With a look of femininity, sensuality and utter craftsmanship, Boudoir D’huitres designed by Mimi Plange consumes that aspirational element that fashion holds so dear. The Holiday collection is rich with detail and jewel tones but always staying true to that 18th century aesthetic. Lynn Furge spent a moment with Mimi to find out what else inspires the promising young designer.
Lynn Furge: How do you incorporate modern and 18th century fashion together? What 5 key elements meld those two themes into the Boudoir d’Huitres garments?
Mimi Plange: In designing Boudoir D'huitres, I look to 18th century historical fashion for inspiration. There is something so beautiful about the period. Its like a molding of dark gothic sensuality with refined feminine themes, everything is unique and curious. Every garment has reason and meaning. Colors are significant with a language of their own. I like exploring the idea of the ideal body shape being defined by the corset, and the luxury of layers of fabrics being used to accentuate that shape. There is so much fabric, yet so much accentuation. There is this sense of being covered, but in actuality, being so overtly sexy at the same time. I try to fuse these elements with modern clean lines that arise from my love for architecture. I think to myself. . . how can I create this ideal with a look that is forward, sophisticated and clean? I don't want the clothes to look dated or like period costumes. I don't want people to see so plainly my inspiration. I like to use the 18th century influence in a subtle, indirect way.
To meld the modern with the Victorian, I start first with shape-everything begins with the thought of the bust and the hourglass figure. How can I create this shape without a corset, how can I make the clothing accentuate without using this garment? I think about all of these things before I begin to layout my shapes for the season. I then move on to Craftsmanship/Construction-I try and find new solutions that appear effortless based on traditional sewing techniques. Here, I want to see how many couture techniques I can incorporate into my ready-to-wear.
While thinking of my modern day Victorian muse, I cannot forget the notion of Novelty-the idea of making each piece special, new and fresh. I want our customers to feel excited when they see the new collections. I want them to feel there is a personal touch to each item. My muse is always looking for something new. She wants design. She wants wearable fashion.
Fabric is another key element I research extensively from this time period. I like to frequent museums to see historical fabrications on furniture and clothing. I look at Victorian wall paper prints, color usage, anything interesting to inspire Boudoir D'huitres. Because, I mostly like to use solid colors, I try to find variations in fabric textures to create depth in each garment. Last but not least, is Exclusivity-some techiques I use such as shape defining piecing, delicate folds, rouching and finishing details require a lot of hand labor. I would like to keep all pieces to a minimum, and although I would like to grow, I do not want to over saturate the market with the brand. I like the idea that the consumer will know that they are truly getting something well made, unique, and more importantly, that our customer will not see her garment everywhere. Boudoir D'huitres will be her own special piece with limited availability.
LF: You seem to have a lot of experience with different elements of the fashion industry. Please explain how working in both luxury, contemporary sportswear, and jewelry all very different beasts… prepared you to launch your collection.
MP: Today's fashion moves so fast, especially that of the youth oriented brands. They need to stay excited so they keep returning to buy. I believe the foundation work I learned at the junior and contemporary sportswear level has given me insight into a fast moving business that has to constantly stay on trend, in order to appeal to a larger audience. You have to think about price point, and stay in tuned with popular culture to see "what's next?" What new "IT" item will take lead? and provide the consumer with your interpretation of that particular item. You are forced to be in tune with the world. I learned about designing with strong restraints while still trying to maintain a high level of creativity. I saw many different consumers, different wants, and different needs. Its nice to be able to have insight on popular culture, but also be present to the forward thinking that is required for luxury. It is luxury fashion that has allowed me to find my single voice in fashion. I can express my own point of view, and push my own creativity to the limit. I feel that I can truly be myself and create without so much noise from the outside world.
In luxury, your audience is much smaller, and you must not only be on trend, but be ahead of the curve-while still making sure that you are creating clothes that are not only unique and beautiful, but can be worn. I think the molding of these backgrounds has prepared me tremendously. The world is becoming so much smaller. Everyone has access to see the world from different angles today. I believe that, with my past experience, Boudoir D'huitres will be able to appeal to a wider audience while maintaining exclusivity so that the "luxury" aspect of the brand can be retained. We plan on expanding the line into a lifestyle brand, so with the different experiences, I hope to be able to put my mark on all aspects of the business with the confidence that I am experienced and am clear on how to make everything cohesive at the many levels we will create in the future.
LF: Do you feel any of your California roots seep into your designs? What about your Ghanaian?
