When Cheryl and I went to MODA together back in August, we were lucky enough to see most of the S/S12 collection, but nothing quite compares to a press event. There’s a sense of urgency at Moda as bloggers we can feel in the way of ‘serious’ buyers and not really take our time going through the collections. By this I actually mean cuddling them all in sheer glee and taking a million photos to lust over at a later date. Don’t get me wrong, Moda is wonderful and all the brands are so welcoming, but as Freya fan girls sometimes we just need an unnecessary amount of time with the beautiful lingerie, and the recent Eveden press event was the perfect opportunity for this.
Sadly Cheryl could’t come for the day, much to her annoyance (read: strop) and whilst I was going along any ways, I realised it was time I stepped up my game and masqueraded as a different blonde for the day. Instructed to take as many photos as I possibly could, off I went to London, invite in hand.We were advised before that the day would take on a , art deco theme and I certainly wasn’t disappointed. You see Eveden was founded in by Mr S D Ryall and since then it’s safe to say the company has come on leaps and bounds. A theme seemed like the perfect setup, especially with the strong vintage theme running throughout the brands (more on that later), and as you can see, the location and beautiful, flapper-styled models looked phenomenal, with a jazz soundtrack to boot.
Now Freya is probably the Eveden brand most readers relate to, and who can blame you when Cheryl and I talk about them all the time?! But really there’s so much more to Eveden, four more brands in fact – Fauve, Huit 8, Elomi and Fantasie.Lets start with Fauve, who quite frankly left me weak at the knees. A higher end brand, they’re more expensive than your standard sets and with a grown up feel, they’re perhaps something you’d save for a special occasion (brides-to-be, take note!), but you only have to take a quick glance at the garments on show to know you’re buying into something special. I’ll let the pictures do the talking…
Fauve By Fantasie:
The whole range was fit-to-burst with sumptuous fabrics, extraordinarily delicate detailing, stunning finishing touches and all in a palette of dove grey, peaches and creams, with a splash of bright but nonetheless rich looking colour. This is a serious brand that leaves a lasting impression, and whilst I don’t quite feel worthy of owning a set, I cannot wait until I do. OK, so the fit is divine and these sets COULD be worn every day, but I’d much rather save such beauties for a special occasion. And with my anniversary coming up, I’m thinking it’s about time I invest…Next up was Huit 8, the luxury French line Eveden acquired in . The newcomer brand is amazing but one we tend to overlook as it only goes up to a D cup, dammit! Still, the brand is gorgeous for you smaller busted ladies out there, and seems to be influenced by bigger sister Freya, particularly with the swimwear.
Huit 8
The one set in particular that had me cursing my G’s was the very British, broderie anglaise style ‘Tea For Two’ collection. The lace and embroidery answered all my white lingerie dreams, and just look at the rosette inspired garter! Definitely one of my favourite pieces from the day.A little birdie told me that Huit 8 has a celebrity fan; the bloody brilliant Jessie J who apparently fell in love with the brand after the Mobo awards, that Cheryl attended with Freya last month, the lucky thing.The swimming costume, so beautiful and D&G like, everyone assumed was an item of clothing. G cups, please go away for a little bit!
Freya
Arguably the reason I was there was to see the latest from Freya, and they didn’t disappoint. These two brands have been lingerie drawer staples for years now, and for me Spring/Summer is there strongest collection yet. I can’t think of a single Freya style I’m not desperate to own.I could quite simply go on forever about the beautiful sets coming our way and Freya really had a hint of rock n’ roll throughout. The colour pink was used a lot, notably as a pastel in sets such as the Ashlee (a new sugarysweet molded cup) or as a flash of hot pink in the Ellie and personal favourite, the leopard print Roxanne. Animal print can have quite a bad reputation, but Freya have updated the look thanks to an indigo base and clashing white floral stitching on the cups. The lime green and white polka-dot Patsy also set my heart racing, as did the new Daphine, again, a molded cup that features both polka-dots and flowers.
Freya, what are you going to do my bank account?!
Cheryl and I are also counting down the days until the Beau becomes available. Similar to the Zara and the Tara, it features a graphic print of kitsch little bows on a dusky pink background, with ribbons and ruched fabric.The Freya and Fantasie swimwear left me miserable with the increasingly cod weather, and I cannot wait for next summer. The Freya designs, all named after various dances, gave once again given us an array of clashing brights and graphic prints, whilst Fantasie went for a tribal-inspired look in earthy colours and prints. Is it too early to start working on my bikini body?
Ruffled skirted bottoms AND a bow print?
Charleston, you spoil me.Sadly my camera decided to misbehave (perhaps as a result of me getting a bit too snap happy) and as a result, I have a huge lack of Fantasie and Elomi pictures!
Elomi
Again, Elomi, like Huit 8, is a brand we often overlook, purely because neither of us can fit into it. Catered for bigger back and cup sizes, the range is doing the most wonderful things for plus sized women everywhere. There’s no compromise when it comes to fit or style, and I was insanely jealous of the beautiful fabrics and designs on offer. The Caitlyn in peacock was perhaps the most beautiful colour I’d ever seen and the red polka-dot Betty is so kitsch I could die. The Ophelia and the Snow Leopard saw another reinvention of animal print, albeit in more classic colourways, really upping the sex appeal of the range.The beautiful model Alex looked positively jaw dropping and fitted right in with the vintage sex appeal Elomi had going on.
Fantasie
Fantasie is a brand I see as a mid way point between Freya and Fauve, mixing the two together to create a grown up style that still stands out to appeal to both sides of the market. The delicate colours and floral themes throughout mean it’s classic, but still can hold its own, that ideal balance between fun and flirty Freya, and the more grown up Fauve.I mentioned it briefly before, but it really seems like Eveden are taking their inspiration from eras gone by. The Elomi and Fauve sets oozed 40′s glamour,completely on trend and with an expensive feel, whereas as Huit 8, Fantasie and Freya seemed to offer a mixed bag of 50′s and 60′s, with their adorable retro prints and clashing colours. The vintage trend has been around for a while and it’s finally filtered down to lingerie, something I couldn’t be happier with.
The press day was a fantastic opportunity to meet the team and really see what Eveden have to offer for the coming months. Luckily, as mentioned (and linked to) before, Cheryl and I were able to familiarise ourselves with the Eveden collections at Moda, but it never hurts to get a second chance.One fitting, many MANY canapes and a couple of hours later I was on my way to my second lingerie based jaunt of the day (watch this space) with a goodie bag full of wonderful catalogues to paw at on the train home.To me, Freya once again came out on top. Their designs are better than ever and with a fit I can always rely on, it’s a winning combination.
That said, it was great to explore some of the Eveden brands more, and whilst I was more than a little disgruntled I can’t wear Huit 8 or Elomi, it was lovely to really see all the designs. Fantastie as well is a brand I’ve yet to really fall in love with. With all the quirky, bright Freya designs out there, I’m always too distracted to notice the other Eveden brands. But after discovering what they have to offer, Fantasie is next on my hit list before I save enough pennies to enjoy Fauve. Both offer something different to Freya, but equally as beautifl and a touch more classic. It’s about time I stepped away from the animal prints and let go of the clashing brights, to see what else the underwear world has to offer me.
