Women are now buying lingerie to show off. Fashion houses such as Dolce & Gabbana, Jasmine de Milo and Fendi teased viewers of their Spring/Summer collections with underwear as outerwear.

My Fair Lady Lingerie – Elegant & Beautiful

My Fair Lady Lingerie is a new lingerie brand founded in 2009. They brand creates beautiful, sophisticated lingerie at affordable prices for anyone wanting to add a touch of elegance to their lives.

Rae-Emily Smith, the designer behind the brand, sources the finest fabrics to bring customers the best garnets, each piece is individually hand made to the best quality. When LadyM Presents asked Rae-Emily about how My Fair Lady came about she said, “It was something I had been planning to do for a long time. I wanted to create feminine pieces that were a little different to what is already available”.

Rae-Emily Smith at the LGN Movida Catwalk Show June 2010

For as long as she can remember it was Rae-Emily’s dream to design lingerie. She found the Contour Fashion course at De Montfort University, which is the only degree of its type in the world and specialises in lingerie, underwear, swimwear and corsetry design. Within her first year there she had the concept for her brand she designs today.

Currently the collection is not available anywhere else in the world, making it unique, individual and special. Each piece is limited edition meaning only a handful of people in the whole world wearing a set.  This year My Fair Lady Lingerie was showcased at the LGN Movida catwalk show and summer soiree and on September 12th the brand will be showcasing at the Kent Catwalk Show in aid of Macmillian Cancer Support.

“My Fair Lady believes every woman should look and feel her best. it is amazing how the right set of lingerie can completely uplift your spirits and boost your self esteem, a well fitted lingerie set can completely transform your figure into a sleek silhouette.”

Inspiration

When LadyM Presents asked Rae-Emily where she gets her ideas from for her collections, she told us “Sometimes I might see an image that inspires me and I take it from there, by the end of my research I may have something completely different to what I had imagined at the beginning. For my Indian Summer Collection I found a photo showing the sky with beautiful purple and pink hues in it and this inspired the rest of my work from then.”

Rae-Emily uses trend prediction websites and lookbooks that she finds very useful, particularly the industry favourite WGSN, but she doesn’t like to be limited to the trends. Her designs are wearable but she doesn’t want them to be too commercial. Rae-Emily sees her point of difference as being, “that all of the garments are hand made to order for the customer and I don’t want the pieces to be too ‘samey’, I want them to be a little more unique and special.” Having studies trend predictions during her university course, Rae-Emily learnt that a lot of design comes from gut instinct and what she feels is going to be right.

Indian Summer Collection – inspired by purple and pink hues

Indian Summer Nightie

Indian Summer Nightie, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

This off shoulder nightie is from the new Indian summer range. The front is made out of satin, the back is a sheer chiffon and the tie is made out of dupion silk. Everything is handmade to order and limited edition. With elegant nightwear set to be the next big thing this nightie is perfect to lounge around the house in style.

Indian Summer Robe

Indian Summer Robe & Gold PJ's Set, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

The robe is made out of satin and has a teal trim around the edges and is tied at the front with a teal ribbon. There are pockets at the side. Wear this around the house to look and feel elegant with ease.

Indian Summer Cropped Top & French Knickers

The top is off the shoulder and ties at the top. It is made out of satin and has a trim around the bottom edge. The french knickers are also made out of satin and have a teal waistband.

Indian Summer PJ Trousers & Bed Jacket

Indian Summer Chiffon Set, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

This bed jacket is perfect to wear lounging around the house or to sleep in style. It can also be worn as outerwear teamed with a cute vest top. The bed jacket is made out of a pink chiffon. The PJ bottoms are comfortable and chic and great to sleep in but can also be worn on the beach over your swim suit or if your daring could even be worn as outerwear. They are made out of a pink chiffon and so have a sheer quality. Team with the pink chiffon bed jacket to finish the look.

Indian Summer Body & Slip

Indian Summer Body & Slip, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

The body is made out of satin and Dupion Silk at the centre. The cups are underwired. It can be worn as lingerie or for the more daring ones amongst us can be teamed with a skirt or trousers for a modern outerwear look. The slip is made out of Dupion Silk and has a trim around the bottom edge and an elasticated waist band.

Indian Summer Vest Top & High Waisted Knickers

Indian Summer Vest Top & High Waisted Knickers, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

The vest top is made out of satin. The straps meet at the middle at the front creating a v shape. The highwaisted knickers are made out of dupion silk at the centre and stretch satin around the side and back.

Indian Summer Longline Bra & Chiffon PJ Trousers

Indian Summer Longline Ba & Trousers, by My Fair Lady Lingerie

This long line bra is made out of satin and has a teal trim along the seam and cup edge. The PJ bottoms are made out of chiffon and are elasticated at the waist and the ankles. These bottoms are comfortable and chic, perfect for lounging around the house. They are also a great garment to wear to cover up on the beach.

Still Photography by Nuno de Silva, at The Perch, London and catwalk photos by Carl Leung.

Kent Catwalk Show

On Sunday September 12th, My Fair Lady Lingerie hosts the Kent Catwalk Show at UK Paper, Sittingbourne, Kent, in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support. Designers showcasing their collections at the event are Leeanne Ripley Garrett, Charlene Grima, Stuart McMillan, Rae-Emily Smith of My Fair Lady Lingerie and Susannah Henley.

The Kent Catwalk Show - September 12th 2010

Come along to the catwalk and after party at UK paper, Sittingbourne 12th September 7.00pm-10.30pm, tickets are £5 each and available for purhcase here.

At the event there will also be an auction, including some signed merchandise from well known celebrities as well as a raffle to help raise even more money for this amazing cause.

Rae-Emily has shown her collection at a number of catwalks and she thought it would be great to put on an event closer to her Kent home, knowing that a lot of people would be interested in attending. “I thought it would be a great way to help local designers get some exposure as well as to help raise money for charity. I chose to Macmillan Cancer support as the charity as it is one that is very close to my heart, I know how helpful Macmillan can be and this was my way to give something back”. Rae-Emily has been planning the event for many months, it should be a great evening. LadyM Presents will be attending the event and giving a full review of the catwalk and the fabulous designers showcasing their work.

What’s next for My Fair Lady Lingerie?

Currently Rae-Emily’s days are spent forming a lot of pattern drafting, pattern cutting and sewing as she is working on a brand new collection which will be available on the website over the coming months. The designs are aimed at fashion forward women who are looking for something a bit different. They are strong, confident women in their mid twenties to late thirties. If Rae-Emily was to pick a celebrity to wear her designs it would be Emma Watson or Katy Perry and she notes that luxurious nightwear is set to be a big trend over the coming months too.

“I have just finished a work placement for Biondi Couture - a high end swimwear boutique who also make bespoke bikinis for their customers. I left feeling really inspired and would definitely like to create a swimwear collection for next summer. I would also like to start doing plus size cups as I think there is a huge gap in the market for pretty plus size bras but at the moment I am taking things one step at a time. I would also like to start seeing My Fair Lady Lingerie stocked in some small boutiques which is a target of mine for next year. I am hoping to introduce a diffusion line which I could have manufactured in a factory so that I could offer more affordable pieces to appeal to a wider market as well as selling the hand made collection.”

You can also keep up to date with My Fair Lady Lingerie via their Blog and follow on Twitter.