What Katie Did Summer Season new lingerie range, Madeleine

[What Katie Did]

The summer season is the perfect excuse to launch a new lingerie range, and our Madeleine set is something a little bit different. We wanted to create a range that was flirty and feminine, but also sophisticated and chic, the perfect choice of underpinnings for sundresses and summer brides alike. We've been inspired by Christian Dior before: to create our Baby corset, which evokes the boned waist nippers he employed to create the rather extreme silhouettes of the New Look, the name given to his first, and most famous haute couture collection in 1947; and we carry point-heel fully-fashioned stockings, which many don't realise were invented by Dior as well. Lingerie, however, wasn't something he had a hand in designing until the mid-1950s.

This first foray into the world of foundations featured beautiful crisp white and blue fabric, something which we have echoed in Madeleine. Named for Dior's beloved mother, Madeleine is as elegant as its namesake. She devoted a huge amount of her time to gardening, and growing beautiful flowers, a theme that stayed with Christian throughout his career. And so, in homage to both Diors, our new range features opulent, floral lace overlaid onto a delicate organza base. The result is a semi-sheer but sophisticated piece of pure white lingerie, to which we have added a satin eau-de-nil ribbon trim for colour and contrast.

The Madeleine set includes a second incarnation of our newest bra design. Its underwired plunge style is reminiscent of the earliest examples of wired bras, and unlike modern equivalents, each cup is formed from a single piece of white lace overlaid organza fabric, with a seam running from apex to bottom. Each cup is trimmed with eau-de-nil ribbon, and the back is made from stretchy powermesh for a perfect fit. The gently retro shape and subtle cleavage produced works wonderfully for both 1940s and 1950s looks.

The matching knickers are very 1950s in shape – close-fitting with a high waist – although ours have slightly higher legs for a more flattering fit. In pristine white, with the coordinating organza and lace at the front, edged with eau-de-nil ribbon, they have a very light shaping action, due to being made primarily from our signature powermesh. They will gently lift and smooth the derrière, while the non-stretch front panel gently flattens the tummy. The final piece is the Madeleine suspender belt, one of our deep, retro belts, constructed from panels of the same snow-white, lace-overlaid organza, with the satin eau-de-nil ribbon the edges of each. The back is stretchy powermesh for a superb fit, but the rest is non-stretch, meaning that the Madeleine belt will help provide a smooth silhouette under your summer frock... or wedding gown! It's a truly stunning and luxurious piece of lingerie, and the ideal addition to any bride's trousseau.

We've combined innocence with opulence, and girlish prettiness with chic sophistication to bring you this supremely feminine new lingerie range. With its beautiful, retro styling and timeless appeal, Madeleine was inspired by the woman who gave our favourite designer life, and we hope it will appeal to women everywhere this summer.

Available from the 1^st May 2010 from http://www.whatkatiedid.com/ or Our London Boutique until August 2010, summer range only.