Posts with tag "Lola Haze"

Why Body Jewelry is the Hottest trend in Lingerie–and 6 Must Have Pieces

Lola Haze “Web of Seduction Body Chain”

When  I was designing my Lola Haze Spring collection, I spent a lot of time looking at trim and raw materials.  I love unexpected flourishes, especially ones that emphasize hardness or softness.  In lingerie the counterbalance between hard and soft is a design element that can be toyed with to great effect.

I love to incorporate chains into my work, and I’ve been excited about the direction jewelry has been going recently.  Where a few years ago jewelry was easily classified by where it sat on the body–necklaces went around the neck, bracelets around the wrist, earrings through a pierced ear, and rings on a finger– leather and chains and rings have started creeping over the hills and dales of body parts, blurring territories and categories.

They’ve formed a brute squad (but such delicate brutes!) and have taken over every exposed piece of flesh.  There are rings that snake over knuckles and wrists, earrings that encapsulate the entire ear cartilage, and necklaces that enmesh breasts and ribs and waists.

I especially love all this jewelry when I think of it in the context of lingerie.  If one purpose of lingerie is to encompass and adorn the body beautifully, then why limit the category of lingerie to things made of fabric?  The new interpretation of how jewelry interacts with the body blurs into the category of lingerie.

So for my Lola Haze collection, I designed a body chain.  I draped it and fit it just like I would a silk chemise, the whole time trying to combat the gravity and wiliness of skinny metal links.  I’m excited by the end result and its versatility: it can be worn alone, scandalously, against the skin; as an accent with lingerie; or as a bold accessory over a simple dress.

It’s not just the versatility (and therefore added value) of body jewelry that I love, but also the beautiful contradiction of draped metal.  It has the glint of body armor, and also the sweetness of a treasured keepsake.

Here are a 4 great pieces:

I came across designer Bliss Lau‘s incredible jewelry line recently, and fell in love with everything.  To me, the standouts were the her art deco collection.  I got to ask Bliss a bit about her pieces:

“The concept for the Zelda Bra is inspired by Zelda Syre (Fitzgerald) I created a full art deco collection which includes styles “Chrysler Bracelet” the slave style bracelet inspired by the chrysler building and “Ziegfeld” a shoulder piece inspired by the Ziegfeld Follies.  All of these styles are made using delicate chain which has details of vintage chain featuring small black glass beads.”

Bliss Lau “Zelda Bra,” $395

Bliss Lau “Zigfield”

Bijoux Indiscrets “Flamboyant,” $26

Lone Wolf Accents Thigh Chain, $65

Nasty Gal body chain, $38

What do you think of body chains as lingerie?  Would you wear one?

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

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How to Star in Your Own Boudoir Shoot: Tips From the Pros

The Philantropy Babydoll from the Lola Haze Spring 2013 shoot

Recently, I called in the troops for our semi-annual battle-against-the-clock party: the lingerie photo shoot.  The shoot punctuates the end of the design process–once an item has been shot, it cannot be changed–and begins the great coming-out party for the collection.  I had finally stopped redesigning and fiddling with my Spring/Summer 2012 collection for Lola Haze™  and was ready to send her off into the world.

It was great fun.  This time there were eight of us squeezed into a New York City studio, madly trying to get through all the looks in the collection within the day, before heading out to shoot on location.

Maria, our makeup artist, referred to adjectives about mood and images I provided, as well as the garments themselves, to come up with a playful, bright-lipped look.  After she created her look, her job was to vigilantly watch the shoot and run in to fix lipsticked teeth or flattened hair.  The photographer, Dan, set up lights and kept the model framed, lit, and focused.  Tanya, our gorgeous model, is a pro.  She somehow survived standing for eight hours in heels and rotating through an endless variety of poses while looking incredible and poised.  The assistants, Alyssa, Andi, Guylene, and Isabel scurried around managing the garments, preparing accessories, holding reflectors, and generally being indispensable.  I kept the show on the road.

