This has been an enervating week: round trip travel to Paris for 4 full days of product analysis combined with a bit too much indulgence in French cuisine and wine. Add to the recipe the on-going learning curve from having just launched our new website and the attention it demands, and I must admit my inspirational meter has peaked. Sometimes one just needs comfort food. Retreating to the familiar has a way of providing succor … Read More
I am back in New York and this was a very positive exposition. Major Intimate Apparel trends that will impact the design and merchandising decisions made in Lingerie businesses throughout 2012 were reinforced. Helped by the extensive research presented in the forums and conferences directed by both Concepts Paris at and Nelly Rodi, the color, fabric and silhouette direction was clear. Here are some of their major statements:
- Color palettes are dominated by an
January 23, 2012
I have been traveling to Paris for many years to cover the Intimate Apparel market. It’s somewhat serendipitous, having studied French in depth when I was young with romantic expectations of another career, perhaps working for the UN. Proving that expertise in a culture and a language can serve any end goal; I am applying all those skills in another mission, sustaining the soul of lingerie. And there is nothing quite the … Read More
January 22, 2012
It was a very busy day at the show, crowded, a great deal of energy in the pavilion and definitely a positive vibe. I spent the morning reviewing Shapewear and the plethora of product that has now made this category a major player in Intimate Apparel. 
The Best of Intima presented a global overview of the Shaping phenomenon in a seminar tracking the classification’s evolution from basic to fashion essentials.
Next it … Read More
January 21, 2012
First day at the Salon De Lingerie and I did my usual rounds of the major bra companies, cruised the entire exposition, and attended the trend conferences, mostly to get an initial overview. 
One thing is for sure, no show is quite as quintessentially French as this one. And nothing says French Lingerie with “Ooh La La” flair quite like the saucy Aubade brand, sexy Maison Close or the classic Parisian corsetiѐre, … Read More
January 20, 2012
It is wet and cold in Paris but that does not seem to prevent the vignettes of vibrant color from seeping through the grey mist. I did my regular first day walk about on the Left Bank to check out certain tried and true lingerie domains (and to keep myself from caving in to jet lag). But it’s the street scene that always captures my fancy, the underlying style that makes Paris … Read More
This Week’s Intimate Discovery: An Experienced Lingerie Designer Makes a Magnificent Solo Debut
When I first met Asi Efros, I knew 
immediately that I was speaking to a true artist. Asi’s first collection for her personal label, Ann Vogue, proves my instincts correct. She showed me her concept months ago and I was excited then about the prospect of a hand crafted lingerie collection designed with the attention to detail worthy of true … Read More