MP: Hmmm. . .Yes, there is definitely Californian and Ghanaian inspiration in my work, because I believe that you are a product of your environment to a certain extent, and your influences stay with you and manifest somehow in your work, even if you aren't trying to be influenced by them. When I think of California, I do think of easy styles, glamour, red carpet, casual sexy, or bohemian luxe. I do see these influences in my work, because these influences are what people want right now. We are in the height of celebrity pop culture. Even though, California is not the Capitol of Fashion, California is directing fashion today. As far as Ghana, I spent some times there this summer. It was amazing! Beautiful, new, and bold. I remember going to a grocery store in a Mall with my mother, when we bought soda, we had to return our old bottles before we could get new drinks, so they could recycle them! I thought wow? This is great! If they could start a great idea like that with the limited amount of resources we have here, we should be doing much more. So, I started researching more into sustainable fabrics and sources. I will be incorporating some into my Fall 2010 collection. I will always be inspired by Ghana. It is where my mother was born and where I was born. I love the country's interpretation of Dutch wax printing, and their own couture techniques they use to personalize their own garments. The Ghanaian sentiment, seems to correspond with that of the Victorian-"I want my own unique dress and hat" What can I do to make it my own? There is much to be discovered with the sewing techniques and fashions of Africa as a whole.
LF: What do you think of first when starting a collection: color, texture or shape?
MP: Today, I start with the shape. What do I want to make her body look like? Do I want to alter it? Or do I want it natural? Do I want to see it? Or do I want to hide it? Most importantly, how will I accentuate it this time. Fashion is so fun to me, because you can do so much! You may have some restrictions, but you will always have way more options. I know that I have a foundation that I will comeback to, which is the corset, and I play on the opposite ends of "show and tell" or "hide and go seek". I look at the body, like I am building on it in a soft and familiar way. The overall idea is to accentuate as much as possible with or without the corset with the emphasis always being about highlighting or creating the hourglass figure. Once I figure out the shapes, I think of textures, and then color. Today, shape is inspiring me more. I want to play with the shape of the body. I want to use volume, but I cannot say that every time I begin the process, it starts with shape. There have been times that Color has inspired a collection, so it really depends on the season, the time or day or which direction the wind was blowing that day. Anything can set off an inspiration that leads to the start of a collection, and that inspiration will dictate if I should start with color, texture or shape.
LF: Who is the Boudoir d’Huitre Muse?
MP: The Boudoir D'huitres Muse is a "ageless" 28-50 year old woman. She is my modern day Victorian muse. Victorian in elegance, curiosity, mystery, and love of self. She is a dream, a jet setter with ability to balance her career and social life. She is traveling the world, closing the deal, attending the new art opening. She is the tastemaker, the aristocrat, the leader. My muse is charming and witty with a life of constant movement. She does not stand still. Our Muse dose not require a label, nor does she want to be labeled. She does not need the assurance of a logo. She has an interest in the historical past, but is curious on how that past will touch the future.
She is the woman who loves The Arts. She happy, secure, confident, radiant, and beautiful. She has the means to purchase whatever she pleases, and when she chooses to do so, she chooses quality, beauty, fit, Boudoir D'huitres.
Our Muse is woman who can move forward without forgetting about the past. She does not want to forget things of quality or art from the past, and neither do I.
LF: How do you feel Boudoir fits into the trend of fashion companies really becoming lifestyle brands?
MP: Boudoir D'huitres is aspiring to become a lifestyle brand some day. Branding is a key component to getting out your message. When you create lifestyle through a scent, a bag, or a show, you give consumers a sense of the complete package. I believe lifestyle branding in a more global and technologically savvy way, is the future. People have the choice to buy into certain brands, but can you really buy into a lifestyle? The Boudoir D'huitres woman knows who she is, when she walks through the door. She makes the purchase because she is already living that lifestyle. I don't know if Boudoir D'huitres is selling a dream, because, its a reality, a reality that can be yours with plenty of hard work and focus. We are selling the truth, a reality, that appears to be somewhat untouchable, but altogether real.
LF: What aside from Fashion inspires you?
MP: History, culture, make-up, Museums, traveling, the human body, music, plays, talking to people around the world. . . Sometimes when I'm listening to people they may say something in the conversation that may trigger my mind, and make it drift-for like a second or two, or ten or twelve, and then an idea pops up, I just remind myself to write it down and explore later. But I do pay attention to what people tell me-sometimes. Other times, when I am researching for a current collection, I may come across something that may not work for the line I'm working on, but I keep it in my head for a future collection. I also tend to day dream a lot, and fantasize about life. I would say most of my inspiration comes from my day dreaming of scenes and stories. I usually have many things inspiring me at once, and I sometimes have a hard time narrowing down my choices, because there are so many things that I can pull from.
Ultimately, I think just about anything at any given moment in time can be inspiring. Just depends on how you look at it. Or what day it is, or how the moon was positioned on the night of the 3rd Friday of the month!