Lola Haze photoshoot Spring 2013, Brooklyn

Working with pros, when everything runs in smooth harmony, it’s easy to get thousands of beautiful shots in a day.  Seeing my creations come to life on Tanya, gussied up by all the talented people around, is always exciting.  This time it got me thinking about how other women can create sexy boudoir photoshoots.   No, we’re not all 5’10″ 120-pound fashion models, but we all have something hot to show off, and there’s nothing more fun that showing it off in front of a camera!

Since we can’t all assemble a professional team to beautify and retouch us, I asked my team for tips to help everyone stage the perfect home boudoir shoot.

MODEL: Tatjana Sinkevica
A NYC model who has appeared in Project Runway All Stars

Q: How did you learn to pose?
A: I’ve learned to pose just by watching others: dancers, ballerinas, models, magazines, commercials and adding my personality and my own twist into it.  The same comes with the facial expressions– I try a few so clients have a variety to choose from.

Q: What do you think about when you’re posing?
A: When I’m posing I’m thinking about all kinds of things, usually not modeling at all!  Far from it, since posing comes automatically, especially if it’s a catalog shoot [instead of editorial].

Q: What are some tips you can give to regular women to feel and look sexy in front of the camera?
A: Every woman can look great in pictures–it’s all about confidence!!!  Flirtation also helps a lot, so play with the camera, tease it!  Imagine that it’s your boyfriend/husband and fantasize!

Q: Can you tell a story of your most interesting or challenging job?
A: One time I was in China shooting for a cover of a Chinese magazine.  I was shooting in a swimming pool and none of the crew members spoke English so when he wanted me to smile, the photographer leaned over the pool and just squeezed my cheeks.  That was so funny!  I take these situations with humor and as adventures.

Maria unlipsticks Tanya’s teeth, Lola Haze Spring 2013 photoshoot

MAKEUP ARTIST: Maria Ortega
Website: www.mariaortegamakeup.carbonmade.com
Maria Ortega is a self taught, freelance makeup artist based in NYC. Some of her notable past clients are: Project Runway designer Viktor Luna, Snoop Dogg, NBA Championship player Kevin Willis, celebrity stylist Nole Marin and Miss Jessie’s hair care products. Maria Ortega has also done makeup for NYFW runway shows and presentations. Some makeup companies she has worked events for are: Lo’Real, Covergirl, Physician’s Formula, Almay, Maybelline and Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics.

Q: What’s the difference between everyday makeup and boudoir shoot makeup looks?
A:  Everyday makeup and daytime makeup is subtle and enhances a woman’s natural beauty and best facial features. Boudoir makeup brings out the sexy in all women independent of age, size and shape. It releases the inner vixen and provides a sultry look. Usually Boudoir makeup involves a smoky eye, false lashes, cat eye liner and a bold lip.

Q: What are some tips you can give everyday women as they prepare for a boudoir shoot?
A: When a woman is planning a Boudoir shoot it is of the essence to prepare by properly hydrating the skin and having a good skin care routine both for face and body. Eye cream is a must to keep hydration and prevent/repair early signs of aging. Day and night cream on both face and body is of ultra importance. I also recommend and suggest a good facial exfoliator and body polish. Supple skin makes every woman feel beautiful. A Boudoir shoot is an intimate shoot celebrating the beauty of a woman; accepting your shape and size and loving yourself is the best preparation. Confidence is the best accessory.

Q: What products are essential?
A: My favorite makeup products to achieve a boudoir makeup look are: Make Up For Ever HD Foundation, Urban Decay Naked eyeshadow palette, Stile Smudge Pot gel liner, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar in “NSFW” for that ultra seductive red lip.

