I know this is what you have all been waiting for! The photos from last week’s CILA Gala. Enjoy! Video coverage soon…
All photos are courtesy of the talented Matthew Coulter.
Photos from the catwalk show right here.
Claire Pettibone
And the Winners Are…CILA Gala 2008
On Monday, August 4th, in the Skylight Room of the Waldorf-Astoria, members of the intimate apparel industry gathered to honor the creativity and talent of leading brands and designers. Hosted by the trade publication, Contours Magazine, the Gala included a red carpet arrival and cocktails, a sit down dinner, and fashion show featuring CILA brand finalists.
The evening concluded with the awards presentation.
This year, for the first time, CILA recognized the accomplishments of young, fashion graduates. Top students enrolled in the esteemed intimate apparel program at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) submitted their designs in the category of Graduating Designer of the Year. Jessica Ng (who some of you might remember from last year’s Between the Sheets Fashion Show) was named the winner for her well-constructed and beautiful design.
CILA was also delighted to invite a special guest to receive another first time award! Carson Kressley, host of Lifetime’s How to Look Good Naked, was awarded the Recognition Award for Promoting Healthy Body Image Through the Media. Prior to presenting Carson with the award, the audience acquired a taste of Carson’s work through a series of video clips from the show in which he encourages women to embrace their beauty no matter what shape or size they may be.
Notable men’s underwear brands Andrew Christian, Baskit, and Papi, as well as online retailer Freshpair.com, graciously donated the items for Carson’s goody bag! Show attendees also received goody bags with treats from Soak (see here for a previous post on this wonderful wash).
Listed below is a complete list of CILA participants and winners (noted in bold). Check back soon for a photo gallery of the event!
CILA Gala 2008 Finalists and Winners
What to Wear Under Your Wedding Dress
Wedding season is around the corner for many blushing brides. In addition to the huge list of decisions brides need to make, they must also plan on the proper underpinnings for their big day. Actually, they need them for the dress fitting first. Of course, let’s not forget about the wedding night lingerie ensemble and the honeymoon pieces as well. But, in this first installment of a three part series about your wedding intimate wardrobe, we will discuss what to wear under the gown.
Bridal underpinnings can be a daunting task for many women because it is outside of their realm of knowledge of lingerie. Generally, we know the size we should wear and what style is more appropriate for our bodies, taste and outfit. For instance, the padded plunge bra has been warmly welcomed with the popularity of low cut tops.
When buying lingerie for the wedding day, the bride needs to take the dress into account. There are different necklines or strapless dresses or low back styles that come into the picture. The bra options can seem overwhelming to some brides. Here is a breakdown of bra options for different dress styles.
Bustiers work well for strapless, low back dresses. A bustier is a one-piece garment that uses flexible boning to give a desired shape. Its length varies, going from the bust to anywhere between the rib cage and the hips. A bustier is an ideal option for low back dresses as well as for full bust women. The boning and structure offer the much needed support. There are two popular styles of bustiers, a seamless version and non-seamless.
Felina’s Essentials Bustier is wildly popular seamless, smoothing bustier. The essentials bustier is such a “go to” garment that giant wedding gown store David’s Bridal brought the garment into stores for resale. Sizing is from a 32A thru 42D, but next season Felina will be offering DD cup sizes.
Goddess, renowned for their commitment to providing bras and bustiers for the fuller figured, has some great options with bustiers. The Smooth Merry Widow and the Lace Bustier both provide support, are strapless and have a low back. The Merry widow, which is longer hitting at the hit, has detachable garters and is available in white and ivory. Sizes available 32DD to 48DDD. The Lace Bustier will come in handy long after your wedding day, with strapless dresses and flirtatious tops. Size range here is a little better with 34D thru 48FF.
Good Strapless Bras can help make you feel secure in strapless gown. Have you seen the blooper of the bride throwing her bouquet up and exposing entire chest? Well with the right bra, that won’t happen to you because it will move with you.
There are many options out there, but some of the features you should look for in a strapless dress are a silicone lining around the top and bottom of the band. Once again, Felina’s Hint of Skin is great staple that will prove useful not just on your wedding day. For Fuller Busts you can’t go wrong with a Goddess Strapless because they offer secure support.
Convertible Bras have straps that are detachable in the front and the back of the band of the bra. The strap itself is also adjustable so that it can accommodate the style that is needed. Convertible bras are perfect for dresses with a halter neckline or dresses that have an asymmetric sleeve.
Some dresses are just too tricky to try and work with a conventional bra. That is where the innovative bra accessories become very useful. First, I have to tell you about Fashion Forms Low Back Strap. This is a band that connects to the hooks on your favorite bra and then you wrap the band around your waist. It makes your bra into a low back bra. You may be able to use this with a convertible bra and really customize your bra to work with your dress.
