Italian lingerie and Italian fashion have been immensely popular for many decades. Italian lingerie is seductively elegant being fashioned in beautiful colours, luxurious materials, delicate and fine Italian lace and exquisite embroidery. The superior level of manufacturing is clearly evident in the innovative work of the sophisticated young Italian lingerie designer, Guia la Bruna.
Guia's grandfather started the lingerie company in Turin, northern Italy, in 1935 and it was in this environment that Guia la Bruna developed her own artistic talents, eventually studying at the influential Parisian fashion school, 'Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs'.
Guia la Bruna prefers to work with glamorous, soft, silk muslin and her silk lingerie has been featured on American sitcom 'Sex in the City'.
Guia's family company certainly have a long association with Italian lingerie originating at the beginning of the 19th century in Florence when her great-great grandmother, Amalia, was appointed the 'official embroidress' at the court of grand-duke Leopoldo of Tuscany. Embroidery is still a speciality of the family lingerie company and it also uses 'precious Swiss laces, volants, ruches, silk satins and flimsy georgettes'.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the world and in particular America began to look towards Italy and Italian lingerie style. Fashion designers such as Gucci & Simonetta and luxury cars such as Ferrari, Maserti, Alfa Romeo and Lamborghini became 'de riguer'. Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of American President John F. Kennedy, was very taken by fashions by Italian designers such as Oleg Cassini.
The 'Silver Screen' greatly increased the public's love of all things Italian and in particular Italian fashion. Films such as Roman Holiday, Summertime and Three Coins in a Fountain were all huge successes. The glamorous Italian movie stars such as the gorgeous Gina Lollobrigida and later the voluptuous Sophia Loren were iconic. Sophia's sensual hourglass look made sales of padded and push-up bras soar as moviegoers wanted to emulate her.
The Italian fashion greats such as 'Prada', 'Gucci' and 'Dolce e Gabbana' have further increased Italy's dominance in the fashion world whilst the Italian designer lingerie industry just hasn't looked back ever since. The superb attention to detail, style and the vibrant colour of Italian lingerie makes it a 'must have' for many of the world's most sophisticated women.
