Vedette is a company, headquartered in

Williamson, Georgia Williamson is a city in Pike County, Georgia, United States. The population was 681 in 2020. History The community was named after Isaac Henry Williamson, an early settler. The Georgia General Assembly incorporated Williamson as a town in 1908. ...

, that manufactures and markets

undergarments Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...

for women, with an emphasis on shapewear undergarments which are functionally designed to help wearers achieve a desired body form for aesthetic purposes, but can also be used as post-surgical support or to encourage posture discipline. Vedette markets its products towards more affluent consumers by using more costly materials, focusing on detailed design and appearance in addition to function, and borrowing design elements from intimates,

lingerie Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...

, and traditional

corsets A corset /ˈkɔːrsɪt/ is a support garment worn to constrict the torso into the desired shape and posture. They are traditionally constructed out of fabric with boning made of whalebone or steel, a stiff panel in the front called a busk which ...

. Vedette also maintains a standard lower-cost product line and a few products for men.Torres, Amanda. "Orion Expands Its Market Base." ''Body''. 14 May 2009. Web. 4 March 2010

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Company and divisions

The Vedette brand currently employs around 300 to 350 employees at several locations around the globe, operating under various localized company names: *United States: Orion Manufacturing, Inc. operates as the global headquarters in Williamson, Georgia, Williamson, Georgia and is mainly responsible for international sales and international shipping to all destinations except Colombia. *Colombia: C.I. Inducorset operates as the regional headquarters in

Tuluá Tuluá (), is a city located in the heart of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. A major industrial and commercial center, it is the region's fourth-largest city after Cali—the department capital— Palmira and Buenaventura. Founded around 1741 by Juan ...

, and is responsible for international sales in Spanish speaking markets and shipping within Colombia. Vedette's main factory, responsible for final garment assembly, also operates in Tuluá, employing local labor. Vedette operates two retail stores in Colombia, in

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish Imperial period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city, capital and largest city ...

and in Tuluá. *Mexico: A retail store location and a smaller factory responsible for manufacturing some precursor parts operates in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. *Philippines: SEA Global CC operates as the regional headquarters in

Makati Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...

, and is responsible for international sales in English.

Sales

Vedette's annual sales have grown at an average of 25% to 30% per year, with annual sales totaling nearly $9 million in 2008.

History

Vedette was founded in 1979 in

, Colombia. After growing quickly in its home country and spreading throughout South and Central America, Vedette expanded into the United States in 1998: first to Texas, then to Florida, and finally to Georgia to serve the emerging shapewear market in the United States, concentrating on the Hispanic community. Vedette has since grown to serve a much greater variety of international and domestic clients with increasing focus on Internet sales.

Press

Vedette has been referred to or featured in several magazines and trade publications, most notably: ''Body'' (U.S. edition), ''

Vanidades ''Vanidades'' (Spanish for ''Vanities'') is one of the most popular Spanish language women's magazines. Published by Editorial Televisa across the United States and Hispanic America, it was launched in Cuba in February 1937 by Editorial Carteles ...

'' (Mexican edition), ''En Forma'' (Colombian edition), and '' TV y Novelas'' (Colombian edition) ."En Vitrina: Vedette Buen Comienzo." ''TV y Novelas'' 30 January 2010, Colombian ed.: 72. Print.

References

External links

vedettestore.com
(Official Vedette retail website)
bbb.org
(

Better Business Bureau The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is an American private, 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization founded in 1912. BBB's self-described mission is to focus on advancing marketplace trust, consisting of 92 independently incorporated local BBB organizati ...

listing for Orion Manufacturing) {{Authority control Hosiery brands Lingerie brands Manufacturing companies based in Georgia (U.S. state) Colombian companies established in 1979 Multinational companies headquartered in the United States Clothing brands of Colombia Clothing brands of the United States Lingerie retailers Clothing companies established in 1979