new market sectors to include Lanidor Outlet in 2000, Lanidor Kids in 2002 and Lanidor Eyewear in 2008. With 500,000 people signed up to the Lanidor loyalty programme it’s fair to say the brand is pretty popular!

Family matters

In 1994, Armando’s son, João Pedro Xavier, joined the family business to lead the transformation of the brand to what it is today, one of the most recognised fashion brands in Portugal. Under João Pedro’s influence Lanidor expanded its portfolio to produce garments outside of Portugal alongside its locally-made pieces.

Stores opened throughout the country and Europe, in shopping meccas like Avenida da Liberdade, Lisbon and Calle Goya, Madrid. The innovative Lanidor flagship in Lisbon took inspiration from New York retail giants, with a swimming pool, spa, nail salon and a restaurant all housed within the store. A one-stop shop and lifestyle concept all rolled into one, affectionately called

‘LA Life Style’ with a vision of “making people happier”.

The 2008 financial crisis that affected all markets resulted in some tough decisions being made and for Lanidor, sadly, that meant the closure of the Lisbon flagship store along with some stores in Spain in order to scale down the business. Grand plans of opening a branded hotel also had to remain but a dream.

Franchising the brand allowed Lanidor to have a presence in smaller cities, working with retailers who know their community and local market well. Today, Lanidor’s own stores are a mix of shopping mall presence and traditional street stores.

“We are focusing right now more on street stores as opposed to shopping malls, to help rebuild the beautiful city centres of small cities and encourage more stores to open and make the areas more dynamic again,” says Maria Xavier.

Making changes

Adaptability has been the key to Lanidor’s longevity, thanks to Maria’s father, João Pedro, having the instinct to react swiftly to the unpredictable times. “When I was little,” she recalls, “I used to see my dad struggling with the business because we faced several economic crises, but we are still here and it’s down to his resilience and his decisions.” Keeping the business alive that her grandfather built all those years ago has always been paramount to the family: “He was the beginning of everything, and I think Lanidor survived because we all want to continue the legacy he built.”

Maria’s father has always liked to help other Portuguese brands to succeed in the market and so partnerships with “friendly brands” became a key part of the Lanidor offering. Taking brands like Pablo Fuster, Throttleman and Globe under his wing enabled the brands to thrive and not be lost to Portuguese fashion history. Throttleman in particular is a brand with a rich history here and its acquisition in 2017 enabled Lanidor to offer menswear as part of their edit. “We used to have Mr Lanidor, but it was a very small collection, and it was mainly because my dad couldn’t find clothes for himself so he decided to make them,” Maria says.

Proving themselves to be way ahead of the post-pandemic online shopping boom, Lanidor launched their online shop, Lanidor e-shop, back in 2006 as a way of shopping the Lanidor Woman collection catalogue. In 2021, the focus turned to lanidor.com to bring together all the in-house brands and ‘friendly brands’ on one easy-to-shop platform.

Maria says: “During Covid-19 we adapted, and grew our e-commerce. 95% of our e-commerce is for the Portuguese market but we still have a lot of room to expand into other countries, as we can deliver to all of Europe.”

Lanidor’s loyal customers are ones that have grown with the brand, with a core age range of 35–55 years. The future for Lanidor is continuing to cater to those long-standing customers while also bringing in a new wave of shoppers in the 25–35 age range. Step forward 28-year-old Maria! “That’s why I think my dad invited me to work with him, because I am the target that he wants to acquire,” she laughs. “I am focused on helping the company become more digital, more technological, more social, in order to speak to the younger target market.”

Looking forward

Weathering the storms is what Lanidor does best it seems, so what does the future hold for the brand? “We need to continue everything that is right and to move forward with a modern edge in terms of technology, communication and brand consistency,” Maria says. “Our biggest difference in the market is the relationship we have with our clients and it’s something we are committed to continue and nurture. In our stores you get a personal service – advice on what to wear with each garment – and we treat each client as someone very important. We don’t want to be a 100% digital brand; we want to stay close to our customers and understand what they are looking for.”

Long may the oldest Portuguese fashion brand in the industry continue to make our wardrobes brighter and more fashionable!