Shapewear Key at Lingerie Americas
Body-shaping foundations and practical accessories were a standout at the latest edition of Lingerie Americas, which was hosted at WWDMAGIC in Las Vegas. Nearly 20 brands—including Fashion Forms, Chic Peeks, Aline Alcantara, Shirley of Hollywood and Ed Hardy Intimates—exhibited at the show, which ran Aug. 25–27. This was the first time the Lingerie Americas section was positioned next to the International Swimwear/Activewear Market (ISAM) section at the Hilton Convention Center adjacent to the giant Las Vegas Convention Center. Attendance figures were not available by press time.
Santa Monica, Calif.–based corset retailer Farthingales L.A. debuted its new line of corsets to the wholesale market. Linda Sparks developed her own corset pattern and fit during the past two years by working with her retail customers. Handmade and limited-edition corsets made from ornate herringbone fabric feature spiral steel and flat-steel boning that trim the waist an average of 4 inches.
“They’re not lingerie in that they’re not light and delicate,” Sparks said. “They are really body-shaping corsets, so nothing stretches and they’ve got steel boning, but they’re comfortable.” Standard corsets wholesale from $74 to $145, and limited-edition corsets range from $342 to $608 wholesale.
Ladybelt Shapewear from Santa Barbara, Calif., added fashion to differentiate its stretchy nude shapewear bodysuits in the market. A full tank bodysuit featuring diagonal knit stripe panels was a bestseller at the show. “People are writing, especially on this new collection,” said Alessandra Fontes Zegaib, who saw buyers from Los Angeles and as far away as the Virgin Islands. —Rhea Cortado
