Check it Out: Isaac Mizrahi Intimates for Spring 2013

“This is the first time I’m doing a [lingerie] collection for sale. Christian Dior said, ‘There is no fashion without foundations.’ Undergarments are so wonderful and interesting to me, and now it’s all about shaping and enhancement. That really excites me because you can be all of these things — curvy, busty…The idea is to build a collection of intimate apparel around shapewear.”

Isaac added that his first focus was- “The bra.…There’s hygiene and health issues with a bra. I take the engineering of a bra very seriously…I had a style show on TV and there are so many things, things that change all the time with bras, especially as you age and how the breasts change…it makes you grumpy if your undergarments aren’t right and if a bra doesn’t fit right.”

Meanwhile, Xcel Brands honcho Robert D’Loren sees the Mizrahi lingerie line as the logical next step toward company-wide expansion.

“Our next goal is international with QVC in Asia and brick-and-mortar.…I couldn’t be happier with 29 licenses and 70 launch categories. A swimwear license is in the works for spring 2013, and men’s shirts and ties launch this fall…We’re also in discussions for men’s tailored clothing and a men’s sportswear collection for fall 2012, or possibly fall 2013. But our big initiative will be a [multimedia] power fragrance launch that will be history in the making.”