http://www.lingerie-buyer.co.uk/library/rss/news.xml Thu, 17 May 2012 14:07:02 +0100 l.debell@hgluk.com (Lotte Debell) b.halper@hgluk.com (Barry Halper) en-gb Copyright 2012Lingerie Buyer RSS Feed Pure London moves its show date to fit in with the Olympics and gets dedicated intimate apparel section for SS13.   The new Pure London date will be 19-21 August 2012, which it says will fit in with the buying schedule of the independent fashion retail market and the multiples for their SS13 buying season.   The show will also launch the Pure Body section, showcasing directional and designer lingerie, swimwear, shape wear and loungewear  brands from across the UK and internationally. Brands in this section include Velda Lauder Corsetiere, Made by Niki Lingerie, HOTmilk and Doro.     The Pure Body section will sit alongside its regular womenswear, footwear, accessories and young fashion sections and has been launched in response to buyer feedback - 34 percent of existing Pure London visitors said that they would be interested in the intimate apparel section.   In addition to the section, visitors will be able to take inspiration from a series of lingerie, swimwear, shapewear and loungewear catwalk scenes.     After the success of February's edition, the show's aim this season is to continue to showcase innovative, fashion-focussed design talent from around the globe for SS13. Thu, 17 May 2012 10:37:18 +0100 Made in Chelsea's Millie Mackintosh has tweeted a photo of herself in a Huit bikini.    The 22 year old reality TV star said on Twitter 'Can't wait to wear my new Huit bikini in ibiza next week! #summer', snapping a photo of herself in the new black two piece bikini (pictured) and showing her 350,000 Twitter followers.     It's not the first time that the Made in Chelsea star has shown her love for the French lingerie brand either, as she posed Huit lingerie for a FHM magazine shoot in February of this year too. Thu, 17 May 2012 09:36:53 +0100 Lectra (an integrated technology solutions company dedicated to industries using soft materials - textiles, leather, industrial fabrics and composite materials) and WGSN (a leading trend forecaster) have announced a new partnership which will see them bridge the gap between trends, design, and development with a combination of exclusive content, powerful technology, and industry best-practices.   The first joint project is in the form of a set of Starter Packs which have been created to improve information sharing between the different phases of apparel development. They include mood and presentation boards; printed, woven, and knitted fabrics; colourway suggestions; seasonal palettes; spec information; flat pattern blocks; and 3D prototypes for key looks.      Catriona MacNab, chief creative officer at WGSN, has described the partnership as 'a very important strategic journey for both WGSN and Lectra - a first for the fashion and design industry'. The partnership is expected to bring WGSN closer to its clients and develop a deeper relationship with business.    The partnership was celebrated with an event at trendy London Soho venue Sketch, which brought together 60 people from over 30 fashion companies including Arcadia Group, Debenhams, House of Fraser, the ASBCI and UKFT.   'It is great to see Lectra and WGSN working together like this. The retail update was a thought-provoking and challenging presentation for the industry as a whole,' says Paul Alger - Director, International Affairs, UKFT.   WGSN’s Senior Retail Analyst presented a trend forecast at the event which highlighted the major themes that are driving change in the fashion industry today.   Maggie Stott, senior pattern cutter at Warehouse, said of the event: 'Working at the product-making end of the industry I never seem to have the opportunity to keep up with what's happening in retail. The presentation on current trends both in consumer behaviour and retailers response was very insightful. If this is a taste of the Lectra & WGSN partnership - bringing the diverse aspects of the industry closer together - I look forward to more.'   A second event will take place in New York in July. Wed, 16 May 2012 09:59:16 +0100 A new lingerie dedicated PR company has launched, announcing Claudette as its launch client.   The new agency has been set up by Sherece Rainford to create a dedicated company for the media management of lingerie and loungewear. Sherece has already worked in the intimate apparel industry and other PR companies for over 15 years.   She said: 'I'm really excited to launch Lingerie PR. To me lingerie and loungewear brands always seems to hold second place to the rest of the fashion world when it comes to publicity, so I decided to have an agency that would always put them first. I'm delighted to launch the agency with Claudette as a client and I'm looking forward to working with some great brands.'     