Leonisa |
| Company type | Private |
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| Industry | Apparel and Fashion |
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| Founded | November 20, 1956; 67 years ago (1956-11-20) |
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| Founder | Joaquin Eduardo Urrea and Julio Ernesto Urrea |
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| Headquarters | |
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Area served | Worldwide |
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| Products | women's inner-wear, swimwear, men's underwear, shapewear, bras, panties, sports underwear, post-surgical compression garments |
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| Website | www.leonisa.com |
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Leonisa is a Colombian clothing company manufacturing and selling lingerie, shapewear, swimwear, underwear, and activewear[1] for both men and women.[2]
History
Leonisa was established in November 1956 by the Urrea brothers, Joaquin Eduardo and Julio Ernesto, who specialized in women's innerwear.[3] After establishing their first manufacturing plant, the brothers created “The Diamond Point Bra”.[4][5]
Leonisa began retail sales in 1956. These consist of Leonisa Stores, duty-free shops, factory outlets, hypermarkets, department stores, and specialty apparel stores. As of 2014, there were retail stores in the United States, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Portugal, and Puerto Rico.[6]
In 1965, Leonisa built a manufacturing plant in Costa Rica to meet the demands of Central American markets.[7] In 1989, Leonisa entered the European market first in Spain, later expanding to the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy.[8]
In 1993, Leonisa launched the “Magic Up” brassiere.[9] The same year, they created a catalog sales channel to sell Leonisa garments directly to customers on a monthly basis. The catalog sales channel operates in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Chile, Guatemala, and Puerto Rico.[10]
Leonisa has sponsored the Miss Colombia swimwear category since 2007. Each year, Leonisa develops swimwear campaigns focused on Miss Colombia.[11] Leonisa also sponsored Miss Panama in 2009 and 2010.[12]
In June 2009, Leonisa introduced their online store, initially intended for the US and Canadian markets.[13]
In February 2020, Leonisa partnered with Victoria's Secret in a deal that makes Leonisa's shapewear available to Victoria's Secret online customers with the possibility of expanding into Victoria's Secret retail outlets.[14]
Products
Women’s intimate apparel
Leonisa has product lines for shapewear, bras and panties, including collections that meet specific needs, like postpartum and post-surgical shapewear and sports underwear.
In 2009, Leonisa introduced a brand that targets girls and women between the ages of 14 and 25.[15]
Leonisa is known for its shapewear, featuring four different compression levels, each employing Leonisa's trademark compression technology.[16] In 2012, the company launched a new line of smart fabric shapewear and post-surgical compression garments.[17]
Swimwear
Launched in the 1990s, the swimwear line includes basic swimwear, one-piece swimsuits, control and slimming swimwear, push up swimsuit tops and cover ups, and other products.[18]
LEO
Leonisa launched its first men's underwear collection in 1975 under the Airell brand. In the 1980s, this men's line was re-branded as LEO. The LEO brand offers men's underwear and shapewear, including three levels of compression.[19]
Activewear
Leonisa has activewear lines for both women and for men.[20][21] Leonisa ActiveLife and Leo ActiveLife includes breathable underwear,[22][23] leggings (often with incorporated shaping fabric such as DuraFit' and PowerSlim'),[24] and sports bras.
Campaigns
Leonisa has partnered with health companies in a campaign against breast cancer seeking to raise awareness among women about the importance of early detection.[25] As a part of this campaign, Leonisa developed educational teams in schools, universities, and shopping centers.
The company also developed the app “Leonisa Takes Care of You” to remind women of the right time to do their breast self-exam.[26]
Awards
2001 - Lyon Mode City, Best new design[27]
2006 - Antioquia's Shield, Gold Category[28]
2007 - Cromos Fashion Awards - Best Brand Runway[29]
2010 - Colombia Spain Award - Best Company of the Year[30]
