Merry Christmas!

Have a lovely Christmas boys and girls! x

Pretty As A Lillie

All images via toadlillie.com

While I had my back turned, it seems Toad Lillie went and launched another sumptuous collection of luxury smalls, and this one is even prettier than the last. The new Femme Fatales collection features everything you already know and love about this handmade lingerie brand, only this time with a mixture of even more va va voom and even more good old fashioned fun!

If you aren't don't like a little bit of froufrou in your undies, then please move along there's nothing for you to see here. If, however, you are, you'll find this season's extra chiffon ruffles, big pronounced bows and silks overlayed with contrasting lace a real treat. As always with Toad Lillie, the real viewing pleasure comes from all the detailing used in constructing the collection, giving this handmade lingerie range a couture finish that just can't be matched by high street and mainstream lingerie labels.

I'm a little bit in love with any lingerie collection that includes pieces that remind me of fashion from a bygone era, and the Femme Fatales range certainly has plenty of that. A fearless use of colour once again adds an exciting modern twist to the vintage-inspired pieces. I mentioned before that I think the phrase 'vintage-inspired' is a bit over-used these days by many indie designers, but in this case, it's very appropriate. One glance at Toad Lillie designer Laurie Shapiro's blog shows you her admiration and respect for vintage garments and classic construction, which I think can't help but to seep through into the making of her own lingerie collections.

Structured silk-lined bras are available from size 32B all the way up to 38DD, making this collection a must for those of us who want the sturdiness of an underwired bra, without compromising on the luxury of gorgeous fabric. Since the collection is handmade to order, many of the pieces are also available in custom colourways and sizes, if you ask nicely. You have been alerted well in time to start dropping some major Christmas hints!

Begin your next lingerie shopping adventure at www.toadlillie.com

New From Emma Highfield

All images (c) Emma Highfield

Just a quick heads up to let you all know that handmade lingerie label Emma Highfield has a new collection available to buy now. The new collection, Runaway Romantics, is split into three ranges: black, bridal and sleepwear, each designed to be worn as complete sets or mixed and matched. As the name suggests, the collection is inspired by lust, love and marriage, and each of the three parts of the collection are designed to represent each part of these different stages in a relationship.

If you're quick about it, you can go into the draw to win a pair of the Love and Devotion high waisted knickers from this collection, by following Emma's blog. The winner will be picked at random and will be announced on the 31st of August.

Introducing: The Loved One

All images (c) The Loved One

As much as it's become a bit of a cliché for every new label to use the description "vintage inspired" somewhere in its blurb, one lingerie brand that has every right to call itself that is The Loved One. Though relatively new to the industry, this label has garnered nothing but praise from all kinds of lingeristas since it was founded in 2009.

The label is the brainchild of Hannah Metz (who also often doubles as a model for the brand) and Elvia Lahman, who met while working together at American Apparel in LA. Having originally begun as a wholesale business sourcing vintage pieces for retailers, the business developed into a lingerie brand in it's own right, aided by funding from Kickstarter and a little help from their friends.

In fact, making good use of their super-talented friends and acquaintences is one of the secrets of The Loved One's success so far, and one of the reasons I find the story of their brand so appealing. Well, that and the fact that everything in the collection is named after a saucy B movie. (How can you not love that?) As I mentioned before, Hannah does a lot of the modelling for the collection, while their lookbook is shot by her husband, artist Landon Metz. I love the very distinctive, intimate and retro feel this gives a lot of the photography, which makes it stand out against your run-of-the-mill 'sexy' but generic lingerie lookbooks. It must also be great to have someone like handmade designer Alexandra Grecco in your corner (who Hannah also occasionally models for), and who also knows a thing or two about making beautiful undies.

Another thing I find so endearing about TLO's images is that I'm always happy to see women of different sizes represented in lingerie lookbooks and campaigns. Not enough brands seem all that interested in the idea that beautiful and sexy lingerie doesn't have to always be presented on emaciated girl-women. If you like lingerie, then you probably like to see some bums, hips and boobs in them too. If an up and coming label like The Loved One can make that work for them, maybe the rest of the industry should be taking notice.

The Loved One's website with all links to their shops, Facebook, Twitter etc can be found here, and if you're artistically inclined, you'll appreciate Hannah and Landon's blog which can be found here.

Be Spooked And Seduced By Mint Siren

As a little taster for next season, Mint Siren recently released this rather mystical short film showcasing their forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2011 collection. We have to wait until September to see the range in full, but judging by this taster there is plenty of sexy to look forward to from Josefine Wing's collection in a mere matter of weeks.

Art Direction: Josefine Wing/Mint Siren
Editing: Mats Kokvik
Music: Widower
Camera: Jessica Brown
Makeup: Bella Simonsen
Model: Emma Salisbury

Sale Time!

Emma Highfield

Ayten Gasson

La Lilouche

Loulou Loves You

Luva Huva

Naomilingerie

Sugarlesque

Toad Lillie

On the other side of this weekend lies August, and so begins the arrival of new collections from some of my favourite lingerie brands. In the mean time, some of my most-stalked handmade labels have a few bits 'n' pieces on sale so it might be a good time to grab covetted item before it possibly leaves their current collection.

I've no doubt forgotten some, but here are a few to keep you going for now. (Click the captions under each image to be redirected to the respective stores.)

Wildfox Swim 2012 Collection

All images via ilovewildfox.com

Well, that wasn't too long a wait, was it? Wildfox have now published the full lookbook for their first swimwear collection, and it is rather gorgeous. The collection 'Go West, young cowgirl', is inspired the romance of wild road trips, retro classic movies like Bonnie and Clyde, 60s beach movies, and bombshells of the past like Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch.

As always, you can click on any of these images to see them full sized. Better yet, you can visit the official Wildfox blog to see even more images in their full glory. Between designer Kimberley Gordon's styling, Mark the Cobrasnake's photography and the model Anja Konstantinova, it's definitely worth taking a look at the complete set of pictures over there.

Araks AW2011 Collection

One way to get a unique lookbook in the saturated lingerie market is to essentially get your friends and acquaintences to do the work for you! That was the clever idea of designer Araks Yeramyan for her Autumn/Winter 2012 lingerie range. To showcase her upcoming collection, she sent disposable cameras to a selection of her friends and collaborators, and gave them free reign to interpret the lingerie and loungewear pieces in their own ways.

It shouldn't be all that surprising that Araks would come up with such a quirky and interesting approach to presenting a collection, given that she comes from such a strong design pedigree. She studied at Parson's and then at Central St. Martin's before working at Marc Jacobs and J. Crew, and eventually starting her eponymous lingerie collection. In 2006, Araks grew to include a ready to wear line, which was based along the same principles of effortless, elegant beauty as the lingerie collection. As part of her commitment to sustainability, Araks has recently gone on to include organic capsule collections in both her lingerie and the ready to wear ranges.

The Araks blog is a great place to discover some of the influences and inspirations that feed into the both collections. With an interesting cerebral approach to designing, you'll find references to inspirations as diverse as architecture, art, interior design and vintage photo shoots.

Click here to visit the website.