Q: What are some sexy makeup trends right now?
A: This Fall will be all about dramatic and bold liner. By adding a cat eye, double wing tip or dramatic gel liner not only will you be making a fashion statement but you will also display strength and a bold feminine expression. As always, a bold lip in a statement color always is trendy. My favorite trend to follow is what looks good on you. If you like your cheekbones…play them up, if you love your eyes, then play them up. Knowing your best facial features and playing them up never goes out of style.

Q: What do you love about being a makeup artist?
A: My favorite thing about being a makeup artist is being able to enhance beauty, transform, innovate and create beauty with cosmetics.  I love editorial and working with talent and models. However, there is an incomparable feeling to working with the everyday woman and transforming not only her face with makeup but also her self esteem. That feeling is one like no other. The smiles my clients have when they look at themselves cannot be compared to any other type of joy. I feel pretty when I do makeup on others.

Maria’s makeup table!

RECENT HOME BOUDOIR SHOOT STAR: Andrea Conti
Lola Haze™ Intern extaordinaire

Q: What were some challenges you faced when doing your boudoir photo shoot?
A: Lacking the right equipment!  Luckily for me, I’m good at photoshop, so even though we were using an iphone, I was able to tweak lighting.  I recommend taking a few test shots and seeing which angles/parts of the room give the best lighting.

Q: What did you wear?
A: Everything from panty hose and heels to a silk robe.  My favorite shots were the ones of me wearing Lola Haze™ lingerie–notably the Liquid Lace Romper and Be My Valentine Chemise.  Having colorful pieces gave the shoot a lot of character.

Q: Do you have any tips for readers who want to do their own boudoir photo shoot?
A: Test lighting! If you have someone to take photos for you at different times of day-this would probably add a lot of variety to the shoot. Also, get creative.  Use a mirror, heels, props-anything! It also helps to have someone you are comfortable with taking the pictures.

Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: Make an afternoon of it-plus cocktails.  I was thankful to have a roommate that is good at hair, makeup AND photography. It ended up being a blast!

I regard Alyssa’s thong styling work, Lola Haze Spring 2013 shoot

DESIGNER: Myself, Laura Mehlinger
Owner/Designer Lola Haze (and someone who has directed a lot of photo shoots)

Q: What kind of lingerie should women choose for a boudoir shoot?
A: Aside from the clear answer that you should find something you feel comfortable and sexy in, there are a few tips for ultimate flattery.  Know your best body part and find lingerie that displays it.  Some near-universally flattering garments are stockings and garter belts (you may worry about the upper thigh show, but there’s nothing sexier), corsets, balconette bras, diaphanous robes, dark colored teddies.

Q: What about color?
A: For color, I would generally avoid white, which can often catch light on body parts you would rather recede, and can appear transparent when you don’t want it to.  Black is always sexy, but can also blend into the background and not define your body if the lighting isn’t great.  I would choose a color.

Q: Other tips?
A: Practice beforehand!  Models aren’t perfect, but look amazing in photos because they already know their best angles. Get out a mirror and flirt with it.  This is especially true for facial expressions, which can convey discomfort or stiffness if that’s how you feel.  If your poses are already figured out, you can just relax when it’s time for the shoot and put your best…something forward!

Please share your boudoir shoot stories and tips with us!

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

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Powerful and Provocative: Frederick’s of Hollywood and the Evolution of American Skimp

Disclaimer: Samples were received free of charge from Frederick’s of Hollywood for review purposes only. All opinions are my own.

Fredericks of Hollywood: the name summons up images of post-war pinups – good-natured eager girls maybe juuuust on the other side of good taste.

Founded in 1946 by Frederick Mellinger and opening its first store on Hollywood Boulevard, the company capitalized on its association with Hollywood glamour in the mid-century era of the American screen goddess.  Before moving west, Mellinger owned a store in Manhattan’s far less glamorous lower east side, where he had introduced black lingerie–which at the time was considered too scandalous for decent ladies–to middling success.  A provocateur from the start, he ran the bold classified ad:

“Bare Illusion Panties: To wear under your prettiest things when you want to feel extra alluring and just a little naughty too.” (Lukas, Paul. “Underwear Model Frederick Mellinger’s racy creations made his business a star.” CNNMoney.com. February 1, 2003)

Once established in Hollywood, Frederick’s sought innovation as well as allure in its offerings, at one point even hiring a team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.  In the early 1950′s Frederick’s introduced the “Rising Star,” the first push-up bra, and in the coming decades as American women sought body conscious intimates, the company entrenched its reputation as an iconic creator of risque boudoir apparel.

