notes

this post contains some loosely related material that needs to be tied together later--I'm going to plant flowers & mow very soon. The Triumph material updates an earlier post that can be linked in here also.

The Undie Award

The Undie Award gives customers a chance to vote for their favorite underwear & to see what real people find comfortable.

eco-fabrics:

"A company in Sri Lanka who manufacture underwear for Marks & Spencer (M&S) claim to have the first carbon-neutral clothes factory in the world."

MAS Holdings, who also produce lacy lingerie for the likes of Victoria’s Secret in the US, have an “eco-factory” which is 90% powered by hydro-power and 10% by solar panels. The site uses 40% less energy than a similar sized factory using regular power sources. Windows are designed to allow staff to work by natural light while “eco-bricks”, designed to keep the building cool, cuts the need to power air-conditioning units in the humid climes of the South Asian nation.

In addition, sweat-shop conditions or child labour, thought synonymous with some larger manufacturers, won’t be witnessed here. The company brands itself by its ethical ambitions. It says: “MAS was doing the right thing before CSR became a corporate buzzword”.

Get your green pants here from the Economist.com's May 29th 2008 edition is a look inside the factory.
Triumph bra design contest:

Divyanka Bedi has beaten two dozen aspirants at a show held recently [Triumph Inspiration Award (India) for her lingerie design] For her award winning lingerie, Divyanka used bright emerald greens, plum reds, and lime greens with exotic motifs such as ivy leaf and poison lips. The collection focussed on seduction and dark fantasies and was projected for a women who believe in being assertive and sexy yet classy and flamboyant.

• "The contest required us to design an under wired bra and brief set inspired by our opinions of female fascination."

• "How much is creativity a criterion while designing lingerie?

When you have less than half a metre of fabric to work with, to design something that has to be worn under another garment, all the while performing the function of providing support and comfort and yet look different from everything else in the market, one requires a lot of creativity to execute that."

Triumph Inspiration Award Malaysia National Finals ‘08 photos by Michael Yip.

Photos from Triumph International's Japan Inspiration Award 2008 (26th May) that are in line with the whimsical fashions of previous years.

Triumph Inspiration Award 2008 website. The site presents a company history and advertising videos from yesteryear. There is a historical overview of lingerie fashion with a section on Chinese underwear.

Plus Size Bras:
Salon.com's Kate Harding's 30 May 2008 post led me to Ashley Stewart's Butterfly collection brings sexy fashion to plus size lingerie. Some coverage of the premier runway event can be found at Sharon Quinn's blog.

Harding's column also mentioned the profession of Dr. Joanna Scurr, a leading authority on sports-related breast movement. Apparently in demand from makers of sports bras.

Bra Fun:
Triumph International Theme Undies posted on Japundit.

A slightly different version of the bizarre bra gallery from November 14th, 2007 by Steve Levenstein

Triumph International Japan's latest bra concept is the environmentally friendly, and green colored, "Solar Power Bra" featuring a solar panel worn around the stomach. While the concept promotes alternative energy production, "the panel requires light to generate electricity and the concept bra will not be in stores anytime soon, said Triumph spokeswoman Yoshiko Masuda, as 'people usually can not go outside without wearing clothes over it.'"