This month we're gearing up to shine a spotlight on one of our FAVE brands here at Brastop - Scantilly! The naughty little sister to Curvy Kate, Scantilly lingerie always bring out bold and daring designs for the fuller bust, and we reached out to head designer Olivia Wilson to find out more about the brand and what we can expect from them over the next few years.
What does Scantilly mean to you?
Scantilly is all about empowerment.
What is your favourite thing about the Scantilly brand?
Its all about the wearer, the lingerie is designed to look fierce and be wearable underneath your everyday clothes. I love the idea of women going about their normal day with this secret set of confidence underneath.
We know that Scantilly is the naughty sister to Curvy Kate, but how easy do you find it to switch between the two brands when it comes to the design process, brainstorming ideas etc? Do you have a set process for each brand, or do you design something first and then decide which brand it fits with best?
Scantilly is a different mindset, it’s a joy to design for in a different way to Curvy Kate. It embraces an avant-garde aesthetic, our inspiration comes from cultural sources and couture references. At the start of a season we will look to artistic influence and luxurious fabrics and detailing to springboard our designs from. During the early stages of concept ideas and sketches, we will think about the mood of the brand, the seductive appeal of the lingerie set and ask 'how would I feel wearing this?'
Where do you see the brand going in the next 5 years?
There is so much opportunity for Scantilly to keep on pushing the boundaries both in product and our marketing. I want our Scantilly customer to take on the world and feel awesome whilst she’s doing it. Societal trends impact our design of Scantilly and right now empowering women through what we design feels like the most important message which will continue to build.
There’s already an impressive DD-HH cup size range for the brand – but are there any plans to expand this?
We get asked this a lot and I would love to offer every size but in order to use the fine fabrics that we do at the price we feel is right, we have to work within some size range constraints. I would encourage ladies to sister size if they can.
Scantilly's 'Velvet Rose' plunge bra
Where do you draw your inspiration from for your designs?
Everywhere! A painting, a mood, a couture show, even from reading a book. I’m currently reading a book called ‘A History of the World in 21 Women’, which is inspiring me to consider the strength of womankind and our place in history.
Which 3 words sum up the Scantilly brand?
Empowerment, Indulgence, Seduction
Scantilly's 'Censored' bra and high waist brief
Which is your favourite style from the range?
‘Censored’ was one of the first ranges I designed for Scantilly and it was a pure design process where I wanted to put the censor bar right across the nipples, it was a visually powerful set! Right now, I am torn between 'Harnessed' because it is so fierce and the extra strapping offers so much versatility, and 'Encounter' in gorgeous Peacock tones – such a glamorous, striking set. Then coming up, I adore Fallen Angel which will be launching in September, which was inspired by the wings of a bird and the concept of an anti-angel, it's beautiful yet darkly seductive – the dream combination!
Scantilly's 'Indulge Me' stretch lace bodysuit
What have been your highlights of designing for Scantilly so far?
Hard to answer this because it is just such a pleasure to design the Scantilly range – a Designer’s gift! I love the creative freedom it allows. Designing and developing the Indulge Me body was a great experience, especially when the fit models would react so surprised that a delicate non-wired body could offer them so much support.
-
What's your favourite Scantilly set, and what would you love to see more of from the brand in the future?
LJ x
