A company that specialises in "Made in France" underwear has raised
nearly 19,000 euros ($25,000) from enthusiastic investors banking
on its next titillating creation -- sweet-smelling underpants for
men.
The so-called "Indomitable" briefs will be manufactured by "Le Slip
Francais", a company set up in 2011 by 27-year-old Guillaume
Gibault, who decided to bank on a trend for all things made in
France to sell underwear.
"You want to change the world, you want to change things, start by
changing your underpants!" the firm writes on crowdfunding website
www.mymajorcompany.com, where it has already raised close to 19,000
euros.
The idea behind crowdfunding is that anyone on the Internet can
contribute money to a project, in some cases in exchange for shares
in a company or other rewards.
Gibault told AFP the briefs will be scented thanks to
micro-capsules full of homemade perfume that will be incorporated
into the cotton used to make the underpants in the Lille region of
northern France.
As soon as the lucky owner of the briefs moves around, the capsules
will release the perfume and the scent will last up to 30 washes,
he says.
"It's quite a masculine perfume, not very strong, based on musk and
pears," he said.
"Le Slip Francais" has become something of a success story in
France, which is suffering badly from lack of competitiveness and a
general perception of hostility towards business owners and
entrepreneurs.
It employs five people in its Paris headquarters, and outsources
the manufacture of the underwear to factories in different parts of
France, including Lille and the southwestern Dordogne region.
The firm has so far sold some 20,000 of its red, white, blue and
black briefs, and plans to develop its presence abroad, with
Japanese people proving to be particularly enthusiastic
clients.
Gibault says the company is already profitable, adding that the
whole project shows "that we are capable of innovating in
France".
"Le Slip Francais" had originally intended to raise 10,000 euros
for the scented briefs, but has surpassed that amount by far and
could still get a lot more before a June 3 deadline it set on its
crowdfunding page --
http://www.mymajorcompany.com/projects/sentez-bon-du-slip#home
Supporters will get a range of rewards for their donations, ranging
from a key ring to becoming the face -- or body of -- the new
underpants when the firm's advertising drive begins.