MELBOURNE: Love & Lustre has raided the design ranks of Agent Provocateur in a bid to take on the country’s biggest intimate apparel brands.
Love & Lustre has raided the design ranks of Agent Provocateur in a bid to take on the country’s biggest intimate apparel brands.
The Melbourne-based lifestyle brand has recruited Michelle Buttery to its fold, an Agent Provocateur bra designer of more than two and a half years.
Buttery has a 10-year history in the lingerie trade, including 18 months with international giant Wonderbra creating its special Dita Von Teese line. She also worked for the Gossard brand for 18 months and has a masters in contour fashion from De Montfort University, Leicester.
Buttery’s appointment comes as Love & Lustre looks to develop a collection of functional bras to complement its underwear, loungewear and sleepwear ranges. Co-owner Prue Brown said trials are underway for the brand’s first bra, to launch within 12 months.
“That’s going to be a basic bra that we believe fits the necessities of everyday wearing,” she said. “And then in the six months after that we’ll come out with three to four [more styles].”
These will include maternity, balconette, minimiser and strapless bras. The eight-year-old label is also moving into shapewear pieces with a fashion focus. Initially a control brief and control thong will be launched, to mix and match with the bra range.
The brand has built a stockist base of 200 underwear retailers across Australia as well as the majority of David Jones department stores. It recently participated in Sydney trade show Life in Style, to generate homewares and lifestyle boutique orders.
Love & Lustre is also stocked in CK Tangs in Singapore, Liberty of London in the UK and 10 accounts in New Zealand, where it has just appointed an agent. Brown said the US is its next focus, with plans to participate in New York trade show Curve in February.
Two collections are produced each year, with an ongoing basics line always available.
“Our staple for years has been a microfibre knicker and singlet and that has come in different styles,” she said.
For summer, teal, ivory, black, grey, purple and coral are key shades, with silk, cotton, modal and lace primary materials. Prices range from $29 to $140. Manufacturing is predominantly done in China and India, although Brown said Italian and local options are being investigated.
The brand was launched in 2002 by Brown and business partner Dana Burrows and now employs eight staff.
Melinda Oliver