Text, Vivian G. Kelly
Images, courtesy of Norma Quinto Public Relations
ABOUT THE COMPANY/BACKGROUND
Marlies Dekkers is a Dutch company, based out of Rotterdam celebrating its 15 year anniversary by launching into The United States this fall.
Marlies is a big player in the lingerie market, as has been for years in her native Holland as well as throughout Europe.
She has freestanding boutiques in Maastricht [Holland], Paris and Amsterdam, Belgium, and Bangkok, and had a retrospective exhibition in Rotterdam’s prestigious Kunsthal museum back in January.
ABOUT THE COLLECTION
SIGNATURE TO MARLIES DEKKERS: the straps, there are always extra straps on Marlies’ bras. The straps add detail to even the most basic tank top, and give it an extra something. These bras have great detail like the black velvet strips. What initially looked like a plain black bra in fact was a modern pattern of microfiber and black velvet.
While we loved the black bra we road-tested, you can’t help being drawn to some of the colorful prints available for fall: pomegranate and chocolate, latticework, ministers, to name just a few of the prints to choose from.
This is one huge line and Marlies has a strong design team to help her create the literally hundreds of items on the spring/summer and fall/winter 2008 collections Norma showed us in the NY Showroom.
THE COLLECTION INCLUDES:
-Lingerie
-maternity nursing bras swimwear
-tops
-sundresses
- nightgowns,
-men’s underwear
-men’s swim.
If you’re pregnant or nursing you can wear the Marlies Dekkers MATERNITY line. Unfortunately for us, we didn’t know about Marlies when we needed these and spent close to $50 on each of those ugly white ones maternity shops usually recommend.
ABOUT MARLIES – this art student graduate has a huge design team, but she personally tests everything. It takes Marlies 2 years from the time she first draws a sketch for a new piece until she produces a finished sample.
Although she’s been in business for 15 years, but she says that her 8-year-old daughter is her biggest inspiration.
WHERE TO GET MARLIES DEKKERS –
HER 2,500 square foot boutique in the PLAZA HOTEL BOUTIQUE is due to open WILL HAVE ALL THE LINES, in September in time for Fashion Week, Sept. 5-12.
If you can’t wait another month, she’s also at the WYNN Los Vegas’ lingerie shops. Says Norma, “This is Marlies’ second season in the US and so far so good.”
SELLING POINT: Comfortable luxury. The bras are true to size, unlike many European lines.
Norma swears the bras “are so comfortable that I feel like I’m wearing nothing”, even the bras with hardware detailing on them.
COMING SOON: the maternity line will be available in the USA.
WOMEN’S
RETAIL: Bras - $134 – 235
A Sizing Plus: Bras come in cup size AA to F, which larger busted clients say have a minimizing effect.
BRIEFS/ HOTPANTS/THONGS: $33 – 68
TOPS: $76 to $286
MEN’s
Briefs: $50 – 105 for silky soft lycra blends.
COMING SOON: Marlies will be showing a full collection of dresses in Paris in October all centered around the lingerie. There will be Ladies and men’s swimwear and the tops and skirts to coordinate back to each piece.
Many of the jersey tops have necklines [halters, backless tops] that show your coordinating Marlies Dekkers’ bra straps to full advantage.
AWARD FOR BEST BRA SET:
FROM THE “SECRET SPIDER” COLLECTION - THE SOFT WIRE BRA AND BRIEF IN GRAY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO PREFER HOTPANTS, THERE’S A “BRAZILIAN BRIEF” AS WELL AS A THONG.
NORMA’S FAVORITE/ROAD-TEST: the balcony bra, which she wears “all the time. Marlies lives up to her promise of comfort; we road-tested a black bra with straps and forgot we were wearing it as the day rolled on.
You can shop for Marlies’ collections on her website:
www.marlisdekkers.com