PRESS RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 4th 2009
What Katie Did launch a literary feast for the lingerie-lover’s senses
If you've ever felt like modern underwear has lost the glitz and glamour of yesteryear, then you're not alone. But, when she launched her company What Katie Did, ten years ago, Katie Halford could never have dared to dream that her lingerie designs, born from her life-long love of vintage shapewear and 'proper' hosiery, would appear in Vogue magazine. Yet appear they have, and not only in Vogue - her creations have also graced the pages of Harpers Bazaar, Look, Pop and many more; even men’s magazine Esquire recently featured Rosie Huntingdon-Whiteley in a Maitresse bullet bra. But, not content with taking the fashion world by storm, Katie, along with the UK's top retro photographer Tony Nylons, is now set to conquer the literary world.
The launch of A Serious Study of Mid-20th Century Lingerie coincides with What Katie Did's 10th anniversary, and is a gorgeous, glossy retrospective of lingerie in the last century. Lavishly illustrated with full-colour photos by Nylon Flash creator Tony Nylons and cheeky pin-up sketches by artist Charlotte Thomson, this beautiful book details the development of what we would describe as 'modern' underwear - from the decline of the heavily-boned corset to the invention of the bra, the rise and fall in popularity of foundation garments and the history of stockings. Katie also details the story behind the pin-up girls of the 40s and 50s, and the exotic fetish scene which launched icons like Bettie Page.
The book is divided into five sections: lingerie, shapewear, stockings, pin up and exotic, each featuring Tony Nylon's signature photographs. Playful cheesecake pin-up is interspersed with old Hollywood glamour, and rounded out with the darker, more fetishistic shots; all featuring the UK's top burlesque artistes and pin-up models. Charlotte Thomson's delightful illustrations pepper the pages, making this book a must-see for fans of lingerie, fashion history, photography and design alike.
A Serious Study of Mid-20th Century Lingerie (100 pp., A4 softcover, £20 RRP) is being launched at this year's Goodwood Revival (September 18th, 19th and 20th 2009), and signed copies will be available for sale at the What Katie Did onsite shop (By the Earls Court display); and it will be available for purchase from whatkatiedid.com and the company's Portobello Road retail shop from the 21st September.
Note to Editors:
Faux vintage lingerie designers What Katie Did, pin-up photographer Tony Nylons and artist Charlotte Thomson have teamed up to launch their new collaboration - a beautifully illustrated book entitled 'A Serious Study of Mid 20th-Century Lingerie'. It features the story of lingerie, corsetry and stockings from the early-mid 20th century, plus a history of pin-up and fetish photography and art. Available online and in selected retailers from the 21st September 2009.
Contact details:
For more information about the book, to arrange a book-signing or interview, please contact Press@whatkatiedid.com, or call Katie on: +44 (0) 845 430 8743.
ISBN: 0-9534470-7-3
To place orders, please contact What Katie Did, Unit 7 The Old Mill, 61 Reading Road, Pangbourne, Berkshire, RG8 7HY. Tel: +44 (0)845 430 8743
Website: www.whatkatiedid.com
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