Carol Malony: Detail After Detail

After nearly a decade-long hiatus, lingerie designer Carol Malony has relaunched her eponymous lingerie brand for Spring 2007.

This marks the first time Malony’s name will be seen on a label since the 1990s, when she took a break from manufacturing to designing private labels, with Victoria’s Secret as her primary client.

From 1973 to 1983 Malony owned four lingerie retail stores, where she sold European lines including Simone Peacute;regrave;le, Lejaby and Huit. She closed her stores to focus on her own line, which was known for bodysuits with a built-in bra and low-cut back. Her fashion lingerie was sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bullocks and Robinson’s stores.

With her new line, Haute by Carol Malony, and relaunched Carol Malony Signature, the designer returns to her love for fashion lingerie that features “detail after detail.”

The “Tres Bow” bra from the Signature line is a peek at how many details Malony squeezes onto a small surface area. The bra has a woven checkerboard texture on the bra strap, which is connected to the bra demi cup with a mini bow. The mesh demi bra cup features a polka-dot flocking texture and is topped with Swiss embroidery in the shape of a bow.

“Our sensibility about lingerie is a total complete appreciation of the materials that make lingerie,” said Malony, who uses silk chiffon, silk charmeuse, Italian tulle and plenty of fine laces. “It’s all about the textiles—the laces, the embroideries, the jewels and the touches that you can do—along with the fact that you’re doing it in small pieces so it can be like jewelry. You can really concentrate on [making] it fabulous.”

Malony has been craving to restart her own line. At the same time, she saw the lingerie market was moving toward fashion. Customers were adding pretty lace underthings to their drawers, which were previously dominated by black, white and nude invisible bras.

“The customer is that level of sophistication,” she said. “The big trendsetters are kind of burning themselves out—like this whole T-shirt–bra wave, for example. The race to be the plainest fashion on the market. How vanilla can vanilla ultimately be?”

Malony’s lines are sold at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and specialty stores such as Bittersweet Butterfly in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles.

Malony’s Signature collection’s dress-up quality has made them solid sellers to both men and women at Bittersweet Butterfly, said Nina Grossman Warner, the boutique’s owner and co-buyer.

“She really has fun with her designs. They’re very flirty and sexy and kind of slutty but still sophisticated.” Bittersweet Butterfly carries styles such as Malony’s playful quarter-cup bras and the “V.I.P” panty set with peek-a-boo chiffon slits over the nipples and a butterfly panty. Grossman Warner said she has placed several reorders for sexy items such as the teddy with a fringe skirt and the sheer pink lace “Tickle Me” set, which comes with a feather accessory.

Wholesale price points for Haute by Carol Malony average from $38 to $80 for bras and baby dolls and around $20 to $45 for bottoms. For the Signature collection, the retail price for a bra and panty set averages around $100. For more information, call (310) 230-8072 or visit www.carolmalony.com. —Rhea Cortado