I recently caught up with designer, Layla L’obatti, of Between the Sheets. She was kind enough to share her upcoming spring collection with us and tell us a bit more about her inspiration. In the thick of winter here, any glimpse of summer and sun is welcome!
What was your inspiration for the Spring/Summer 2011 collection?
For Spring/Summer 2011 I was inspired by summer love, those timeless innocent moments on the beach, in the sand, on the boardwalk and out at an amusement park that we look back and remember fondly. I wanted to make an airy, colorful, and light collection that you could make more of those summer memories in, whether kicking back on your porch with some lemonade or iced tea or thrown over a swimsuit beach or poolside. There is something magical about summer memories that have this dreamlike, they’re endless and live on forever.
I got a crazy idea to shoot at Coney Island, I had only visited it twice since I first moved to New York, but the moment I thought of my own nostalgic moments at Venice and Santa Monica beach in California, Coney Island was like the grittier NYC version of that for me. All that aside for a made in New York brand this historic New York landmark just seemed like the perfect backdrop for a SS11 campaign!
How will this collection differ from the previous collections?
We’re introducing two new groups for SS11- “Play a Spell” which consists of airy cotton voille and delicate lace trimmed pieces and “Frolic & Play” another crossover collection of an light luxe slub knit that could be worn over swimwear or as RTW and also functions as lounge or sleepwear and merchandises back to some of our basics really nicely.
Since we at TLP always seek to give you the latest information in the industry, when it was leaked last week that Between the Sheets would be featured on an upcoming reality TV show, we decided to ask Layla about that as well.
How did you first hear about the show? What prompted you to audition?
Actually, we were approached a while back, and at first we were a bit hesitant as to whether we could stand to step away from our business to be a part of this, but in the end we decided it was an opportunity a fledgling brand like ours could not turn down. After all we want to give this baby of ours wings to fly!
Do you think the show will give more exposure to the still growing lingerie industry?
I can’t say much about what went on- you’ll have to tune in to watch, and in truth I don’t know what the final product will end up like. That was another hesitation for us, anytime you are on a reality show there is a certain amount of risk involved, and even more when it is a pilot season and there is no history for what the show will be like. I do hope/believe that you will get a true vision of the work that goes into making a product, and the humanity that is behind the brand. I hope that viewers with each episode will see what a risk designers take when they step out into an industry dominated by well funded heavy hitters, financially and emotionally speaking.
Speaking on lingerie specifically it has always been my goal to have lingerie recognized as a fashion category alongside ready to wear, couture, etc. We have whole floors in department stores devoted to lingerie, and our own specialized trade events/shows and yet the fashion industry at large tends to treat lingerie like a sleazy cousin when there is so much more to the lingerie industry than that. I think that our being cast as part of this first season should send a message that lingerie designers are out there, and making some beautiful clothing, and that is a message I hope comes across.
We believe we have leaps and bounds to go to grow BTS into what we hope it will be, our Fall season surpassed our launch by so much! I think the economic fears are easing and as we have been around for more than one season and add new groups we continue to meet new boutique and store owner who are interested in our playful spirit and unique products!
Thanks to Layla for sharing what she could. I know I’ll be tuning in! For more details on the show, see here for the leaked article about the show which will air on the Sundance Channel. For now, keep up with BTS on Facebook and Twitter and enjoy these lovely pictures of the collection.
