Lingerie in Fashion Photography

I have had a look at recent interpretations and the use of Lingerie in Fashion Photography for the SS11 season. Just like in AW10, the use of lingerie brands building part of an outfit or becoming the focal point hasn't gone away.

I absolutely love the styling in this photograph from POP magazine. The mixture of the sheer and feather coat from Chanel with the underwear, bra from Iceberg and tulle pants by Emporio Armani is really elegantly striking.

Harper's Bazaar use of the tailored Gym pant links in perfectly with catwalk trends of the moment.

This image with grosgrain bra, blouse, trousers and belt photographed with the perfect SS11 shade of oceanic hue makes for a striking photograph. Your eyes are drawn to the 50s style red lipstick.

The voyeur boudoir feel of this photograph really caught my attention.

This sultry and seductive photograph and styling of lingerie really drew me in.

The complete contrast of POP magazine's shoot here is fascinating. From a sultry boudoir feel to one of innocence and purity whilst still styling with lingerie as the focal point is fascinating.

I really admire the simplicity of this photo, from the styling to the set it all fits together perfectly creating a mood of clarity and chastity.

This set of photographs come from Love magazine's SS11 Androgony issue. The veil by Tom Ford and the Yves Saint Laurent jacket is given a post modern twist with the open bra by Kiki de Montparnasse, a brand that has really caught my eye in the recent months.

Androgony certainly sums up this photograph, but despite the context, I couldn't help but admire the Michael Kors swimsuit.

Harnesses: do they count as lingerie? I'm not sure but whatever they count as, I like it.

A body by Lanvin and another harness, this time around the waist and legs creating a robotic suspender effect. Fleet Ilya is the name behind the contraptions.

Not strictly lingerie I know, but Love magazine have struck gold again with this pop style photo shoot to demonstrate the summer neons and colour blocking trend. The neon yellow gym pants really grabbed me as ticking the trend boxes for the coming season.

Surprisingly, Topshop presents itself in this shoot with a metalic bright swimsuit. I love the hyper air brushing feel of the shoot, it is dramatic and unnecessary but yet adds something quite exciting.

Finally, the last of this shoot shows the one brand that I keep see being used again and again in these kind of shoots: Dolce & Gabbana. Since 2009, the brand has been at the forefront of the return of underwear as outerwear.

What Katie Did

I love the vintage feel of lingerie brand What Katie Did. According the website whatkatiedid.com the brand's creator has had a constant obsession with the 1940s and 1950s and now finally, the fashion world has caught up with the bright red lips and voluptuous curves of the era. What better place to shop for 1950s inspired lingerie than a brand that lives and breathes the Hollywood glamour of the time.

The latest Spring Summer collection entitled Vicky, shows a beautiful boudoir theme in the photography and styling. I absolutely fell in love with the brand instantly and couldn't wait to try on some of the products.

These sheer French knickers come from the Cabaret collection which is inspired by 1920s and 30s Berlin. At £30, they are a reasonable price, especially for something that I think personally doesn't have to be confined to underwear.

Maitresse is the collection that epitomises the vintage glamour of the 1950s and really sums up the design and brand values of What Katie Did. I chose the high waisted Maitresses knickers at an even more reasonable £17. They have a satin front and sheer panelling at the sides and fit in great with an underwear as outerwear themed outfit.

I wore the complete outfit along with a thick waist cinching belt that pulled in the bat wings on my top and made the shorts and knickers and belt look like one beautiful outfit.

The Trend Report - Underneath it all

One of the key accessory trend for the Spring Summer catwalk 2011 was the idea of bringing old school gym knickers out to the forefront. Underwear worn as outerwear is a recurring idea happening time and time again and this summer is no exception.

This trend is ideal for translation into lingerie design, meaning that the only change needs to be made is that the designs are toned down enough to be worn without covering up.

Dolce & Gabbana have pioneered the use of the bodysuit as an outer garment since last Spring Summer's delicate floral collection. Gianfranco Ferre and Acne both demonstrate the old school gym knicker style with more of a tailored twist.

Daks have more of a sporty take on the gym knicker whereas Paul Smith heads back to the tailored approach with a waistcoat and knicker one-piece. Loewe keeps the shorts short with an attractive floral print.

There are plenty of options of changing underwear into something that can be worn as part of an outfit, especially with the use of control shape-wear. Ender Legard Corsetry showcases a range of one pieces and on pret-a-porter.com they are suggested to be styled with a pair of Christian Louboutins and nothing else. La Perla and Stella McCartney offer a choice of one pieces that would make the perfect focal point of an outfit. La Perla's range of control knickers are also reminiscent of the short gym knickers along with Phillip Lim.

The Trend Report - It's All White

The summer white was picked up on by numerous designers on the Spring Summer Catwalk. It was used in exquisite and precise tailored garments, right through to beautifully simple evening gowns. This white is not about being complicated and delicate but rather has a much more simple and sporty edge to it. There is an air of perfection about the colour, needing next to nothing else to turn it into something astonishing.

Rag and Bone, Nicole Farhi and Dolce and Gabbana here demonstrate the uniquely simple and fuss free quality that the colour insists upon for the summer. There is simply no need to add loud accessories, or in fact any colour at all to turn a garment into an outfit that is breathtaking.

Vanessa Bruno, Chloe and Rochas demonstrate that even elaborate evening gowns can be simplified into something much simpler and sportier by reducing to clean, crisp and almost clinical cuts.

