Igor Pacemski of Yes Master
Igor Pacemski is the designer and manager of the Yes Master line of lingerie. Igor’s first job in lingerie was working for Coco de Mer in the UK. We’ve featured Yes Master in our review section in the past. This interview was conducted over the holidays of 2005.
How did you begin your career in textiles / lingerie?
I am a chemist by training and got my first job whilst a skint student in London in the Lambretta Clothing warehouse and left almost 5 years later as a buyer, after being headhunted by Coco de Mer, following a very unusual, surreal afternoon at the “Coach&Horses” in Soho
Who do you design for?
For my label, “Yes Master”, that I co-own with a Portuguese top end manufacturer Euro-Intimo (AKA uncle Roque and auntie Vera)
How much of the business do you run? How much of the design side? How much of the marketing?
100% of the UK side, including sales, design, marketing, PR, finance, production. Ditto, international sales. The only thing I don’t do is make
What have you had the hardest time with in the industry?
Leaving Coco de Mer and the backlash, going through a liquidation of a retail chain whilst in the City, starting YM last year from scratch and staying on top of workload. Unless you are a princess with millions in the bank to fall back on, you have to be one tough cookie in order to survive!
What sort of backlash?
Not seeing eye to eye with the board and seeing a year of hard work to build a wholesale range collapse as it was deemed to fashion.
What has been the easiest thing in the industry?
Getting noticed. I am 6 foot 4 and very loud!
What was your biggest set back you’ve overcome in the industry?
Being a man. Being quite fashion and off the wall. Proving to people that I can really do it. There were a lot of skeptics in the beginning.
How did you move from designing your first collection to actually producing it? Has that process changed over time?
I work like a very established company in that way with a mapped out critical path that I try and adhere to and follow all the standard product cycle times, A/W design Oct, fabric choice Nov, order Dec, sample Jan, sell to Apr, delivery July and September! It is the production equivalent of a white picket fence. Boring, but safe
How do you view the internet and your brand? How have you used the internet to promote or sell your brand?
Instrumental. I am selling to Figleaves, Lady Barbarella, Be Cheeky, AA Lingerie and Wicked Tickles. They are all different and all lovely in their own right. As a very market aware former buyer, merchandiser and supply chain director, I am painfully aware of the need to tap into the nieche. No plans to go e-tail for now and I will have a site when I have saved up enough pennies to avoid static HTML with a bit of flash.
How do you enter new markets (like the US)?
Through their wonderful sourcing agents and through word of mouth. I am consolidating Europe first!
What is your favorite fabric to work with?
Silks of any weight and quality apart from habotai, silk satin for Hollywood, silk jersey for Roller Girls chic, cottons for crips summers and NO LACES (they are actually made by the devil you know!)
Where do you seek inspiration?
Sunday papers, Chelsea, Soho, my girls, Hollywood, books, my funny little world, instinct, gut…
Would you ever consider merging with another design house?
Creative partnerships unless you are headhunted to do a Paris house parallel to your own label don’t last. I am difficult to work with, I am quite boom boom and a lot of designers lack backbone, so it would be constant scraps.
How do you see the collection growing over the next five years?
Certainly more outerwear diversification. Bra shape innovations, a lot of textile work, solid swim and cruise line and some leather goods maybe.
Are there enough choices in the lingerie market or is there room for new entrants?
There are many brands, however, 5 of us are neck’n’neck at the moment (Frankly Darling, Damaris, State of Undress, Twisted Thrift, SPANK). I admire brave girls that go at it without a factory behind them. There will be a lot casualties soon I think as well. Choice wise, there is actually very little, as most of these little labels use the same factories and are faced with similar limitations. You still see solid silks shot through with some digital print, expensive loungewear that is not finished en couture anglaise and very poor bras.
Do you have a demographic in mind? Do you design for general use? There seems to be a difference in the full ensemble outfits you have done (robe, bra, knickers) and just the sassy knickers. Are you thinking the collection is specifically boudoir/special occasion?
How often my collection is worn depends on how reach the wearer is. Someone can treat my AA – E Swarovski smooth strapless bras as solution piece and wear it with a V-Knicker that does not give a VPL under a dress or an evening dress. The collection is “special use” only in the sense that I would like women to feel special every time they wears it. My aim is to create a mini Diane von Frustenberg range that can allow my target customer to pack a whole suitcase of Yes Master and be fine for a weekend away. Demographically, she is over 25, intelligent, tasteful, stylish, timeless and is capable of appreciating any reference I use in my design and has a bit of cash to splash.
