Lingerie designed by De Montfort University (DMU) graduates is making a stir with high profile names from Kylie Minogue to the Prime Minister.
After Amy Thompson graduated DMU's Masters in Bodywear she continued creating innovative garments and her designs were sported by Fergie of hit American hip hop band the Black Eyed Peas on their world tour.
Designs by Nichole de Carle, who graduated DMU’s world-renowned BA (Hons) Contour Fashion with a first class degree, were recently worn by Kylie Minogue’s dancers on live TV for the Celebrity Come Dancing Results show watched by millions on BBC 1.
Kylie’s female dancers were wearing Nichole de Carle’s Last Testament bras and briefs with braces.
DMU’s Contour Fashion degree is 65 years old and going from strength to strength with global success, according to Nichole, and last month, final year Contour Fashion student Sian Whitefoot, 20, from Sale, Cheshire, won the international Triumph Inspiration Award in Shanghai.
“There are only around 25 graduates per year from DMU’s specialised Contour Fashion degree. De Montfort University has created a strong foundation for technical knowledge of lingerie design; it is a recommended path for any lingerie enthusiast,” said Nichole.
Lingerie sales have surged for another Contour Fashion graduate Betty Hobcraft, better known during her student days at DMU as Lizzie, since she exhibited her wares in the unlikely setting of the Tory party conference.
Betty set up her own business a year ago creating a range of classy yet sexy underwear and, as she calls it, ‘loungerie’ to lounge around in, all with a retro edge to it.
She was selected as one of 12 finalists in the Start Up Hub competition backed by Prime Minister David Cameron which aimed to give a boost to fledgling businesses.
All 12 showcased their products or services at the Tory party conference last month and, for Betty Blue’s Loungerie at least, it worked.
“Before, I was getting about two sales a week,” she said, “but, thanks to all the publicity, that went up to about 20 sales in the first fortnight after the conference. It’s increased a lot and I hope it grows from there,” said Betty.
The 24-year-old grabbed some headlines in the national media with a cheeky throw-away comment that the Prime Minister’s wife, Samantha, might like one of her black robes – but she has no idea whether the idea was followed up by Mrs Cameron!
Betty, who happily admits some of her range is a little racy, won her day and attracted a lot of interest. “It went very, very, well,” she said. “The attention was really nice and people didn’t shy away from my products, which I’d thought they might.”
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, chatted to her, as did Leader of the House of Commons Andrew Lansley.
Betty, who graduated in 2010, took a while after leaving Leicester before she took the plunge to start out on her own.
“After I graduated I did lots of internships and work for different companies, hoping to get a job, but it’s the kind of industry with lots of small companies which find it so difficult to employ new people doing what I do.
“After about eight or nine months I realised I would have to create my own work. I started working on my idea in April last year and launched the business in the September. I got a lot of help from friends on things like the website.
“The reason I went into the loungewear theme was that there were lots of people doing lingerie and I didn’t want to limit myself to that, and wanted to be different.”
Betty, who opted to go back and live with her parents in Hampshire as she ploughed her energy and finances into the business, designs all her products herself, as well as doing the pattern-cutting and materials grading, before sending it to a factory for production.
The main sales vehicle for her range is her website but through a photographer she knows, a shop based in Los Angeles, USA, is now selling her range, which will also soon be stocked in a shop in The Netherlands.