Bralettes & Bow Ties: A Lingerie Party with Honey Cooler Handmade

Last night, it was my pleasure to attend and model at Bralettes & Bow Ties, a lingerie party co-hosted by Honey Cooler Handmade, Zelma Rose, and Rue Magazine. And it was, well, just swell. (Note: I'm bringing back "swell," at least for a few seconds.) The soiree was hosted in HCH's beautiful studio by designer Stephanie Bodnar, with live models showing off her new ready-to-wear line, a photo booth, and a wonderful bartender. Zelma Rose had an offering of adorable cross-stitch necklaces and handmade bow ties (the real kind that you actually tie).

The ready-to-wear collection itself was adorable and deserves a post on its own. Suffice to say, as always, the designs are chic and distinctive, and the construction quality is beautiful. Stephanie's insertion lace is always stunning (of course I'm particularly a sucker for her signature skull camisole). The collection included camisoles, panties, tap pants, ventilated ribbon corsets, bralettes and beautifully ruched garter belts in a handful of classic colors. Everything is in a soft, sumptuous silk. My outfit for the evening featured a black bralette with ivory star-shaped lace cutouts placed modestly slightly off-center, black tap pants with a geometric lace inset on rear, and a ribbon cincher in a red and black brocade ribbon. The other model showed off an ivory camisole and panty set, styled with a sweet silk sleep mask.

The vibe of the party was wonderfully warm and mellow, with a perfect number of people in attendance and free flowing conversation. In attendance that night was a bevy of local talent, including other fashion designers such as J'Amy Tarr, graphic designers, Kelly of Elizabeth Street Cosmetics, bloggers such as Bike Pretty and even our own Lingerie Addict herself! I've been writing a regular column here for over two years and last night was the first time I've met Cora in person, which was of course absolutely delightful. After leaving the HCH studio, we made a beeline for the Dollhouse Bettie fashion show, debuting their full collection in four mini-groups.

All told, it was a good night for lingerie in San Francisco! It seems like 2014 is off to a running start, so here's to hoping for many more lingerie parties in our future.

Have you been to any lingerie parties?  What was your favorite part, or what would you want to see at a lingerie party?

If you're in the Bay Area and you're disappointed that you missed out on Bralettes and Bowties, fear not, for Honey Cooler Handmade and my line Pop Antique will be at Dark Garden this Saturday for a Valentine's Day trunk show. Talk to us about ready-to-wear or custom designs, or just swing by to say hi!