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NINE in the morning is a little early for cocktails and corsets but lingerie label Pleasure State had a lot to celebrate when it launched its new collection in a former strip club in Sydney yesterday.
In just three years Pleasure State has achieved a remarkable feat: stockists in 27 countries with major deals in Britain, the US and Russia and annual turnover of more than $30 million.
Not bad, considering underwear is the most technically challenging aspect of the fashion industry: there are more than 40 components to the humble bra alone. The secret of Pleasure State's smalls success is deceptively simple: the perfect fusion of fashion and fit. Most lingerie is either functional or flashy, but Pleasure State offers a stylish synergy.
"We combine directional design with constructing our pieces to fit superbly," Pleasure State creative director Kay Cohen said yesterday.
"And that's sexy."
It certainly was yesterday, when models in skimpy bras and briefs showed off the company's latest range over breakfast and beverages at The Lincoln in Sydney's Kings Cross, formerly the pole-dancing club Dancers.
The venue reopened earlier this year after a lavish $10 million makeover, making it the perfect place to show off Pleasure State's "couture collection" of exquisite and erotic underwear.
Italian satins, French guipure lace and delicate pleated chiffon were among the fabrics in the Spanish-themed collection in a palette of black, powder blue, shell-pink and ivory with splashes of Swarovski crystal.
Pleasure State is stocked in premium stores including Victoria's Secret in the US and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, but it is in Russia that the smalls are really proving a smash.
"Russian women want the best of the best," Pleasure State managing director Justin Davis-Rice said yesterday. "Moscow is selling out of our $US250 ($300) couture bras; the women there won't touch anything unless it's incredibly expensive."
Since launching into the Russian market in 2005, Pleasure State has become the best-selling label at Wild Orchid, the country's largest luxury lingerie chain, stocking brands such as Charnos, Chantall and Prima Donna.
"Pleasure State is our star," says Wild Orchid president and owner Alexander Federov. "It is the fastest-growing brand in terms of sales ... both the design and quality are very good."
In Australia, where the label was founded in 2004, it is stocked in David Jones and Myer as a more exclusive option compared with middle-tier labels.
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