The fashion world loves its designers! These celebrity-status artists excite and inspire their followers each season. But lingerie design is a different animal and though many designers end up expanding into other categories such as shoes, housewares, and fragrances, sometimes they are hesitant to enter such a technical niche market as lingerie.
Lucky for us, some of these talented fashion designers have been able to successfully make that transition into lingerie, gracing us with beautiful collections to rival their runway style. Stella McCartney, Betsey Johnson, and Oscar De La Renta are just a few designers that come to mind who have licensed their names to lingerie companies and managed to create successful collections consistent with their aesthetic. Though the designers do not normally design the lingerie themselves, they do oversee the collections, as each style requires their approval before starting production.
While I love exploring and promoting new lingerie designers, I'm also curious as to what some of my favorite ready-to-wear designer’s lingerie lines would look like if they ever decided to branch out. I began fantasizing about how their collections would look --- and soon became so inspired I had to grab my sketchbook! I channeled my creativity into these imaginary collaborations and came up with a bunch of possibilities I'd buy for myself in a heartbeat. To be clear --- all of these sketches are my own personal vision and do not reflect those of the actual designers. They are imaginary creations that currently reside in my own head (and now on paper). But hey --- if any of you designers are reading this and like what you see, give me a call and I'd be thrilled to help make them come true!
1) Chanel
No one can quite compete with Chanel as the last word in sophisticated French design. I have no doubt the quintessential French brand --- which signifies class, sophistication, femininity, and luxury --- would make amazing lingerie rivaling top brands like La Perla. I envision satin and velvet, intricate laces and embroidery, deep inky hues, and of course her signature pale pink. Top it off with gold hardware accents, and you have a recipe for success.
2) Patricia Field
Patricia Field has been one of my favorite designers for years, even before her Sex And The City fame. I've always loved her bold and crazy styling and her own kooky designs for the House Of Field label. She recently started a partnership with Italian lingerie label Intimissimi to design costumes for Operapop: their annual ice capades-esqe show in October. But I'd love to see more from her in the lingerie world. If Patricia Field started a lingerie line, I imagine it being filled with enough sequins, leather, and feathers to outfit an entire drag queen performance! Some may call this look tacky or over the top, but I call it a good time.
3) Christian Louboutin
French designer Christian Louboutin has been making women feel powerful and sexy since the 1990s and his signature red lacquered sole is now synonymous with his name. His bold designs and sky-high heels are adorned with bows, feathers, jewels, and studs, which I think would easily translate to lingerie in a daring and sensual collection. Earlier this year, his collaboration with Dita Von Teese showed Louboutin can hold his own and succeed in the world of lingerie. I would love to see leathers and slick fabrics, luxe embellishments, and no apologies! A signature red logo would also be the perfect finishing touch, whether it be integrated into the trims or as a lining inside the bra cups.
4) Prada
Prada may have started out as a luggage company, but the ready-to-wear fashions they produce today are impressive enough to stand on their own. After sending a few bras down the runway in the past, Miuccia Prada is no stranger to the undergarment. The bras shown in her SS ‘14 collection may not have been functional foundation garments, but they looked fierce layered over her unique dresses, leading me to believe she should continue down that lingerie path! Signature prints and colors on sexy silhouettes would make for a sleek yet feminine look in luxury fabrics. I see satin and smooth knits here with covered buttons and ladylike details.
5) Kate Spade
Kate Spade has made a name for herself by featuring accessories with cute whimsical prints in bright, clean colors appealing to the feminine side in us all. While she has expanded into clothing and housewares, she has yet to launch a lingerie line. Kate Spade is not a complete stranger to the lingerie world, as she dabbled in it with a collection for The Lake And Stars back in 2013. However, I think if she launched her own line, it would be light and airy, with the highest quality soft fabrics in girlish colors. Sweet, quirky prints would adorn ruffled panties, soft triangle bras, and gauzy nighties. Her colorful collections would make the perfect compliment to lingerie's most delicate silhouettes, and her kitschy prints would give them a unique feel.
How do you think these designers would do in the lingerie world? Who would you most like to see come out with their own lingerie line?