Deshabille by Kathryn

In the landscape of lingerie design, affordable practicality and sexy-fun fashion don’t always intersect. Kathryn Hull found this out when she went shopping at stores such as Barneys New York, Neiman Marcus, La Perla, Agent Provocateur and Kiki DeMontparnasse for a friend’s bachelorette gift.

At the time, the lingerie that suited Hull’s taste was priced beyond her reach. Other designs felt more targeted for the baby boomer generation, rather than her friends who were in their 20s and 30s. “I wanted something fun but wearable. Straight nightgowns to the floor wasn’t what they wanted to wear,” she said.

The experience inspired the designer to explore her feminine side and launch Deshabille by Kathryn. Hull previously worked as a denim sportswear designer for BCBG, Laundry by Shelli Segal and Burning Torch.

“I love feminine things but not always in my everyday clothes. So it’s fun to put a whimsical twist to things I wouldn’t do on my everyday clothes,” Hull said.

Deshabille’s stretch-silk panties, baby-doll dresses and easy camisoles are simple in shape “with a little surprise” that adds a youthful, sexy twist. Sheer polka-dot panels and transparent heart cutouts reveal hints of skin. Fabric hearts dangle from a pair of tap shorts, and ribbons on the sides of panties or the back of a chemise can be untied.

“It’s something people could put on when it’s not a special occasion,” Hull said. “It’s fresh, fun, colorful, modern, and I don’t think comfort is sacrificed.”

Wholesale price points range from $30 for silk panties to $35 for a ruffled polka-dot bra and $70 for a silk charmeuse racer-back chemise.

For more information, contact the FFWD Showroom in suite B1081 of the California Market Center at (213) 627-3431. —Rhea Cortado