The Jolene Slip is stunning. We suggest wearing it around the house for Date Night in with a cardi — as the night progresses take that cardi off. Your lover will thank you! Or, you could just wear it outside?!
In a world where everything is so the same, I hope to bring products to people that are unique, beautifully constructed, and not accessible from your local J.Crew. I am also attempting to create an environment for women to find lingerie that is well made.
The difference between a well constructed, beautifully designed piece of lingerie can change a woman’s world. So, when I met Melissa of Understated Showroom and she introduced me to Fortnight, I was like YES!! This is what I’m talking about! I could only choose a few pieces because I had spent all my Spring money, but what I chose really spoke to me, and hopefully the byLangley woman!
I love the lace behind of these bottoms. But, that bralet is pretty unbeatable in terms of construction, support, and beauty!
To give you more insight into Fortnight Lingerie, we interviewed designer Christina Remenyi. Her team sews each piece by hand, in her small atelier in Toronto. She believes in craftsmanship, which, sadly, is a lost art in design. In this world of fast fashion, each piece of Fortnight is like a little piece of affordable couture
When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
I used to sew all the time with my grandmother when I was younger. I think that sparked a deep excitement for designing and creating.
What is the inspiration behind your latest collection?
The soft colours and streamlined design details were inspired by the movie, the Royal Tenenbaums and the quirky, sophisticated daydreamer Margot Tenenbaum.
What made you decide to use a wider size range in your line?
It’s really shocking that so few sizes are typically available to the North American consumer vs European. This really never made sense to me. Because fit plays such a huge role in the impact and value of lingerie, I wanted to design a line that was accessible and wearable for women of many shapes and sizes.
Who is the woman that you design for?
This is such a common question, but so difficult to answer. Simply put, Fortnight Lingerie is for women who love craftsmanship and design.
Favorite piece you’ve designed?
The bodysuit. I wear it with everything!
Thong, bikini, or boyshort?
Bikini
Always the bikini with Fortnight Lingerie.
Favorite vacation spot?
Italy
What inspired the name of your line?
When choosing a name, we were particularly inspired by strong, timeless and nostalgic words. I was drawn to the semiotics of the word, rather than its literal meaning. The root words, fort (strong), and night made it an interesting and alluring choice.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
The Celebrity Apprentice
What do you do just for you?
Visit an art gallery.
Describe your perfect Friday night.
Meeting up with friends after work, drinking wine, eating and laughing.
What sets your designs apart from other lines?
Craftsmanship and the philosophy that each piece should be designed to stand alone or compliment a woman’s wardrobe.
Fortnight Lingerie is a handcrafted product. Because it’s made in house, in small, controlled batches, our team can pay close attention to every stitch, seam and detail ensuring the most perfect fit. It makes each piece feel as though it’s crafted just for you. I think that feeling is hard to come by in todays mass manufactured market.
Preferred lounging attire?
Leggings and a loose, flowing top.
What do you sleep in?
Slips or I have a couple of my boyfriend’s old vintage tshirts that I love.
Most exciting/gratifying moment of your career thus far?
Being interviewed by Fashion Television, a show I grew up watching.
Describe your design process.
Fabric plays a huge role in our design process, so this is where I usually start. I gather up my design and colour references, sample many different fabrics and start testing each one to see what will work best for our designs. Then we create sample after sample, testing for the perfect fit.
The first word that comes to mind when you’re asked to describe your line?
Fresh.
To you, what is the most important aspect of any lingerie?
Craftsmanship. This is why it’s such an integral part of our design philosophy.
Which designers were/are you most inspired by?
Isabel Marant, Balenciaga, Phoebe Philo and Martin Margiela
Favorite shade of lipstick?
Coral
What is your regimen for keeping your skin looking fresh?
I’m really picky about what I put on my skin. I wash my face with Neem soap and follow with Emu oil from an amazing Canadian line of natural beauty products called Earth to Body. I SWEAR by this stuff and have gotten so many of my friends hooked on it too.
What was the inspiration behind your “Super Sexy CPR” video?
How did the virality of the video impact sales?
The idea behind Super Sexy was to create a campaign was to shake up typical lingerie advertising. The success of the video continues to inspire me. We are over 12 million hits to date. As you can imagine, this has played a huge role in the growth of a small lingerie line from Canada!
Describe a typical day at work.
I’m closely involved in every aspect of our garments creation. Most days I’m in production and part of the sewing process. I usually wake up early, start with an espresso and tend to emails, fabric orders and management work. The girls (my sewing staff) usually arrive at 9am and we get right into sewing for the whole day. Right now I’m in the midst of planning a new collection which is really exciting. I start with searching for new fabrics, then we go through a rigorous testing stage, where we make sample after sample to ensure the fabrics performance ability and to perfect the fit of each new style.