White is an extremely easy colour to take into lingerie but the difference with this trend is that it is not about white, bridal lace and beautifully crafted, intricate creations but rather, the trend is about simplifying and reducing to the bare minimum of necessity. Stella McCartney demonstrates the sporty element perfectly, along with the classic Calvin Klein briefs. Mimi Holiday mixes the white with the black straps to give the collection more of an edge as Elle Macpherson does with the blue. Jenny Packham, Carine Gilson and Phillip Lim all present underwear that is devilishly simple yet uniquely elegant.

The Trend Report - Golden Sunsets

Following on from the bright, rainbow dressing is the other option of head to toe hues. As mentioned before, the oceanic tones of cerulean and azure are one option, but the other way to go is a tangerine dream. The zesty, citric tones add youth and vibrancy to otherwise delicate ensembles and inject a bit of excitement to the wardrobe.

The tone is daring and a little frightening as the wrong skin tone or accessories could result in a disaster. It is not a trend for the faint hearted and probably one for the pale to avoid. However, the other way to wear the trend is by introducing it as accessories with Clementine shades of handbag, scarves and peekaboo lingerie.

Marc by Marc Jocobs and Fendi, here have both delicately added the tangerine shade in an all together ensemble. With tanned or dark skin, the shade is hugely flattering and takes away the frightening element. For Vivienne Westwood's collection, never afraid of being daring, the all over shade works by adding a bit of the infamous Westwood punk.

Paul and Joe, Giambattista Valli and Cacharel all demonstrate the wonderfully feminine effect that can be created with the shade, proving that the daring shade doesn't necessarily mean a daring cut or provocative style.

It was tough to find as many designs as before in such a difficult shade, but sure enough, many designers have latched onto the idea that using tangerine lingerie as part of an outfit is the perfect way to introduce the trend into the wardrobe for those who cn't pull off the all over hues. Notably were Myla, who had a large range in shades of bright citrus orange, through to a burnt flame colour. Solei Sucré used a shade that mixed the orange with a pink to create more of a wearable coral shade. Sista Shei didn't seem to be afraid of the tone at all, although the photography was styled with beautifully dark models who are flattered by the shade. Lastly, Elle Macpherson was the collection that surprised me, usually associated with being pretty and delicate, I was pleased to see that the bright amber shade could still work in such a beautifully feminine way.

The Trend Report - Close to the Skin

As a stunning contrast to being bold and bright, the complete opposite is to reduce the tones completely to delicate, floaty and fluid fabrics in soft shades of nude. Variations of chiffon and silk are updated to the new year with a high gloss finish that sets it apart from last season.The nude revival is the perfect trend for underwear, so easy to translate, easy to wear sophisticated to show.

Alexander Wang, Emporio Armani and Richard Nicoll perfectly translate the fluid and floaty fabrics in their collections. Nicoll was the perfect example of updating the nude shades with a high gloss, shimmering finish.

Alberta Ferretti, Haider Ackerman and Chloe here demonstrate the stark contrast with the seasons rainbow trend. The nude is more sophisticated and stylish in a completely different way. Chloe in particular has pioneered nude for the past seasons, switching to darker camel tones for the Autumn Winter season and then back to the shimmering, soft, desaturated ballet pinks for the Spring Summer.

There is hardly enough space on the planet to demonstrate how easy the trend can be translated into lingerie. La Perla have a huge range, although designed specifically with bridal in mind, the soft tones and delicate craft really link in with the Nude trend. Jenny Packman, Hanky Panky, Elle Macpherson, Carine Gilson and Ender Legard Corsetry all have extensive choices in a variety of tones but I was most interested by the take by online, faux vintage lingerie brand What Katie Did who have ingeniously interpreted the trend to something more contemporary and exciting.

The Trend Report - All Things Bright are Beautiful

Head to toe brights along with boldly contrasting separates featured on the SS runways; not only brights as a total ensemble but neon bright accessories were also brought to the forefront and this is the perfect opportunity for translation into lingerie.

Bright outwear with neon peekaboos or the idea of having bright lingerie visible through sheer fabrics are the perfect way for lingerie to interpret the trend as part of an outfit. However, there is opportunity for the trend to be interpreted in other ways, with bright accents on lingerie designs or by mixing and matching bold and contrasting separates to create a rainbow of an underwear wardrobe.

Jill Sander, Etro and Gucci here demonstrate the rainbow bright, contrast colour blocking. A key aspect of this trend is the idea of breaking the usual contrasting versus clashing rule, varying tones of the same hue as demonstrated by the oceanic example by Etro; where clashing tones of turquoise are separated by a neon splash of a yellow belt.

Versus demonstrates the other way of styling the bright trend by pairing contrasting rainbows against black whereas MaxMara and Diane von Furstenburg show the hugely popular purple and orange mix.

Deborah Marquit's French Lace collection continues to hit the trend buttons by offering a choice of eye catching bright colours that are perfect as a neon bright accessory peeking from within an outfit. The option of mixing and matching contrasting separates within this collection is an easy way to interpret the rainbow bright trend with lingerie. Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein both have a large number of bright examples and Lascivious show neon accents on an other ways black set with the use of the sulphur yellow. Dirty Pretty Things has a brilliant cerise collection and juicy couture's pyjama set matches perfectly with this hue.