François Roberge is proud of the brand and foundation that he’s built, right here at home.
Putting on a sleek swimsuit, your comfy pjs, or that pretty little something should make you feel great. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could feel good about where you bought it, too?
Now celebrating its 40th year, la Vie en Rose is a Canadian success story — and a place where Canadians can feel good shopping. When president and CEO François Roberge took over 10 years into its history in 1996, the chain was floundering. He moved the headquarters to Montreal, created a private label, and set out building a network of shops where people could find quality lingerie, sleepwear, and eventually swimwear, that makes them feel fantastic.
There have been a number of initiatives over the years that might make you feel even better. For instance, Sleek Back Bra, or the introduction of extended sizing to fit more bodies, or the Muse line of pretty and practical mastectomy bras. The company phased out disposable plastic bags, instead selling bags and donating the proceeds to environmental causes. But one of the best feel-good aspects of shopping at la Vie en Rose is knowing you are supporting a Canadian company that goes out of its way to support philanthropic causes.
Building a Rosier future
In 2002, Roberge created the Roses of Hope Foundation, a way to give back to the communities where his business is built. “There’s an evolution with the foundation,“ Roberge explains. Selling bras to a customer base that is “99.9%” women, donating to breast cancer causes seemed a logical place to start. “There was a lot of devotion to women’s issues at the beginning,” he says, “but recently, we have some big challenges with the planet, in the future of the planet.” And that affects everyone. So the Roses of Hope Foundation partnered with six Canadian organizations dedicated to environmental preservation, donating $1 million to them last year in addition to its donations to other charities.
What’s next
“We invest, we grow!” says Roberge. It’s an adage you can see he takes to heart. When he bought the chain, there were 200 employees and 23 stores solely in Canada, doing roughly $12 million in business. Today they have more than 5000 employees in 425 stores in 18 countries, projecting $600 million this year.
Exciting things are ahead: growing its footprint in Canada with larger stores and expanding globally. Stores in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Panama, Mexico and a reintroduction into Morocco are all in the works. A deal to open 10 stores in the U.S. was inked last year. With a shrug and a smile Roberge says “We’ll do my 10 stores, but I would like to see what type of conflict with the US [we face] before I start work on 2026 and 2027.”
Strong Canadian roots
With the imminent demise of The Bay, Roberge sees a place for his company to move into the vacuum left in women’s swimwear, sleepwear, and underwear for Canadians, filling the gap of one national company with another.
Being a Canadian company has always been integral at la Vie en Rose, but it feels more important recently. La Vie en Rose is headquartered in Canada, has stores here coast to coast, is owned by Canadians, and its products are designed and developed (although not manufactured) here. “Be proud to be Canadian,” says Roberge. “That’s what I’ve always believed.”
Shop your lingerie, sleepwear, and swimwear at la Vie en Rose, online or instore,
visit lavieenrose.com.
