So! Last year, the factory we has been working with in China for the last 5 years got intself into a tangled mess, and we’ve ended up in what’s effectively a messy divorce – broken promises, betrayal of trust, trying it again because it used to work so well, the works.

At this stage we’ve given up completely, are arguing over custody of the patterns and have started seeing 3 other factories for pants and things. Between this and the usual complexities of getting things out of China (an interminable process involving the most pedantic bureaucracy ever), unexpected stuff keeps happening, especially as we’re in the process of starting to get things delivered by sea rather than air.

Plus we’re also dealing with two places in Europe and two places to do our hosiery plus two own brand hosiery suppliers, and our UK factory, and our two swim factories,  so I’m pretty much living on anti-headache tablets, basically.

So here is my best prediction of whats going to happen in the next 3-6 months, probably:

From China:

1) On Monday the 25th June, we get the Delores, the Deluxe, the Jezebel knicker (early) and the lace Vargas (early)

 

2) Sometime towards the end of thet week /start of the next we get the Mimi. It exists and is an Actual Thing, it’s been seen by real people we know and trust, but there was some eff up, it needed a few more bits of stitching done and it missed the original plane which is a right faff to reorganise.

 

These are the last goods that go by plane. Your lingerie will be slightly more green in its blackness after this.

 

3) also being made – the Tempest Rose, which you’ve had sneak glimpses of but we’re not showing all the pics for a while. The main bits are being made in China now, and shipping by sea to arrive the end of July.

 

4) The Red Sirena arrives in the first week of September

 

5) The black multiway is coming around the 20th September. This is because by the time we realised the factory hadn’t got it together and shifted it,  all our other slots were full.  I’m sorry about this, we really thought they would sort things out with us.

 

Then there’s a break until December, when we have two sets planned for Christmas/New year – a pink Aloutte cincher set and a turquoise retro bra/girdle set.

 

Here in the UK:

1) Being made right now are the UK bikinis (Kittens!) and JoJo check swimsuit. So they should turn up towards the end of June/start of July. We also have 2 more colours up our sleeves for July, a black and cream Kitten and a magenta Jojo

 

2) We make all our continuity stuff in the UK too, but they will be taking a bit of a break over the Summer as most of their workers are parents, so they’ll be short on staff. Some of our retailers are stocking up in advance though, so it should be ok. We have one more batch of 6 straps, 8 straps, bralets etc due this month, then the next drop will be the end of August.

 

3) What they will make over Summer:
the much delayed Amy, another run of the Beth (I’m finding thinner zips, and they’re mostly going to retailers),  matching items for the the blue Jezebel, and matching items for the Tempest Rose. Also white 6 and 8 straps, because we discovered recently that someone else’s white 6 and 8 strap belts were being labelled and sold online as ours, using our pictures.  So we’ll do a few to meet the demand there is. Get in touch if you think you got sold a fake.

 

4) In the Autumn in the UK we will mostly be making continuity styles, plus some red things to go with the Sirena.  As you may know, we also have lots of stretch silk, so we’ll probably produce the Cherie Teddy in silk over this period here as well.

 

Meanwhile in Europe! (phew)

1) the ivory multiway – since the factory in China failed to produce this,  we’ve approached a place in Europe to do a very short run of these to meet demand during this Summer, because it was that or cancel completely and do them next Summer. They seem pretty sure they can do them at some point in July.

2) The Elle robe, that sheer thing you’ve seen Maz flitting about in at shows, will go into production in August.  There may also be a red silk chiffon version, though as it takes about 3  metres of fabric to do these (most lingerie is about 30 cm), we might have to give you all a nice cup of tea and a sit down with them, price wise.

3) Stockings! Since the plum and blue ones went so fast, we’ll do them again but in this year’s colours. I promise to do as many as we can  possibly afford this year. These are made in Europe, but they come over here to be dyed finished and packed in the Midlands, which was once the heart of the UK hosiery industry.

 

 

In development

Chica, who sewed our retro harnesses, should be making more later as we sold out in black in some sized already. Why no love for the ivory, though?!  She also makes garters for the shop.

Danielle, our intrepid corsetiere, has made the radical move to leave her full time job and go it alone! So by mutual consent I’m totally taking advantage of this and if we can find the silk in the right colour, there will be a very small amount of the blue delacroix lovingly made by her shortly. She’s also working on other sleepwear uses for the lovely silks we do have in stock, plus we’re looking at doing her corsets in a factory in Europe so that they are in stock (and also so that retailers can have them, as quite a few were a bit miffed they couldn’t). The blue DeVille seems to have been the most popular, though we might update it to a more cobalt blue. We also have a day-corset idea that we think is ever so slightly genius, but we’ll have to sample and then check if you all agree!

If you know where we can buy this silk, please tell us!

Lyzzy, the intern who made our big pant patterns, graduates this year, and shares a passion with me for developing two things; an over wire bra set and a fan lace girdle. Once she’s finished the final bits of her degree work, she wants to get cracking on these, though we’re not sure where they’ll go for manufacture yet – possibly Europe, simply because our UK factory is actually really really full just with orders for vargas longline and 6 straps!

(we will not be doing things in these colours, but its fun to see what Lyzzy can do when money is no object!).

Oh! and we already started planning swim for next year, and it involves our own print all to ourselves!

Right . . . that’s it I think.  If you want updates, it’s best to join the mailing  list.