Claudette’s lingerie collections feature an expert eye for detail and attention to fit, with the brand's bras ranging from A to G cups.   Claudette creative director Bok Claudette said: 'It’s such an exciting time for Claudette in the UK. We are about to launch with figleaves.com and starting to work with Lingerie PR.' Claudette is based in fabulous Los Angeles and designed and developed in London, launching in the UK at last season's Moda. Wed, 16 May 2012 09:40:31 +0100 Despite the wettest April since records began, retailers just about managed to hold their own according to the latest figures from the BDO High Street Sales Tracker. This shows that like-for-like sales from mid-tier retailers were down by just 0.8 percent year-on-year. Fashion retailers were predictably hard hit, with sales down 4.6 percent year-on-year, and those shoppers who did spend focused on winter garments rather than new summer lines.  But overall this was offset by a rise in non-fashion (5.9 percent) and homewears (plus 14 percent). The other big winner was online, with shopping from home boosting year-on-year sales by 29 percent, echoing recent trends reported by retailers such as Next and Debenhams. Don Williams, national head of retail and wholesale at BDO, said the figures were not as bad as predicated. ‘The lead times for much of the high street, especially fashion, means many can’t react to unseasonal weather in the way that something like the grocery sector can. This combined with the continued pressure on disposable income meant that we weren’t expecting sales to grow. But the fact the numbers were down less than 1 percent shows that people are still spending money despite feeling the financial pinch.’   Tue, 15 May 2012 18:38:52 +0100 Bravado has launched its best-selling Body Silk Seamless bra in Turquoise following the success of the Honeysuckle colourway.   The fresh and bright colour has launched to consumers in time for the summer season, expanding the existing collection to appeal to those women wanting to wear sun dresses and strappy tops when the weather gets warmer.    The Body Silk Seamless bra is a best-seller for the maternity and nursing bra brand, combining style and comfort while the product moulds itself onto a woman’s shape.      The moulded, removable, foam cups can turn the Body Silk Seamless into a T-shirt bra that will hide breast pads, whilst the proprietary clips are invisible under close-fitting clothing as well as easy to open and close with one hand.    Director of European operations, Penny Clayton, said: 'We’ve had great success with the new collection of coloured bras, we find mums really like having a fun and bright bra to see them through their breastfeeding experience. Turquoise is the perfect colour for the season and we are sure it will be very popular.'   Bravado's turquoise  Body Silk Seamless  is currently being stocked at JoJo Maman,  Figleaves, FHTM, Perfectly Petite, Sheen Uncovered in London and  Puremischief in Lancashire.       Tue, 15 May 2012 16:16:30 +0100 Australian swimwear label Kooey Australia launched two new collections at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia show last month, including a collaborative project with the current Miss Universe Australia, Scherri-Lee Biggs, and the brand’s first full men's collection (pictured on the catwalk). The Scherri-Lee for Kooey collection takes inspiration from the Australian summer and all things fun and girly. Styles include bikinis, one-pieces, a monokini, a tankini and resortwear in a soft colour palette with braiding and tie details. Scherri-Lee for Kooey will also be seen at the Miss Universe Australia finals and the Miss USA live global telecast in June. Select pieces will be available for purchase in June and the full collection will be available in September.     "We wanted to design a fashion-forward range in the same way that we do for women." Koeey’s first full men’s collection includes swimmers, trunks and boardshorts and resortwear made from technical fabrics. ‘We really wanted to offer men a new unique look with this collection, we wanted to design a fashion-forward range in the same way that we do for women,’ said designer Nikki Silverthorne. ‘Men are increasingly looking towards stylish designer clothes rather than the standard mass-produced surf-wear and this range addresses that.’ Tue, 15 May 2012 15:51:12 +0100 Curvy Kate has expanded its international social media platforms, starting with its French Facebook Page and a French Twitter profile.   There are already 60 stores stocking Curvy Kate in France, so the fuller bust brand intends to expand interaction in the country by launching a new page in the French language where customers can get the full social experience online.      