by Basic underwear doesn’t have to be beige and boring, it can be laced with color — and this is a trend that’s here to stay. This is what Grupo Hope partner and director Sandra Chayo says in an interview with UOL Líderes.
She also talked about:
- Consumer buying behavior after the pandemic.
- The relationship of underwear with society’s culture.
- Concern for the environment and biodegradable fabric.
- The challenges of working in a family business.
- The company’s expansion plans.
Listen to the full interview on the UOL Leaders podcast. You can also watch the video interview on the UOL YouTube channel. Watch the highlights of the interview below:
From pajamas to dental floss
During the pandemic, we noticed that, at first, the sale of pajamas exploded, increased by 400%, then we saw that thongs started to sell much more. They are some phenomena that show trends not only in fashion, but in behavior and that we must observe to be a guide in the development of new products.
biodegradable fabric
The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world, so it is involved in innovation to preserve the environment. Biodegradable fabric is one of the initiatives. Of everything we sell, 50% is made with this fabric. It will decay in just three years instead of the 50 or even 200 years it might take.
Basic without being boring
Hope’s flagship is the most basic line. We have a very comfortable lace line, which today is the new basic, which doesn’t have to be boring anymore [chato], it doesn’t have to be smooth, beige. We’ve talked a lot about color and we’ve seen that this is a trend that’s here to stay.
Sandra Chayo, partner and director of Grupo Hope
Image: Diego Padgurschi and Editoria de Arte/UOL
Underwear and culture
Underwear and fashion in general intervene in culture and society over time. More recently we’ve seen those padding bras, push-up bras, Victoria’s Secret, those shows that showed more accentuated curves. The plastic surgery boom for silicone implants happened because of this. And now I see an opposite movement, back to the natural. In surgical operations, there are many effusions. We see that this thing of being too artificial and too assembled is no longer the way we want to preach as a society.
Family business
The family business is a challenge because there is familiarity, coexistence. We say things bluntly, often without thinking, so there must be a great deal of respect between the parties and a great deal of detachment from authorship of ideas. Vanity can get in the way of a lot. Respect for others, giving up authorship, vanity, selfishness, are what will make a family business have a good relationship.
expansion plans
Hope today is a three brand group. Hope, in women’s underwear, and we recently entered the men’s market, launching underwear. Hope Resort, which is the lifestyle brand of the group, a segment that is growing a lot. We have a store project where we sell both brands in the same space. And we have Bon Jour Lingerie, a multibrand lingerie brand. With Hope, Hope Resort and these stores that bring the two brands together, we have a project of 700 stores by the end of 2025.
Who is Sandra Chayo?
Full name: Sandra Chayo
Date and place of birth: August 2, 1975 / São Paulo – SP
Official name of the current position in the company: Partner and director of Grupo Hope
First job and title: Architecture Intern at Keep Construtora. At Hope, she started as a purchasing intern
Career Highlights: Hope Group Director
Cities you have lived in: Sao Paolo
Undergraduate and postgraduate courses and institutions: FAAP – Architecture
Family: Married with 3 children
Hobby: My family, travel, reading and physical activity (mainly yoga)
A book: “The widow Clicquot”, by Tilar J. Mazzeo, about the story of Madame Clicquot, from Veuve Clicquot champagne. “I love biographies. Knowing the history of other entrepreneurs inspires me. The book tells the story of a champagne empire and an inspiring woman who, even centuries ago, inherited a business, innovated in her field, knew how to make it prosper and Feats are still used today in the beverage industry.’
Film: “The Pursuit of Happiness” by director Gabriele Muccino. “It’s an emotional film, especially for the father figure of the character played by Will Smith. I’ve always had a very close relationship with my father, so I’m emotional about that.”
Football Team: Corinthians
What is Hope Group like?
Number of direct employees of the company: 1,200 employees
Sales per year: About 7 million pieces per year
Countries where it operates: Brazil
Main competitors: Loungerie, Scala, Intimissimi, Lupo and Track & Field
Founded in: 1966