LF: What is next on the horizon for Boudoir d’Huitres?
MP: There are so many things coming up for us! We are showing our collection during fashion week NY this February 2010. I am truly excited about our next presentation, it is much darker than I have been before, and very expressive. We will be shooting another fashion film for this collection and it would be something special and I am very excited about it. I will be incorporating much more eco-friendly fabrics into the line, and am also working on an all eco-friendly collection for resort. We also have plans to participate in South Africa fashion week during the world cup in June. The focus right now is to generate an online presence and building the brand artistically through our site, in which we are adding user friendly rooms, so we can interact more with our consumers. I really believe that Boudoir D'huitres has something new and different to offer.
Now that the Resort and Swim shows are complete, the industry’s 2010 trends are apparent. 
Scissor Happy: The “monokini” is now attached at the bellybutton. And the placement became only more creative. Aqua di Lara, V Del Sol, BECCA Swim, Luli Fama all send a version down the runway. Emerging designer KEVA had a twist with more of an athletic tank shape and jungle palette making her take on the newly emerging popular trend truly original, while Tibi’s lilac one shoulder with the collar bone cut out would be the most acceptable to wear on a boat in the Med.
Tribe called Wet: When it comes to prints, this season is all about the ethnic tribal influence. Café Swimwear’s pareos were lovely due to their gold buckle side detail which added a well constructed luxe element. Tibi’s two pieces were cute in a preppy girl goes on vacation to the Amazon type of way. ANK gave us graphic black and white Aztec prints in both suits and cute quick cover-ups. Guess turned out a stunning cut out that had an asymmetrical shape different from anything else seen on the runway. Red Carter had a scrumptious one piece with a flattering zigzag effect that way half diva half adventurer, but it was Mara Hoffman and her homage to the indigenous lifestyle that showcased flawless after flawless patterns from her tiny triangle bikinis to her silk beaded caftans and jumpsuits.
Slow Ride: While ready-to-wear is rocking the 80’s, swimwear has a dose of Black Sabbath, a smidge of the Doors, a rockin’ riff of the Rolling Stones and a bit of Bob Marley to throw into the mix. From the big wild hair to models flashing the peace sign the 70’s took over the catwalk. There were ultra suedes and denim printed one pieces from True Religion. Guess Swimwear introduced an animal print theme that had seventies type gold stud detain. But at the peak of the trend were the fringe elements seen at Mara Hoffman and L*Space by Monica Wise. L*Space had the models in Afros with African drums but the simple stunning white v-neck one piece was 70’s updated. 
Tougher Triangles: The classic popular triangle top has a twist this season with an almost “Y” back turning the just for lounging style into a choice for girls that want to be active on the beach and in the water. Reef had a cute version and for a brand already popular with the sporty set, it will fit right in. Guess’ nautical version had the added bling of gold lame, which would make it perfect for any boater who needs to hoist the jib in style. Hurley unveiled a pleasant surprise that was equal elements of functional and feminine that wouldn’t be too bad on the tan lines.
The Wide Side: Say goodbye to the itsy bitsy teeny weenie side ties. Swim bottoms are growing at the side and shrinking at the back. Think Hanky Panky without a thong. The cinched bottom made famous by Luli Fama has come back in multiple styles for her 2010 collection, but mirror images were seen at Guess, Hurley, Tibi and True Religion and even if the ruched back was absent, the sides were still thicker, hitting the hip bone at the perfect point elongating the waist and giving an overall more flattering silhouette.
S.C.U.B.A: Seen in ready-to-wear at Phi and Proenza Schouler the scuba trend landed back home where it makes more practical sense. Brands such as Bogart Lingerie Ltd, sculpted one pieces with color blocking and high tech fabrics. Reef paired their wet suit t-shirt in bold blue (a popular color for swim 2010) with the also popular matching cut-out one piece. But Aqua Di Lara with their chic sleek neoprene creations crowned the trend with multiple styles, strong presentation, beautiful craftsmanship and a lot of sex appeal.
With the New York Times claiming that “Black Friday will be Black November”. The experts at 24/Seven Inc. ponders the question… “Have you hired the best retail talent for Black Friday?” “This Black Friday and holiday season, more than ever, we need to realize why people shop. I have come to realize that shopping is a social event that shapes us - it creates our identity. People are shopping for their loved ones and for themselves, and make choices with care and take pride in doing the best thing for their friends and family, because eventually, this purchase is going to be shared in celebration. This season, look through the eyes of the shopper, and make their every experience in your store a positive one. After all, it has been a tough year, people want every dollar they spend to be a special one.” Proclaims Celeste Gudas, President 24/Seven Inc.
