I am so excited about today’s article, y’all. I’m not sure if you’ve heard the news but the lingerie industry is finally getting its very own Lingerie Fashion Week courtesy of the incredible Lauren Rich, industry wunderkind and founder of RICHPR, a boutique PR agency specializing in the intimate apparel industry.
From my perspective, a fashion week focusing exclusively in intimates is long overdue (as in, I wondered why no one else had even thought of this before). The lingerie industry has tradeshows, true, and I report on those in a way similar to how bloggers report on actual fashion weeks, but tradeshows are really all about buyers and sales. A lot of brands aren’t interested in talking to the press, and most members of the press don’t even know about the lingerie tradeshow (unlike say, MAGIC, which has an incredible blogger presence).
As a result, all these amazing collections are kept hidden until they show up in stores months later…missing countless opportunities for buzz and press and exposure, not just for the individual brands, but for the lingerie industry in general. More and more, lingerie is becoming part of the overall conversation on fashion, and it’s high time intimates took its place in a fashion week alongside the rest of the industry.
So now that I’ve told you why I’m so excited, keep reading to get the scoop from Lauren herself!
1) Wow! So the lingerie industry is finally getting it’s own Fashion Week. Major, major news. You already know how excited I am about this idea, but for my readers, why do you think it’s time for lingerie to have a fashion week of its own and how will the lingerie (both its brands and consumers) benefit?
I think the question is, why hasn’t lingerie had its own Fashion Week sooner? Given the vast categories intimate apparel covers – lingerie, loungewear, sleepwear, shape wear, hosiery & legwear, men’s underwear, lingerie accessories and more – I thought surely this market is not as niche as many people think and qualities for its own spotlight in the Fashion Week sphere.
I think now in particular is an incredibly ideal time for this industry to have a mainstream push for the simple fact that – it already is in the mainstream! Infused into every area of pop culture, literature, celebrities, fashion runways, bridal runways, street style – lingerie is everywhere you look.
What most consumers don’t know about are the vast range of beautiful, innovative brands intimate apparel encompasses – and we’re not just talking the majors. What LingerieFW aims to do is give these hundreds of brands their due voice. To introduce them via an influential platform to consumers worldwide and in turn, giving these brands market share as household names.
Nevaeh Intimates
2) The inaugural Lingerie Fashion Week is happening during February’s semiannual NYC lingerie market. Is Lingerie Fashion Week competing with the tradeshows? What distinguishes LingerieFW from all the other industry events happening during that time?
LingerieFW is like nothing else the industry currently has to offer. Comparing LingerieFW to any of the tradeshows is like comparing apples and oranges. Whereas trade shows focus on sales, our focus is on press. LingerieFW offers brands a high octane, press-driven stage…attracting not only industry press, but the powerful consumer press who will attend shows in order to cover them – bringing this coverage direct to the consumer.
Top magazine editors, bloggers, writers, reporters, broadcast outlets, camera crews, you name it – we have them there. The Fashion Week platform also has the ability to draw industry influentials & celebrities who in turn will draw even more press, and so the Fashion Week machine and potential for brand exposure continues.
Parfait by Affinitas
3) What’s been the response been to LingerieFW so far? Are people excited about it? Ambivalent about it? I know how resistant some can be to change, so are you seeing the kind of reaction you hoped to see?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. There are always skeptics with any new idea, but we’ve been lucky in receiving incredible support from brands, press, retailers, sponsors & industry members. We have six designers on board for season 1 this weekend, and already a list of 25+ names and growing of interested brands for next. I think the sky is the limit for LingerieFW and the media exposure brands can receive.
Affinitas
4) Can you tell us which brands do you have signed up so far? Any international labels or famous names?
We are so thrilled to have an incredible mix of talented designers, both emerging & established, on board for season 1: global powerhouse Affinitas & Parfait, luxuriously erotic FYI by Dani Read, innovative NaïS, sultry Nevaeh Intimates, provocative Rouge Séduire and effortless Uye Surana.
The Metropolitan Suite at The Metropolitan Pavilion
5) Can you give us some details on the setup of LingerieFW? Where will it be? What time? And, if any designers, members of the press, or other interested parties are reading this, how they can get involved?
The FW13 season of LingerieFW is taking place within two venues at The Metropolitan Pavilion in New York: The Gallery for Presentations (also shared with our Sponsor & Press Lounge), and The Metropolitan Suite for Runway. We would love to welcome consumer press, trade press, retailers & buyers, and other industry members to contact us for information on attending the shows. They can reach us at info@lingeriefw.com.
Rogue Sedure
6) What kind of future do you envision for LFW? Do you think there will eventually be a Paris, London, and Milan Lingerie Fashion Week?
One step at a time but I do think there are limitless possibilities for the LingerieFW platform. :)
7) Any final thoughts?How can people get involved for next season?
If any designers are interested in participating in our second season for SS14, please also contact us at info@lingeriefw.com.
Thanks so much for your time, Lauren! I can’t wait to see the photos from the first ever Lingerie Fashion Week!
