Before getting into the nitty gritty of what the differences are between designing for ‘ready-to-wear’ and ‘bespoke’ lingerie, it’s important to first nail down what these phrases actually mean. In a world dominated by fast fashion and half-truth marketing, a lot of the technical terminology around clothing has had its meaning diluted and distorted. This is particularly true of the language around luxury fashion, which is often co-opted by fast […]
It’s an opinion that’s not always popular in the lingerie community, but I believe there is no such thing as truly original design. Lingerie design, by nature, is limited. There are only so many ways to interpret functional underwear. However, in my eyes that’s not a bad thing. The history of lingerie design is incredibly rich and varied, and I love seeing how techniques and cuts reappear in contemporary design. […]
Every career is subject to stereotypes, both good and bad. Working as a lingerie designer, retailer and writer, I’ve heard my fair share of silly clichés. From the start, my career path has brought with it a bunch of myths that I’m constantly defending with the hope of changing people’s ideas of what being a lingerie designer really means. While lingerie is not as risqué a topic as it once […]
The bra you’re trying on feels like it’s made for you. Nothing cuts into your figure, everything is perfectly held in place. But it’s so expensive! How can such a tiny piece of clothing cost so much? This is the second of a 3-part series discussing why quality lingerie costs what it does – from materials to construction to indirect costs you may not think about when buying a bra or panty. […]
