Style

You can’t expect a world-class ravioli if you’re eating dinner at Olive Garden. So why would you go next door to Victoria’s Secret and expect to find a handmade silk negligee worthy of brushing against your lover’s skin?

By: Kendall Bryant
[ Updated: Oct 15, 2008 - 1:37:22 PM ]

The finest lingerie money can buy comes from Trelise Cooper and her staff of seamstresses, who construct one-of-a-kind luxury under­garments in a tiny storefront studio in the town of Newmarket, New Zealand. Cooper starts with rare cottons and silks—found using her little black book of textile sources culled from 20 years in the fashion industry—and custom-made lace that is based on vintage pieces she finds at antiques markets in Southern France and Spain, and re-created by needle­work specialists who use muted dyes to achieve a soft, classic look. The result is a seasonal limited collection of chemises, slips, and bustiers (available at Saks Fifth Avenue), inspired by a historical sex symbol or time period. Past inspirations have included Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, but this year’s muse seems to be lifted from the pages of a kinky romance novel. “I know what a woman wants to reveal and what she wants to hide,” says Cooper, “but I always think from a man’s perspective. I try to imagine what he’d want to see her in on their wedding night.” trelisecooper.com