Video: The Lingerie Collective Spring/Summer 11, Part II

Last week, we posted Part I of our roundup of The Lingerie Collective event in London. Part II of our Lingerie Collective video is now up, and this final video will give you a sneek peek into new collections from Lascivious, Ell & Cee, Velda Lauder, and a lot more brands. You can watch the video here, or just play it below:

Here are the brands we covered in this video:

• Kriss Soonik: We’ve been a massive fan of Kriss’s since 2007, where her manga-inspired “girlwear” captured our imagination and gave us a fresh new interpretation of lingerie. Kriss Soonik is now a well-established label, but is still innovating and perfectly fulfilling the term of “directional” designer – to us, she points in the direction of what the trends will be in the coming seasons. In the video, you get a peek at some of Kriss’s favourite pieces, but our favourite has to be the housecoat she’s wearing — it looks just a good over a dress as over a lingerie set!
• Lascivious: another longtime favourite of ours, Lascivious is going strong and producing some gorgeous new vixen-wear for S/S ’11. As usual, creator Chloe has collaborated with talented photographers, artists, designers and everyone else under the sun to produce her collection, and we think it’s one of Lascivious’s best so far. Our favourite piece has to be the little black “V” dress shown in the video – it’s bang on the “underwear as outerwear” trend, and boasts a thousand tiny little details that make it a Lascivious classic. We think it’ll be a sell-out!
• Sea Sirens: We met Sea Sirens for the first time at The Lingerie Collective, and as soon as we found out that creator Vivienne Austin had a “superhero” collection, we were sold! The Sea Sirens designs are fresh, colourful and modern, and as you’ll learn from the video, its creator enjoys a wealth of experience from a background at Liberty’s, amongst others. We’ll be keeping our eye on this promising swimwear brand!
• Tallulah Love: oh, Tallulah Love. This label is named very appropriately, for it was at this stand that I fell in love — deeply, hopelessly, with a petticoat (you’ll see it in the video – I made her do an extra take with it!). Loyal readers will remember that I went on the hunt for petticoats earlier this year, and didn’t find enough to satisfy my craving. So you’ll understand why I was so delighted to see such a beautifully made petticoat on the Tallulah Love stand, alongside sumptuous silk bra sets and corsetry pieces. This brand is just getting started, but is already attracting a lot of attention, and we think creator Michelle (who is equal parts adorable and determined) is going to go a long way with her new label. And Michelle – make more petticoats!
• Mint Siren: since we first saw this label five years ago, Mint Siren has undergone a transformation — the label’s roots are in goth, burlesque, and corsetry, but over the past few years, its creator Josephine has updated Mint Siren with a more urban, crisp, and expensive look. We think the update is inspired – Josephine has managed to keep the dark, seductive roots of her label intact, but has grown the label into an incredibly chic, urban brand. The stone-coloured pieces she shows in the video are beautiful, but our favourite pieces have to be from her leather strap collection – the cage skirt she is wearing adds a punch of intensity to anything that a woman could wear. We love this powerful new Mint Siren, and think you will too.
• Ell & Cee: We absolutely loved Ell & Cee’s collection this season – the label has always been great at soft, feminine looks but creator Laura has outdone herself this season with some incredible, ethereal pieces. Our favourite is easily the “Goddess” robe she shows you in the video, and in fact all of the gowns and robes in this collection are amazing. If you love a nymphlike, flowy look in your lingerie, Ell & Cee is swiftly becoming a must-have label.
• Black Neon: if you’re less interested in the flowy feminine stuff and want to make a splash instead, you’ll like the brand new swimwear label, Black Neon. Cast in uncompromising colours and bold geometric patterns, this label’s swimwear is designed to create a confident, modern (yet retro) style. Our favourite part of the collection has to be those bold blue silk shorts Jodi shows you, but we also love the strapless bathing suit with its incredibly flattering cut.
• MC Lounge: created by the brains behind Modern Courtesan, MC lounge is an all-silk, pure luxury loungewear brand that’s made in England. As Kelly tells you in the video, this gorgeous label has just gotten started, and we think it’s going to be a staple for boutiques who want to offer elegant, classic silk loungewear. We love the uncomplicated elegance of the collection, especially the silk tee shirt and that stunning white silk robe!
• Velda Lauder: the amazing Velda Lauder is well-known for her corsetry expertise, having dressed everyone from Dita von Teese to… oh who cares, she’s dressed Dita for god’s sake! In the video, Velda gives you a peek into the softer side of her label, and I’m not joking when I say “soft” – the powermesh that Velda uses for that gorgeous suspender belt is incredibly soft and touchable – sheer politeness kept me from holding it against my cheek! In the video you also get a sneak peek at Velda’s robe from her new collection (modelled by the incredible Maz Spencer) – we love the extreme wrap style, but love those soft skinny sleeves even more. Corsetry lovers should definitely check out Velda’s lingerie options, and if you haven’t seen it already, be sure to check out our video with Velda where she shows you how to lace up a corset!

Phew! And that is a wrap! Thank you again to all of the amazing brands that participated in our videos, and we will be doing more little features like this from now on!