The D plus brand is known for utilising its social media platforms, and has just seen a 117 percent increase in interaction after its 2012 UK Star in a Bra competition.  The brand is starting to launch social media profiles for the different countries it is stocked in in order to engage with current customers and extend reach to new ones.   Over the launch period, key retailers such as Castaluna, Lingerie-story and VSLingerie were involved in marketing strategies such as retweet competitions, the regular ‘Star Store’ feature and on-going promotional campaigns.   PR and marketing assistant Cheryl Warner said: 'Since our customer base is growing, we thought it was time to extend our social media platforms to the French market. Curvy Kate fans enjoy an exchange of conversation with the brand and we are lucky enough to have a unique bond with our customers. Keeping up with the latest social trends and platforms, we wanted our French fans to be able to get involved in their own language.' Tue, 15 May 2012 15:05:38 +0100 Shock Absorber survey shows that 52 percent more women are opting to exercise outdoors, with the UK’s Top 10 ‘Green’ workout hotspots also being revealed.   The increase of 52 percent since 2007 is made up of women who are opting for the great outdoors to exercise while nearly half of women (48 percent) are exercising outside three times a week and 60 percent cite expensive fees as the reason for not going to the gym.     The study has been conducted by sports bra brand Shock Absorber to reveal the benefits of exercising outdoors and to launch its “#Get Out There” campaign. The promotional campaign aims to promote the benefits of exercising outdoors and is asking women to upload photos to the campaign’s Facebook page so others can be inspired by their experiences.   Shock Absorber’s Kirsty Kothakota said: 'Many women have their favourite exercise location which gives their workout that extra boost. The aim of our ‘#Get Out There’ campaign is to provide a nationwide picture of inspirational and accessible green exercise places. Research shows participants work harder when exercising outdoors so it is important women wear the right sports bra. A Shock Absorber sports bra will give them the support they need, helping to further boost performance and confidence.'   Visit getoutthere.shockabsorber.co.uk Tue, 15 May 2012 14:46:59 +0100 Lascivious has been featured in an editorial shoot in Rankin's Hunger magazine.   The fashion photographer has launched the biannual Hunger magazine accompanied by a website designed to 'inspire and incite the creative hunger in us all'. Rankin also intends to become a platform for young emerging talent.    The Lascivious Stardust bodysuit has been featured in an editorial shoot with Heidi Klum in issue 2 of Rankin's new magazine.      The bodysuit is currently being sold at www.lascivious.co.uk at £285.00.    Tue, 15 May 2012 11:10:10 +0100 Curvy Kate had another record Star in a Bra for its 2012 UK competition, with even more people entering the competition as well as voting for the next face and body of the fuller bust brand.   At the beginning of the year, Curvy Kate’s Facebook Timeline was exposed on average to 4,500 engaged users per month and since the competition started, this number has risen to 9,771, meaning the competition generated an increase of 117 percent. The number of D plus women entering also doubled from last year's competition and in three months, Curvy Kate’s ‘fans’ on Facebook have risen by 51 percent. Curvy Kate also saw a record number of votes too - over 320,000 clicks were made on the application, which was created by social media agency mycleveragency.     "We are passionate about promoting all curves and its clear the public love to be involved in choosing our next model." This year the brand has said that key stockists played a major part in the success of the campaign, promoting the campaign with promotional inserts, social engagement, in store marketing and staff incentives. Winner of Star in a Bra 2012 Sophie Morgan (pictured) was found through AIS Store Creaseys of the Channel Islands.    Hannah Houston, PR and Marketing Manager said: ‘We were amazed at the hordes of gorgeous, shapely women who threw their curves into the competition. We are passionate about promoting all curves and its clear the public love to be involved in choosing our next model. Our final winner Sophie Morgan is a great role model and oozes glamour, confidence and inner beauty.  We’re excited about the year ahead!’   The US version of Star in a Bra is currently taking place and the second Australian competition twill start in June. Mon, 14 May 2012 14:58:13 +0100 Ender Legard Corsetry will join the Vera Wang trunk show this Friday to give brides advice on using the brand's pieces for the 'perfect bridal silhoutte'.   