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At number 60 of Rue de la République, in the French city of Pontarlier, you can find Femina Lingerie, the lingerie store of a Portuguese couple recognized with the ‘Prize of Excellence’ in the Top 100 Boutique Awards competition. The gala was at the prestigious Salon de Lingerie, organized at the Hotel Gabriel in Paris, where the biggest international brands were present.
Stephanie Dias Abreu and Michael Abreu emigrated to France two years ago, in the middle of the pandemic, opening their 300-square-meter store in 2021, primarily focused on different brand novelties. According to the newspaper O Minho, Michael Abreu, born in Guimarães, hopes his success story will inspire “other people to take risks”. “It’s not easy, but with a lot of work and effort, a person manages to reach the best”, adds the businessman. For her part, Stephanie Dias Abreu confesses that it was an unexpected recognition: “It was very emotional for me because Femina only has been in the lingerie market for two years. The victory is internationally recognized”, Stephanie is happy to tell NiT magazine.
“From now on, the evolution is to have more stores with the name Femina and open one in Portugal”, says Stephanie to Fashion Network, who has worked in retail for seven years, meeting Michael by coincidence at the Vimaran restaurant where worked and that she attended with her parents.