By ELLEN LEWIS
Aubade
Last week, post Paris shows, I recapped my impressions of Interfilière , which focuses on color, prints, materials and major messages that will affect Intimate Apparel design in the future. The exposition takes us into the 2021 design timeline. Today, I zero in on the Salon International de la Lingerie, which runs in tandem with Interfilière and targets actual product ready for the AW 2020 … Read More
By TINA WILSON
Above all else I am thankful for my family, and it is a huge family. I come from a family of 10 kids, me being the oldest and I have many nieces and nephews of all ages, Peanut Butter, Nookie, Joi-Toy, Butterfly, JJ, Chillywilly, Man-man, Poopah and Delicate Flower, just to name a few. And no those are not their given names; those are my nicknames for … Read More
By ELLEN LEWIS
I’ve been wrestling with the concept of sustainability for months now. It’s somewhat of a conundrum for the Lingerie and Swimwear Industry. How do we reconcile the main objective of feel and fit friendly garments, softness as a mission, with the reality of the fabric technology required to accomplish this goal? There are solutions, but as Sharleen Ernster, the founder of the eco-friendly brand, We Are HAH … Read More
By ELLEN LEWIS
NATURAL skin
Organic Essentials
There was a definite uptick at CurvExpo in February. The show was larger, the layout was friendlier and the special events were pertinent to the current cultural shifts impacting the industry. For my part, as a veteran Intimates merchant, it’s still all about product and the social movements that guide its development. I was able to solidify my thoughts on subjects that are … Read More
By ELLEN LEWIS
Simone Perele
I have just spent the past week de-briefing from my 3 day marathon at Curve NY. Siphoning through 500 photographs now culled down for this article I have come to some conclusions on what is happening as we head into the fall 18/spring 19 lingerie season. I have heard much about the multi-billion dollar Lingerie industry in the past few years: the shrinking vendor structure, … Read More
By ELLEN LEWIS
Nothing has changed and everything is changing. The NY Curve Intimate Apparel show was, from what I understand from many of the brands to whom I spoke, with a few exceptions, a success. Of note, from the buyers, the entire vibe was much better, with meaningful seminars, a brand speed dating event that allowed merchants 5 minute intervals with new vendors, and a Concepts lounge that not … Read More
By John Festa
So they tell us. Then why isn’t there more cotton in our underwear? Sure, there’s plenty of cotton panties, but what of bras? Is this only the domain of lady golfers and Mother Earth types? Perhaps there are compelling reasons why cotton is only a small percentage of the marketplace. I’ve checked in with some of my retailer customers on this topic. The marketplace always bears the … Read More