In this blog I, Kat, (the fashion designer at HP HQ) will walk you through the last 6-months of bra creation; from inspiration to an essential in your underwear drawer.
Inspiration
Unlike you, the Amelie bralette didn’t become cute and dreamy all by itself. And like everything else I design, I wanted Amelie to be the bra that *YOU* never wanted to take off.
You may remember the emails, or even completed the survey we sent out AGES ago (like, at least 3 lockdowns back), we asked what you love and hate in a bra or bralette and you guys had a lot to say.
Like us, you found most bras boring, uncomfortable, overly sexy and expensive (#nothanks). You wanted a fun, playful bra that was comfortable and effortless. No strange shapes, pokey bits or straps that constantly fall down. And, of course, we wanted to design a bra that suited a range of body shapes and sizes.
Ideation
Next up, I built an oh-so-aesthetic Pinterest mood and found a delicate, dreamy lace design I loved, so that throughout the design process I could refer back to these as the design progressed.
Now, this is the exciting part.
Once I have a strong idea of the basic design and #vibe of the design, I can start concept drawing. Like this.
These drawings are not bound by unimportant things like:
It’s a place where the dimensions don’t need to work and the design is only partially formed - at least in the beginning, until we start to solidify the ideas and sketch them out, and the imagined starts to take its shape.
Execution
If concept drawings are an artist with a painting, then the technical drawings are an accountant with a spreadsheet. Like building a house (Houses also keep boobs warm and supported, so the metaphor works, okay!), you need these specifications to create a perfectly fitting bra.
This is where we make sure this bra is comfortable and really flatters a range of body shapes. After this process is finalized, the design tech pack and spec sheet goes to our manufacturer.. And then… After much anticipation and checking the tracking page 24/7 (it’s our first bra Australia Post, cmon!) the sample has arrived at the office!
Our first sample we loved BUT the cups were slightly too far apart and the underwire was a little too high. So, revisions were made and we waited. The new sample was perfect! So, we sent off four samples to four of our lovely Hello Peachiee subscribers to get their feedback.
They also loved it! And so I selected a colour:
Fun fact: this is actually much harder than you’d think and I was very torn between these three pantones but settled on the blue that you'll recognize.
And here we are! I, genuinely, hope you fall in love with Amelie as I have while designing her. I hope Amelie makes you feel confident yet delicate, that she makes you say ‘damnnn’ when you see yourself in a mirror and that you want to reach for her again and again and again.
Lots of love,
Kat + The Hello Peachiee Team