Fashion, Philanthropy and Frederick's of Hollywood
Frederick’s of Hollywood tastefully exposed a sophisticated blend of sexy and demure lingerie during its second annual lingerie art auction and fashion show, “Corsets for a Good Cause,” at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Oct. 20 benefit for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), hosted by actress Susan Sarandon, featured a live performance by ’80s band The Psychedelic Furs and a runway presentation of Frederick’s Spring 2005 collection.
“This is truly the year of the corset, so it was a natural for us to ask celebrities to design them,” explained Linda LoRe, chief executive officer of Frederick’s of Hollywood. “We gave celebrities a basic corset along with an artist kit, with instructions to design it as they wanted and then send it to us so we could have it made. Or, they could design it and have it made themselves.”
Barbra Streisand, Britney Spears, Julianne Moore, Diana Ross, Courteney Cox Arquette, David Arquette, Ty Pennington, Scarlett Johansson, Geena Davis and Sharon Osbourne were among the numerous celebrities who designed corsets for the auction.
The “Thelma & Louise” corset, a collaboration between Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, garnered the most attention at the event. The cream-colored leather corset featured rawhide whipstitching at the edges, airbrushed images of the actresses from the movie and fringe made out of miniature Wild Turkey bottles. It sold for $5,000.
“We are here to raise money to support the National Sex Abuse Hotline and have people understand more about our organization and all the services we provide,” said Scott Berkowitz, president and founder of RAINN.
Berkowitz said he believes that Frederick’s is “the perfect match” for the organization’s network. “Part of our message is that women can wear and do whatever they want. Women being sexy has nothing at all to do with whether or not a crime has been committed,” he said.
Last year, Frederick’s raised $90,000 for RAINN.
On the runway, the Los Angeles– based lingerie maker showed items created for a consumer’s “total lifestyle,” according to Nicole Craig, Fredericks’ fashion merchandise manager. “Every woman has different moods—romantic, sophisticated, seductive, ladylike— so we created a variety of looks to match that, all wrapped around an enhancing, sexy silhouette,” she said.
Luxury remains key, Craig noted.
“Our customer wants sumptuous, luxurious fabrics that feel good on the skin,” she said. “We’ve included unique and sophisticated embroidery and laces and mixed those with rich colors and fabrics. The overall effect is polished, sophisticated, with some whimsy.”
The fashion show also featured pieces from Frederick’s new bridal line.
“This new line is taken from actual bridal fashion and translated into sleepwear,” Craig explained. “There are many brides and so many different styles. What we are aiming for is to answer a variety of needs—from a very polished ’city bride’ to the romantic ’ball-gown bride.’ It’s a balance between very feminine, romantic designs and sleek and architectural lines.”
—Susan Hornik
