Intimates startup Cuup is growing up.
The direct-to-consumer bra brand announced its first-ever wholesale partnership with Bloomingdale’s, launching nationwide online and in-store at the retailer’s 59th Street flagship store in New York City. This marks the first time Cuup will be available in a consumer-facing brick-and-mortar location and is part of the brand’s 2023 strategy to build a multichannel business.
“Cuup is thrilled to be partnering with Bloomingdale’s for our first retail partnership, as the iconic retailer is largely recognized as an industry leader in the intimates space,” said Cuup CEO Kearnon O’Molony. “Bringing our best-selling styles to Bloomingdale’s is providing a new opportunity for our business to be discovered by such an engaged consumer—available both online and at the flagship New York City 59th Street location.”
As part of the partnership, Bloomingdales.com will carry 17 styles from the New York startup’s signature unlined bras, underwear range and swimwear in 53 sizes. Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship store will stock 15 styles in sizes from A through H cups in its 30-38 bands and select sizes in its 40-44 range; Cuup offers 53 sizes versus the industry standard of 13 and is looking to expand further.
“Bloomingdale’s is excited to be the very first retail partner for Cuup and introduce the brand to a wider audience,” said Denise Magid, EVP and GMM of ready-to-wear, women’s accessories, outlets and concessions at Bloomingdale’s. “Cuup’s luxury fabrics and innovative designs, paired with its unique positioning and impeccable customer service, made it the perfect addition to our intimates category. We look forward to adding yet another reason for customers to look to Bloomingdale’s to meet their needs.”
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“Fit therapists,” the term Cuup uses for bra-fitting experts, will work in a brick-and-mortar setting for the first time, branching out from their usual role in the virtual customer experience. Customers can book a 20-minute virtual fitting, and are encouraged to bring a soft measuring tape or other measuring device to the session.
“Partnering with Bloomingdales is a very special moment for Cuup,” Pascale Gueracague, chief design officer at Cuup, said. “From fit to fabrications, everything we design at Cuup prioritizes exceptional fit, feeling, style, and an innovative wearing sensation. We are thrilled to meet our customers in person, share our unique brand story, and have them try on and feel our product.”
In 2020, the DTC women’s underwear brand raised $11 million Series A.
Intimates brands have been steadily trying to improve the bra-shopping experience especially as it relates to fit.
Last month, Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty expanded its partnership with 3D body-scanning technology platform Fit:Match to upgrade the in-store fit experience.
In 2021, Japan-based Wacoal introduced MyBraFit, an AI-powered fit app developed to generate a shopper’s bra size in minutes without measuring tape, math calculations or details on the wearer’s current bra size. And ThirdLove upgraded its Fit Finder quiz in 2021 based on data collected from more than 17.6 million users and more than 100 million fit insights since the original questionnaire launched in 2016.