On Friday 18 May at Browns Fashion, designer Asia Smaga will be on hand to demonstrate to brides how to create their wedding look with an Ender Legard Corsetry silk-satin under-garment.     Ender Legard corsetry is specifically designed to complement bridal or evening gowns, giving support for various types of dresses including strapless, backless or plunging front.   The Vera Wang trunk show will take place this Friday at 59 Brook Street, London W1K 4HS. Contact verawang@brownsfashion.com for more information. Mon, 14 May 2012 12:41:40 +0100 Ayten Gasson has announced a return to Brighton. The brand has also appointed public relations company Push PR to represent the brand and revealed plans to open its own boutique along the UK’s south coast.   The lingerie brand was launched in 2005 with all design and production taking place in a one-bedroom Brighton flat. Ayten Gasson has steadily grown and now works with manufacturers based in Wales, Nottingham and London.     After a short spell in London, the brand has now moved its headquarters back to Brighton and is aiming to concentrate on direct selling to the consumer, with plans to open its own boutique somewhere along the south coast.    It has appointed Push PR to represent the brand and help take Ayten Gasson forward while the brand develops.   Mon, 14 May 2012 11:15:50 +0100 Triumph is again inviting young designers to represent the UK in the global search to find the next lingerie design talent.   The brand's annual global competition is in its 5th year and is seeking student designers from renowned fashion colleges to enter the design contest.   The 2012 theme for the international competition is “Dragons and Butterflies” and student from a total of 31 countries will be challenged to create a unique showpiece. TheIA award will give these students the chance to showcase their innovative lingerie designs in front of national, consumer and trade press as well as some of the industry’s most influential people.     Read about the international winner of Triumph Inspiration Award 2011     The winner will work with Triumph through the development process, turning their catwalk pieces into a commercial garment which is then sold worldwide as a limited edition collection.   The UK National final: This will see 16 UK students present their interpretations of “Dragons and Butterflies” to a national panel of key fashion and design experts from the UK. This will take place on the 23rd May. The winner will be announced that evening and go on to represent the UK in the International Grand Final.   The international grand final: The TIA Grand Final will take place in Shanghai.  On 19th October 2012, winners from each of the 31 countries will compete head to head  during a fashion show and event attended by celebrities, international press and Triumph trade partners. The students are judged by a renowned jury of fashion, design and media. The experts from the last years include personalities such as Ellen von Unwerth and Helena Christensen, while it was supported and modelled by Lily Cole.   Read about the international winner of Triumph Inspiration Award 2011 Thu, 10 May 2012 14:35:59 +0100 Online sourcing platform Yourbrandspace and the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB) are to collaborate on a series of networking events for independent retailers. The first seminar will take place in Manchester on 16 May, co-hosted by the Manchester Fashion Network, and will cover the purpose and benefits of both FAB and yourbrandspace. The event is intended to offer a rare opportunity to meet and network with other independent fashion store owners and suppliers. It costs £10 to attend and will take place at 6.30pm at 2022NQ, 20 Dale Street, Manchester. Both FAB and yourbrandspace are committed to strengthening and developing the independent fashion sector, both the retailers and their suppliers, and they launched at the same time. ‘We are pleased to be teaming up over the next few months to explain to retailers what we do and why they should sign up to both of us,’ said Eric Musgrave, industry commentator and the former editorial director of Drapers. ‘We are delighted to work with FAB and to get on the road to talk to independents about how we can help their business become stronger and more profitable,’ added Louisa Valvano, director of yourbrandspace. ‘Working with the only UK trade association dedicated to the interest of the independent fashion retailer was an opportunity not to be missed as we build on our mutual desire to improve profitability and streamline the day-to-day business practices of running an indie.’ For more information visit www.yourbrandspace.com and www.fashionassociationofbritain.co.uk Tickets can be booked through www.manchesterfashion.com Thu, 10 May 2012 12:54:49 +0100