Once upon a time, Frederick’s of Hollywood was the biggest name in American lingerie. Founded by Frederick Mellinger in 1947 (who, among other things, is credited with inventing the push-up bra, padded bra, and padded girdle), Frederick’s brought scandalously sexy lingerie to the homes of millions of people across America.
Fleur Du Mal is the brainchild of ex-Kiki De Montparnasse designer, Jennifer Zuccarini. The lifestyle brand offers a range of lingerie, loungewear, corsetry, swimwear, clothing and accessories. Launched in 2012, the brand now has an impressive range of stockists (including Net-A-Porter, Saks & Selfridges) and intends to open a physical store this year, presumably in the USA.
Luxxie Boston isn’t a brand I’ve heard of before, but I’m already quite in love. The initial collection is small, consisting exclusively of silk gowns, chemises and robes that could easily double as outerwear. However, I believe there’s something to be said for focus. In an era where every brand tries to do a little of everything, I admire a company for picking a niche and sticking with it. Luxxie Boston’s silk lingerie feels like that for me.
Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. In late February, I attended my first CURVEXPO New York to report on trends for plus size lingerie. Previously, I’ve attended CURVEXPO Las Vegas and other major retail tradeshows as a buyer. Therefore, I was familiar with what to expect as a plus size woman: lots of pretty things not made in my size. Armed with that awareness, I set out to find […]
A couple of years ago, I wrote an article on black-owned lingerie brands and it became one of TLA’s most popular articles to-date. Despite what many business experts or industry authorities have to say about the importance of “neutral” or “colorblind” companies, it turns out many people want to support underrepresented or marginalized designers. This is especially when these brands respond to a need the larger intimate apparel industry has neglected for decades.






