Detail and Balance ~ Merle Noir Lingerie

By ALISON CONNOLLY

Welcome to 2017!  We are officially in lingerie tradeshow season, with upcoming events taking place in Paris, London and New York City during January and February.  This is always an exciting time, as we get to see the latest look books for the FW2017 season.  The excitement of discovering a new collection or even a new designer is thrilling, particularly to those of us who are lingerie enthusiasts.  So you can imagine my excitement when I recently discovered the work of Merle Noir.  Launched in May 2016, Merle Noir is a Dutch lingerie designer who clearly has a fascination with French lace and precious Italian silks.  Each piece is handmade in her Amsterdam atelier and can be made to measure.  As described on her website, “her collections are made with an eye for detail and balance” which is critical when designing the feather light creations she produces.  Merle developed her craft at the young age of 15 at the Artemis Fashion Academy where she earned her BA, continued her studies at the Master Tailor Institute and then spent several years working for couture houses such as Viktor&Rolf and the Dutch National Ballet.  If you are familiar with my previous posts, you know I have a special appreciation for any designer who masterfully mixes lingerie and ballet (as you will see in a couple of images here).   Clearly, Merle Noir is off to a strong start and she has certainly captured our attention.  If anything, 2016 gave us something very good when it introduced us to Merle Noir.

Merle Noir || Tokyo Launch 2016 from Merle Noir on Vimeo.

Fall Magazine: Photography: Sarah Distel & Lianne Huizing