Gabi Gregg has done it again. The new GabiFresh x Swimsuits for All collection is here, and, like the rest of the collective internet, I’m in love. This year’s theme is “New Year, Same You,” and I adore that tagline, especially during a season when people are actively being encouraged to dramatically change (or even loathe) their bodies. The idea that you’re perfectly and worth loving exactly as you are right now is one I can get behind, and I appreciate how Swimsuits for All is going against the metaphorical tide with a message I find refreshing.
Here it is: the finale, the coup de grâce, the closer to 2016. Speaking personally as Editor in Chief for a moment, I take our best lingerie brands of the year post very seriously. I start making notes on certain companies as early as January, “checking in” on them, so to speak, throughout the year.
The visual story of lingerie is everything, and a brand’s lookbook is one of the single most effective ways of transmitting that story. From a lookbook, you can learn if a brand is contemporary or traditional, luxury or inexpensive, French-inspired or American-influenced. A good lookbook conveys a brand’s identity, and it’s no exaggeration to say it can make or break a label.
Since my last article on the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, we’ve seen quite a few updates. On October 24th, VS officially announced this year’s show would be held in Paris. On October 26th, they unveiled the 2016 Fantasy Bra, worn by Jasmine Tookes and encrusted with over 9,000 precious gems. On October 28th, they released the show’s full model lineup. Yet the big question, at least for me, is if VS will be able to overcome their abysmal ratings from 2015. At its peak, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show could claim over 12 million viewers. Now they’re just barely over 6.5 million, and viewership dropped more than 30% in a single year between the 2014 and 2015 shows.
Victoria’s Secret has had a tumultuous year. Slow to pivot into the bralette trend that’s been taking over intimate apparel and even slower to take advantage of the industry’s shift towards more natural styling and models, VS had been forced into the unenviable position of playing catch-up. This year, the company dropped their catalog and swim divisions and relaunched their athleisure collections, but sales have remained low, especially compared to […]
