Karla Colletto to Launch E-commerce Site

Karla Colleto Swimwear is launching e-commerce during the first week of June. The idea of diversifying to include a direct-to-consumer component had been part of the luxury swimwear brand’s strategy for some time, but with the coronavirus pandemic destabilizing the retail market, cofounders Lisa Rovan and Karla Colletto decided to accelerate the launch. The site will allow the company to offer a wider variety of styles, such as two-piece swimsuits and fashion-forward styles that showcase Colletto’s background in couture and ready-to-wear design. It will also allow the sisters to introduce resortwear. Rovan explained that the company, which is based in Vienna, Va., has been manufacturing its own swimwear domestically since 1987. “We always wanted to be able to find a way to just do made-to-order, and not have to stock merchandise. That’s how we’ve always done our production. It’s always on demand. The stores order and we manufacture whatever they order. We very rarely have inventory. We wanted to be able to do the e-commerce the same way, and now we have the tools to do that,” said Rovan. The company hired an outside firm to develop the e-commerce. Rovan said the e-commerce site will be launched simply to start, considering the economic environment.

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