Under Wear

The unveiling of French lingerie-brand Simone Pérèle‘s gorgeous-as-ever FW18 collection got us thinking: the colours, designs and styles of the clothes we don outwardly change with the seasons, but what about the things we wear under those garments? Our chat with current brand director Stéphanie Bujard Pérèle on the 70th anniversary of the company her grandmother founded revealed that, yes, indeed, they do. —Noa Nichol

Tell us about the history and the legacy of Simone Pérèle, the brand.

Simone Pérèle was created in 1948 by a young, talented and passionate Parisian corset-maker, Simone Pérèle. She and her husband built the company based on innovation and a specialized know-how, and understood quickly that women truly flourish when confident. She left behind a legacy of elegance, meticulous attention to detail, unparalleled support and a dedicated focus on fit, using the highest-quality fabrics designed to embrace all women’s natural curves. Today, building on the legacy of the legendary duo, the company has remained in the hands of the family, who has continued to evolve the brand vision worldwide. Today, our family’s third generation have taken the reins, including myself! I joined the company nine years ago to oversee creation, branding, communication, marketing and all the product development such as the trends, the confection, styles, materials and more!

Who are the women Simone Pérèle designs for?

We create lingerie for every single woman! Our lingerie is more than a fashion item; it’s about being self-confident, feeling beautiful and accomplished in a way that unveils the beauty of every size and shape of silhouette. By freeing each woman’s personal beauty, we aspire to unveil her self-confidence, without convention or constraint. Everyone is a Simone!

What, in your mind, are some of the stand-out, must-have pieces from the latest Simone Pérèle collection?

As this collection celebrates the 70th anniversary of the brand, we created a limited-edition line called 1948, which desires to be the most daring—think Italian satin and French embroidery, with top-stitched banding along the neckline and an audacious lacing. In terms of the must-haves pieces from this line, I would definitely recommend the edgy bustier 1948, which is the fashion item of the moment. Under a flowing jacket or a plain kimono, it is complemented to perfection by “boyfriend” jeans, creating an elegant and yet uninhibited look!

And what about trends, in general, in lingerie for the season?

A growing trend is to showcase your lingerie in everyday life. Easy ways to do this include wearing a bodysuit or bustier with an amazing pair of jeans to dress them up, or layer your favourite silk top with a beautifully embellished or lace bra showing through to bring some interest to an everyday look. Also, lots of black and gold, luxurious fabrics, and the high-waist bottom will be a staple!

Fashion-wise, it’s clear that the colder months necessitate, say, coats, while the warmer months inspire, for instance, bikinis. When it comes to lingerie, how does "seasonality" play into creating a collection?

Seasons definitely have an impact over the colours and fabrics that we choose. For example, working with different types of silk and velvet would only work for the fall-winter season because they’re nobler and warmer. As for the colours, we are mostly working with warm and rich colors for FW collections, such as burgundy, deep red and emerald green. We focus on bright colours for the SS collections: lemon yellow, pinks, oranges, etc.

In your opinion, why does it matter what we wear under our clothes, and how is lingerie considered fashionable?

When a woman wears beautiful lingerie that suits her, there’s this little something in her attitude that screams self-confidence. It’s like having the nicest pedicure during winter—even though nobody else sees it but you, you walk around feeling amazing. Lingerie is more and more fashionable and we can play with it. What was usually worn underneath is becoming a fashionable, everyday item.

Personal question: matching set or mismatched top and bottoms?

Always, always and always matching!

Available at Diane’s Lingerie, 2950 Granville St., 604-738-5121, dianeslingerie.com