This Plus-Size Model And Designer Walked Her Own Lingerie At NYFW

There are very few models out there who can both walk the walk and talk the talk — but Ashley Graham proved that she can do both with her body-positive lingerie runway show during New York Fashion Week at the Kia Style360 event. Not only did Graham open and close the panty parade, she also showcased her design prowess, as all of the beautiful pieces were conceptualized by her in partnership with Canadian plus-size brand Addition Elle.

Considering that the majority of models strutting down the catwalk this season are more slender than shapely, Addition Elle and Ashley Graham have offered a much-needed dose of inclusivity that so many shows were lacking this season. Although their fuller figures were a welcome sight (and a realistic reflection on how Addition Elle’s customer base would look in the lingerie), it was those delicate designs that stole the show. “The inspiration really comes from the runways of Paris, everything that’s happening there,” explained Graham. “The whole Addition Elle team goes out, they look for everything, they come back, and they say, ‘Look, Ashley, this is what we got; what do you want to do with it?’ and then we go from there. Everything that’s in the collection is something that I’ve wanted to wear. As you can see, I still have on my [bra]: It’s strappy, it’s sexy, it’s so in right now — that bondage feel. And then for Holiday, you have to do a little sheen. And I really love the halter top that I came out in at the end; it’s just beautiful to have something that you can [also] wear as a top with a high-waisted skirt.”

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For India’s largest lingerie e-tailer, privacy pays

BENGALURU Discretion is paying off for India’s largest online lingerie retailer Zivame: its sales have risen five-fold in the four years since its launch and just last week, it received $40 million in funding from local and foreign investors.

The start-up is one of several e-tailers cashing in on the awkwardness many middle-class women feel buying underwear in public in this deeply conservative society.

It now plans to further boost sales by opening 100 “fitting salons” over the next three years where clients can get measured before making purchases online, its founder told Reuters.

“We made it cool to talk about lingerie,” Richa Kar, who is also Zivame’s chief executive, told Reuters. “We answered the question of whether lingerie is worth investing in.”

Physical stores ring in the bulk of the sales in India’s 110 billion rupees ($1.7 billion) lingerie market. These shops, however, range from pricey boutiques in glitzy malls to streetside stalls and makeshift shops where the sales assistants are often men.

Many women say websites give them a discreet, budget-friendly and comfortable alternative, fuelling growth in the online lingerie sector which consultants Technopak estimate at 70 percent a year, albeit from a small base.

The overall lingerie sector is growing at 16 percent, they added.

Zivame is currently valued at around $100 million. After its latest funding round, it counts Zodius Technology Fund and Malaysian state fund Khazanah Nasional Berhad as investors.

Other online lingerie retailers in India include Pretty Secrets and Clovia.

($1 = 66.4400 Indian rupees)

(Editing by Clara Ferreira Marques and Miral Fahmy)

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