Having come of age in the 1980′s, I have strong associations with Frederick’s later interpretations of sexy.  Feather boas, g-strings, edible underwear, crotchless panties…these are the little edges of a forbidden world I would get to peek at as I passed the Frederick’s storefront at the mall on the way from The Gap to the movies.  Once or twice in my young life, I somehow caught sight of an errant Frederick’s of Hollywood catalogue, and this was like a sudden smut-portal in my clean, suburban world.

I’ve always loved this brand.  In a modern fashion landscape of “casual,” “individualistic,” or “understated,” it’s evocative, nostalgic, and unapologetically racy.

So I was curious to look at what the brand has evolved into now.  Since Mellinger’s death in 1990, and hurt by the coincidental emergence of Victoria’s Secret in the 1990′s, Frederick’s of Hollywood has lost market share and household brand awareness.  Other mass market brands like Gap Body and H&M entered the lingerie market, and so have independent and high-end ready-to-wear designers.

Fredericks.com is an obvious destination for skimpy babydoll chemises, but who knew there would be an assortment twenty-deep of denim bottoms all priced under $60?  And so many accessories and shoes (only one of which is feathered)!  After wondering at the breadth of product, I focused on lingerie…and had SO MUCH FUN wandering around the site.  There’s great variety, everything I saw was under $40, and the pieces were well photographed. I wanted all of them.  And unlike so many sites for cheap sexy lingerie, this one didn’t make me feel like I was getting chlamydia just from looking at it.

At my request, two samples were sent to me for review.

Since Frederick’s was revolutionary in defining sexy I wanted the sexiest piece I could find, and this to me was the Strappy Fishnet Teddy from the Seduction Collection (which is marketed with the following appropriate hang-tag: “POWERFUL and provocative…SLEEK and ultra-sexy…DARING and deliberate…INFINTELY alluring”).  I like strappy lingerie, but am wary of the cage-bulge effect that can be an unsexy byproduct of too-tight or badly designed straps.  I’m happy to say that this was sleek on, which I attribute to the fabric choice; instead of using elastic trim for straps, the designer chose cut and sew poly spandex fabric, which is elastically less severe against the body.  This teddy’s modern design and flattering fit have made it a favorite of mine…at least for dancing around my house alone in.

My second test-drive is The Versatile, a bra from the Hollywood Exxtreme collection.  Launched this summer just in time to make its way under skimpy tops and sundresses, it’s a lined t-shirt bra that converts from a halter to a T-back.  The color range includes basics as well as some bold and citrusy hues, which are fun for summer.  (I like wearing mine, in a bright navy, under white tanks for a suggestion of color.)  I like its smooth fit, though the silhouette once the shirt is removed is not necessarily designed for seduction.

Do you have any fond memories of Frederick’s of Hollywood?  If not, make some new ones!

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

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Why We Should Embrace Japanese Lingerie

I went on a fashion expedition to Japan this spring seeking inspiration.  As a fashion designer, I try to balance the inward-looking process of coming up with new designs against the eyes-wide-open search for inspiration.

Japan was an exciting place to visit on this kind of trip.  Just putting myself bodily in such a far-away place made me open my senses to the beauty and aesthetic possibilities of things natural and manmade.   It’s a place known for its unique take on fashion, where ancient ideals of beauty are constantly reinterpreted by vivacious young generations of designers and trend-setters.

