What's worn beneath surfaces at Nordstrom

Jumping from conception to hanging wares on a Nordstrom rack in two years might seem unrealistic for most retailers.

Not so for Zovo, an upscale lingerie retailer started in 2005 by former Starbucks executive Victoria Roberts.

In the past two years, Zovo has opened a store in University Village, launched a retail Web site and designed its own collection of intimate apparel.

The Zovo line, already sold at high-end boutiques nationwide, will be available at Nordstrom stores in downtown Seattle and Bellevue by Tuesday. The collection will also be sold at a Nordstrom opening in Denver in October.

Zovo's premiere collection includes lingerie, as well as loungewear, silk fashion tops and cashmere robes.

With panties at around $30, lounge pants for $140 and robes at around $180, Zovo expects to fit in well with Nordstrom's niche.

"It's luxury, but it's affordable," said Roberts.

The brand targets women 35-60 years old who have an annual household income of at least $90,000.

Roberts, along with husband and Chief Executive Engle Saez, started developing the Zovo line last August.

While Roberts went to fabric shows in New York, picking colors and designs, Saez built relationships with mills and hunted for factories abroad.

Saez said his experience as an executive for Starbucks, Eddie Bauer and Esprit provided a "tremendous leg up" for a small company looking to fill small orders.

Zovo buys fabrics from Austria and Switzerland and sends them to factories in mainland China and a sourcing office in Hong Kong.

In February, the collection launched at two major trade shows, where national retailers showed interest in the brand.

Despite being relatively new to the wholesale scene, Zovo was choosy about who it got involved with.

"You want your product hanging next to good, high-quality products," said Roberts. Nordstrom seemed like a perfect fit.

Zovo met in April with Nordstrom buyers, who took a little more than a month to place orders with Zovo. "They don't string you along," said Saez.

Roberts is proud to offer a line of intimate apparel made from 100 percent cotton and 100 percent silk, something she doesn't believe is readily available elsewhere.

Brenda Hawkins, lingerie buyer for Nordstrom, agreed with that assessment.

"We were initially drawn to the high quality and natural fabrication that our customers have been asking for," Hawkins said.

According to Saez, Zovo also appealed to Nordstrom because the brand coincided with the department store's customer target and covered a number of product classifications that fit Nordstrom's standards.

Saez said Nordstrom looks for suppliers with a strong infrastructure so they can provide quality products on time.

"There [are] no shortcuts to building a relationship with Nordstrom," said Saez. "It's really about performing, doing what you say you're going to do and delivering product that sells."

Zovo is now training Nordstrom sales representatives, who will test the products themselves. And while Zovo continues its growth, not much will change for its Seattle store.

"We are not changing the core of the store, which is a bra destination," Roberts said.

Bibeka Shrestha: 206-515-5632 or bshrestha@seattletimes.com