We love luxury lingerie for all the right reasons: it's sexy, and if we feel sexy, then we are sexy. Good-looking and well-feeling people unite, and we know that we project, how we feel — even if we do not try.
And the reality is that in the underwear world there is now much more choice: the days are gone when the alternative was either a painful corset-type design or beige grandmothers and an industrial-class bra from -stores-we -won-t-name. Now we are spoiled for choice, with a multitude of fabrics, lace and design options, and it becomes more of a question to find out where to find this personal combination of the right quality, suitable and gorgeous look rolled together into one delightful offer, beautiful and wearable.
Enter Exquisite Intimates by creating designer Priscilla Kwok. Working with people like Stella McCartney and Ella MacPherson, Priscilla's Mission for Fine Interventions was to combine an incredible fit and high-quality design with exceptional fabric samples; she designs for stylish and insightful women who want the best in terms of how the legs and underwear performances, and how it looks. Priscilla believes that in fact we should have all our bras created for us (yes, she does it), but if you don’t have time, you can try out her work by purchasing her collection of ready-made clothes.
We talked with Priscilla about the philosophy behind the Searching Proximity, and what inspires her and keeps her at night.
You have a wonderful experience working with designers such as Stella McCartney and Ella MacPherson. What stands out in your mind about this early experience?
I worked with Stella and Ella for three years, and it was a terrific experience. I created core collections for both brands that continue to work to this day; I learned a lot from them, and he opened his eyes to the global market.
Stella is a pioneer of fashion, and one of her key design concepts is to combine women's and men's elements into women’s clothing, creating the story behind each collection. Elle focused on achieving a balance between femininity and comfort, and her collections were designed to be attractive. From both of them, I saw that you need to really understand the brand in order to create beautiful collections with character, as well as develop unique ideas to make them different from others.
With my technical design, the path that I followed turns technology into fashion. This approach not only uses beautiful luxury materials, but we also use innovative technologies to connect wings without sewing - so the bra looks almost invisible, and it smoothes your back. Before my first collection appeared, I worked very closely with the manufacturer in order to constantly test the bra to match the intended goal. The process was quite intense, but the result was so rewarding. This early experience is an invaluable impact and knowledge of the high standards necessary to differentiate my work and success internationally.
What is the most important thing for people to know about Exquisite Blisters?
Exquisite Intimates prides itself on its daily comfort and the perfect combination created by luxurious fabrics and lace. Each piece of fabric and lace is selected by me, and I participate in all aspects from design and fitting to production. We pay close attention to detail in the design and construction of each item.
I am always looking for market gaps that need to be filled. My projects are history, and my impressions come from my surroundings and everyday experience, for example, seeing a beautiful piece of lace. I start drawing and refining, and then I create a prototype that I develop on models suitable for industry to improve fit for each size. Suitable for us is incredibly important. Candy Lo, the former Miss Asia and Hong Kong actress, is one of our big fans and comments that she wants Fine Restaurants to be created much earlier in order to fill the much-needed gap in the market; and Colin Lau, a singer and actress from Hong Kong, says she likes the way our projects “decorate” her body shape.
Earlier we talked about extending the brand to other categories. Tell us more about what you think.
Now we are completing the assembly of our maternity, forms and wedding collections, which we plan to start in the second quarter of 2015. This is mainly due to requests and feedback from our customers and fans. For our maternity line, I combined cotton and fine silk (usually only cotton is used) to create luxury and sensation, while maintaining practicality. When I was the last in Singapore, I went through the entire strip of Orchard Road, looking for a good bra for pregnant women for a friend, and was upset by the limited choice.
We also found that, despite the fact that women in Asia are reliably small, they still want to refine their body shape by wearing form. Our mold wear will be functional and beautiful, achieved thanks to our innovative design, as well as our choice and combination of materials. Currently this does not exist on the market, and we are confident that our customers will be satisfied.
What surprised you in creating a new business? Or is it pretty much gone as you thought?
As we hoped and expected, we were able to fill the much-needed gap in the market for really high-end linen. We were surprised by the positive effect that we had on the lives of our customers. Our initial research showed that most women wear a bra of the wrong size, and this was proven correctly from many fittings that we made. Our clients are focused on getting education in all aspects of fitness, and our service has helped them in solving various problems, including discomfort during breastfeeding and back pain. We also teach our customers how to maintain the firmness and shape of their breasts using methods that include the right massage and the right fit for the bra.
What are the biggest problems for you right now?
Our biggest problem at the moment is finding personnel who meet the highest requirements and partners in the target locations that we want to launch. We are very fortunate that through our network we met some excellent partners, especially in Singapore and other Asian countries. We look very attentively at Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul, as well as in Europe, London and Switzerland. We believe that customers in these places really appreciate and are willing to pay for quality service and goods. In people and partners, we are looking for people and companies with the same passion and drive that we believe makes us different.
How would you describe your personal style? What kinds or brands do you like?
Personally, I like the simple, elegant and clean design that I combine with pop accessories. Stella McCartney is a personal favorite (or course!) Because of its simplicity in design and great attention to detail. One of my all-time favorite plays by Stella is her Saskia stretch candy and mesh dress, released in 2012; he simply uses black and white contrast to show off the beautiful curves of a woman. I also like something with a “wow factor” as the designer of the highest fashion Zuhair Murad.
Who are your personal badges - people who give you inspiration, courage, ideas or something else?
I loved drawing, creating and building since I was a little girl, and I give my love and thank my mom for it — not only for giving me talent, but also for encouraging me to take part in school exhibitions and learn drawing and color matching. In fact, she taught me to constantly learn and at the same time use my knowledge to help society.
My mother strongly supported me to pursue what I like. She loves art and design, but continues to dream of becoming a designer, to work hard with my dad in a restaurant so she can provide my brother and me. So I feel that I can continue my dream and make her proud, and you know, she is not only one of my biggest fans, she is also my test model during development; She conducted all my new innovations and always gives honest feedback. When she tried some of my new designs that really enhanced her form, she was so excited! In fact, I could not ask for better inspiration, a model model or an audience!
View the Exquisite Intimates collection here: http://invertededge.com/shop/designer/exquisite-intimates
