This Friday Underlines talks with Nicholas Hardy, CEO & Creative Director of Lasvicious. Lascivious was created in 2004 and immediately won hearts and minds and became a darling of supermodels and leading fashion photographers around the world. Nick photographed seasonal collections from the brand and became entwined with the brand. Little wonder then that when the brand came up for sale, Nick was first in the queue He explains how he intends to continue the Lascivious tradition but broaden the appeal into fashion and activewear.
Life before Lascivious?
Before Lascivious. Wow, I’ve done EVERYTHING you can think of. I’ve worked with furniture, interior design, real estate and even fighting air conditioning! But it all started when I found my love for photoshop which then led me into running my own creative agency in Soho, London called FACTORY311 and then I transitioned into photography, then into design + advertising.
How did the brand start and when did you start working on it?
Lascivious was born in 2004 and was founded by creative director and designer Chloe Hamblen.
The brand has an extraordinary history and is still considered to be one of the top luxury lingerie brands ever to come out of the UK. It was featured in many high end magazines, shot by the best of the best photographers and seen on many celebrities along with winning some very cool awards.
Name dropping a little here but Lascivious has been seen on Stephanie Seymour, Claudia Schiffer, Helena Christson, Rhianna and Kate Moss. Shot by Mert + Marcus, Mario Testino, Karl Lagerfield and RANKIN. Seen in Vogue, Harper’s bazaar, Elle, Cosmo, POP, i-D. What Chloe achieved was commendable and it’s because of her Lascivious stands out from the crowded industry, still to this date!
I came across Lascivious back in 2011 through an agency in London called HPR. They would loan me pieces from other brands like Bordelle and I.D. Sarrieri but Lascivious always spoke to me. Chloe started to see my work and would send me full sets to wherever I was in the world. She saw something in me that others didn’t and it was because of the lingerie that I started to be recognised as a photographer. It changed the way I shot and styled my shoots. My work started to become very theatrical with good production and incredible locations!
I started to form a good working relationship with Chloe and loved the agency.
She was planning a campaign so we suggested Szymon Brodziak, who we represented at the time and was the perfect photographer for the brand, this was for the AW13 Campaign which we shot in Poznan, Poland. A couple of years later Chloe asked me if I would like to shoot her international campaign, and of course I said YES!
I had so much history with Lascivious that when the subject came up of Chloe selling, I instantly jumped at the opportunity. I’m thankful to her for trusting me to take Lascivious to the next level.
Where do you look for design inspiration?
It’s a cliche thing to say but inspiration comes to me from everything I see throughout my day and it’s never one specific thing, it could be a scene from a movie or a part/section of something, like a car or an animal, or an emotion that something gives me. I always look at things with fresh eyes and try to understand and figure out how and why it exists and for what purpose. Nature, Films, Fashion shows and even A.i are all big factors in our new designs.
My wife, without realising, creates different looks and ideas that I have brought into the new collection. She really is my biggest inspiration and supports all that I do. I’m very lucky to have her by my side.
What is different about designing these products?
Our product really stands out through the power of their own designs and esthetics. Some of our most popular and iconic pieces date back to 2008 and still look relevant! When looking at our lingerie you can really tell Lascivious from the other brands. We have made absolutely sure to keep the identity of the brand alive. Our new collection is a mix of old, new and modified looks and builds the bridge into the next phase of Lascivious. Looking at the full range you can really see its evolution and almost guess where it’s heading. Once everything has been released we will have a powerful 21 piece collection.
How did you go about producing samples and production?
In the beginning I worked with lingerie expert Laurie Von Johnson on the redesigns of the Jemima.. This was our first ever set for the all new Lascivious. It was such an interesting process, which I’d never seen or experienced before. Laurie works so fast and she would sketch and cut materials and make mockups right in front of my eyes! I had shiny black mannequins around the studio with all of her creations. We did all of our fittings in Manchester and then we had everything made at the original factory where it began in 2004 and did small runs ready for our launch.
We sold out in the first couple of weeks and then went back with new designs of the TR. and then again with the modified Milla. Laurie and I worked together every step of the way and I learned so much thanks to her.
Tara
What are the highlights of your collection?
The TR. Set is my absolute favourite – the combination of the materials, racer back and front fastening have set a real tone for what’s coming. The bra goes on like a holster and looks like something from a Tomb Raider movie.
It’s a very strong and powerful design with fast living in mind. The weight and the quality is evident the moment you pick it up. There are so many different elements to the design that create a very powerful aesthetic. I also love that we are bringing back the VENA! This has always been one of my favourite sets.
What do you read and whom do you follow in social media to keep ahead of trends?
I’m a magazine addict and have been collecting since my mid 20s. I had thousands at one point but these days I do a lot of moodboarding and collecting of various elements of designs that really stand out to me from magazines and online. I follow a lot of high end brands and watch a lot of fashion shows. I see Lascivious so clearly in this arena…. You just need to look at the Julien McDonald show featuring Lascivious, the perfect combination.
Julien Macdonald
I like to create styling boards that mix and match with those kinds of brands which allows me to imagine what’s coming next. Even the production that goes into the big shows gives me so much inspiration. It’s good to place yourself next to the brands you love and aspire to be like.
A Typical Week…in your life
Wow! Each day I’m at my desk at around 6.30am checking emails, starting calls and throughout the day looking after everything from social media, photoshoots, pr, website, newsletters, new designs, interviews, wholesale, packing, mailing and customer service! After i’ve finished my calls and zooms I leave for the gym – I watch some masterclass whilst doing my cardio, back home, eat breakfast and then get stuck into all the creative side of things. My head doesn’t stop spinning about the possibilities of the future.
My wife and I love the sunset, so most nights we head down for a walk or play some beach paddle! On the weekends we try our best to get away.
Lexi
Your proudest moment to date?
I have a couple maybe even a few lol.
The day I signed for Lascivious will be forever in my heart and mind.
This reminds me that dreams really do come true if you believe in what you are doing and stop at nothing to make your dreams happen!
When we got the news from stylist Jules Wood that one of our new pieces would be used in a cover shoot with Helena Christiansen. She is one of the original supermodels and a big icon and inspiration to all. Jules has taken me under her wing and really supports Lascivious in everything we are doing.
She recently got our Milla bra on Brigitte Nielsen – another icon of mine.
And of course… Shooting my wife Vanessa for our latest campaign!
Your next big challenge?
I have taken on a HUGE project which will really surprise many and push Lascivious into a new direction. We will never ever leave lingerie as that will always be our foundation but we are looking to elevate into more fashion focused pieces.
Watch this space – I would love to do an exclusive with Underlines to show your audience 🙂
I’ve started working on something special with Movie Costume Designer Shareen Beringer.
Your worst move so far?
Trusting the wrong people with Lascivious. Not trusting my gut instinct and leaving things to other people. I really believe that you have to stick to what you know and try your very best to take advice but question everything along the journey, especially things that you are unsure about. I’ve learned to not be afraid to ask questions. This always turns into something new or different.
What do you hope to achieve?
I’m looking forward to the day when Lascivious is back on top, where it deserves to be, and all the people that didnt believe in me or Lascivious say “WOW… He did it! He really did it!”