Next, there are the adhesive bras from Fashion Forms which offer support but are completely backless. I hear all kinds of feedback both positive and negative. Personally, I like them and I think they work great. My first time using them was as a bridesmaid and I danced all night and they stayed put. Here is how they work, there is a bra cup and the inside has adhesive on it. You take the cup and place it on your breast and you are literally stuck in place. There are several variations, the NuBra Featherlite, NuBras Divine Body, Extreme Silicone Adhesive bras, Silicone Cleavage clasp bra. Many of these variations are reusable (like for cute tops on your honeymoon).
There are also clear bra straps that you can attach to your bra. While they are clear, they will leave an indent in the skin. I think these would work best as the strap used for a halter, it is discreet while being covered. Lingerie tape has long been a fashion secret for the famous. It is double sided tape that has so many uses, from fixing a hem to keeping a flimsy dress in place.
Now that we have the support part of the underpinnings taken care of, lets discuss some of the fun stuff. Garters are a tradition and a fun place to put your “something blue”. If you are going to have the garter toss, remember that you use a “dummy” garter to toss and you save the garter as a keepsake. So that means you need to buy 2. GigisCloset.com has a number of beautiful garters that are definitely keepers. This is the Rigby & Peller Opulence garter that is available in Diamond (white) and Pearl (Ivory), included is a keepsake pouch.
Kristina Haas – Gigi’s Closet
Kristina Haas is co-owner of GigisCloset.com, an online lingerie boutique specializing in fashion lingerie. Armed with a passion for beautiful intimates and a desire to share it with the world, Gigi’s Closet captured the boutique feel to be enjoyed by all on the internet.
Claire Pettibone’s New Collections
We first featured Claire Pettibone a little less than a year ago, and now there are new styles that enchant me every bit as much as the ones we saw then. The soft lace and ruffles ooze vintage romance; collections include camisoles, knickers, peignoir sets, and more. These are a much more glamorous option for a night at home than your worn-out pajamas! Claire Pettibone herself says of her designs,
“It has always been my desire to create exquisite feminine clothing using the finest fabrics and precious details; to combine a vintage feeling with modern style…I have a very romantic vision of how fashion can embrace our beauty and indulge our dreams. I invite you to share that dream”
Claire Pettibone has a very definitive style – every piece looks like it belongs in an elegant fairy tale! Here are some of my favorites, but there is so much more to see on the website or in your nearest boutique (there is a store locator on the site). Some of my most favorite pieces weren’t in any modeled pictures, so it’s definitely worth a visit to the site to find the one you like the best!
CILA 2007
The 2nd annual Contours International Lingerie Awards (CILA) were held in the Grand Ballroom at the exquisite Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York last Monday, August 6th. This gala event, celebrated and recognized the creativity and design within the intimate apparel industry. This brainchild of Contours publisher, Ben Yedder, also highlighted and honored the influence this industry has on mainstream fashion.The event featured over 80 designers from 8 countries competing in 19 different categories. An international panel of judges selected 5 finalists from each category whose designs were displayed in the runway show. The jury is composed not only of buyers and designers, but also consumers.
Upon entering the ballroom after a cocktail party, guests took their seats around the runway where models were already placed on stage wearing designs from the competitors. Following dinner, guests were treated to the runway show and the presentation of awards. The competition in each category was tough indeed, particularly in the Best Fashion and Best D+ competition. That one is closest to the heart, of course.
Perhaps what stood out in my mind the most, that many others attending the event also mentioned, is that women of all shapes and sizes were represented in the runway show.
One line, Best Plus Size award winner Tia Lyn (also appearing at the trade show), is an all-inclusive line that spans sizes small to 3x. This vintage inspired line features a variety of chemises, gowns, camisoles, and panties.
Also a contender for both Best Plus Size and Best D Plus finalist, Empreinte, is seeking to become more of a presence in the U.S. with its beautiful and well constructed pieces for fuller figure women. This 60 year old company based in France offers numerous options in sizing (up to a G cup) as well as high fashion and glamour. I am most impressed with the delicate embroidery and variety of moods the collection fits.
Other contenders for Best D Plus include my personal favorites, Panache and Elixir, Barbara, and the amazing Australian based line, Bendon. So expect more about some of those lines soon!
Best Fashion was probably my other just-can’t-pick-my-favorite category of the evening. With TLP favorites Marlies Dekkers, Madame V, Chantelle, and Elle MacPherson and one of my trade show finds, Lou, it was stiff competition! Lou will be debuting this fall with parts of the collection arriving in both September and November so check your local boutique. Perhaps my favorite part of the evening might have been when the team from Marlies Dekkers was accepting their award and shared their design philosopy. They design pieces to please women, but if it also happens to please men, then that’s great. I like their way of thinking!
Overall, it was a phenomenal evening of great food, great conversation, and GORGEOUS lingerie. You can drool over all the beautiful pieces like I did! See the video coverage of the show at Zoozoom.com.