Iron: Art Meets Lingerie

Single-named designer Leejay of the contemporary label Iron said he fashions his flowing, body-conscious printed dresses to move like water and feel like a second skin. With his addition of a lingerie line, he hopes to offer women complete innerwear and outerwear comfort.

“I feel that, underneath, women’s clothes should feel soft,” said Leejay, who is also president of the contemporary women’s line Sheri Bodell; Iron is a separate entity. “I came up with the lingerie so that women wouldn’t feel constricted underneath their clothes. I want to make everything feel like you’re wearing nothing.”

Iron’s clothing and lingerie feature prints that are taken from Leejay’s original artwork. A swatch from one of Leejay’s paintings is magnified and the image is printed onto silk chiffon or silk jersey fabric. For Spring 2006, his saturated colors were inspired by the planetary system. One print is reminiscent of Saturn’s red swirls as viewed through a telescope.

Because of the nature of the printed fabric, each piece of lingerie cut will be different. “Every woman [will be wearing] an original piece of art,” Leejay said.

The lingerie is available in four styles and eight prints in silk jersey fabric: string thong, boy short, side-ruched panty and tiewaist panty. The string thong is also available in crinkle silk chiffon. Wholesale price points range from $10 for thongs to $38 for the tie-waist panty.

For information, call The Philip NYC Showroom at (212) 398-7000. —Rhea Cortado