Watching girls on the street, I noticed true commitment to particular looks.  Their styles ran the gamut from the uber girly doll look to new punk toJapanese traditional kimono, but each girl seemed to undertake membership in this style group rigorously and absolutely.  One thing that seemed generally true across the swath was an interest in surface embellishment and ornamentation.  This is quite different from American preferences for casual, sleek, simple style (think Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Donna Karan).

Lingerie, in particular, tended toward soft hues like peach, pink and lavender, and flirted with dimensionality.  Whereas Americans prize the perfect smooth fitting bra, Japanese women like to make a lot of their bras and panties–at least as far as volume.  Padding and other bust-enhancing constructions create the foundational volume, and then there are ruffles, charms and frills for extra femininity and loft.

When I got back home to New York, I was thrilled about the timely (to me, at least) launch of a new lingerie store, Bradelis.  They carry other lines too, but their focus is on their own eponymous line, which is founded, designed, and made in Japan.  At the packed launch party, I got to observe the brand new  digs– an elegantly maximalist approach to boudoir decor–sip champagne, and receive a bra fitting and consultation–and this turned out to be a RACK-CHANGING EXPERIENCE.

Yes, I know the much-bandied-about statistics about the staggering majority of American women wearing the wrong size bra.  But somehow I thought that, being a lingerie designer, I must be exempt.  Ha, wrong!  My Japanese fit expert was so jolly and knowing, I quickly surrendered my modesty and upper body to her.  One look at me, fully clothed, and she exclaimed, “left side bigger — we must balance!” and immediately bustled off my stretched out cotton bra (“Mm, too loose.”) and positioned me in a gorgeous silk lined black lace creation–the Rosemary.

This process was more like shiatsu–or maybe jujutsu–than a typical bra fit.  She pulled flesh from all over tarnation and repositioned it in my now-overflowing cups.  Unlike other push-ups, this didn’t just rely on extreme padding to create shape; it actually reshaped my own upper body and supported what I already had.  As a fellow lingerie journalist noted after her fit, “my cleavage has never looked so…ostentatious” — or so incredible.

I spoke with Bradelis’s US Marketing Manager, Lana Sanders about Bradelis’s expansion from Japan into the US market and its unique philosophy of bra fitting.  She noted that while the brand in Japan is constructed for an Asian body, in US stores the size range has been tailored to suit the greater variety of American body types.  Styles, too have been updated to appeal to American sensibilities, most notably with the introduction of the basic T-shirt bra, the Prima Mold.

Sanders says a Bradelis bra will “bring back that supple silhouette from when we were 16.”  The 3 step process is designed to “redistribute tissue to where you want it by bringing tissue to the center and up from the lower breasts, back and underarms.”

A Step 1 bra is the most constructed, with a strong underwire, sturdy shoulder straps, and a wider side band.   According to Sanders, “if you wear a step 1 bra every day for a couple of months, muscle memory helps reposition tissue toward the cup area.”  The idea then is that you graduate to a step 2, and then finally a more fashion-focused step 3, having trained your body to keep the ideal shape created in step 1.  She notes that women can do this repositioning themselves after getting their initial expert fit, and “it’s an activity that you have to do to take an active part in redefining your silhouette.”

Is it too much to say I felt as changed by my trip to the fitting room at Bradelis as I did by my trip to Japan?  Either way, when I walked out of Bradelis with my new Rosemary bra, I felt like I was bringing a little piece of Japan home with me.  Well, two little pieces.

Laura a.k.a. Lola Haze

I’ve loved lingerie since before that was reasonable. I taught myself drawing, designing, and sewing, and after graduating from Harvard with an English degree, immediately went to work disregarding it and following my passion for fashion. After a few years designing for a big company, I went off on my own and started Lola Haze TM, (named after the title character in “Lolita,” my favorite book). Lola Haze is playwear for the bold woman who loves fun and dresses for herself! I feel happy and lucky that I get to love my job so much, and am thrilled to share my lingerie enthusiasm with The Lingerie Addict!

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