Former Playboy model and Vice President of the brand, Tailor James shares solutions used by designers and stylists worldwide to develop Hollywood curves A brand with innovations such as invisible thong and the low down bra strap converter, as well as completely seamless bras. By Aarti Kapur Singh
Hollywood has always been synonymous with womanly glamour. Well-endowed women have been favoured over androgynous models, who have been restricted to runways. Skin-tight body suits or cleavage-enhancing gear – the likes of Salma Hayek, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson, Penelope Cruz and army have not only fired the imagination of millions worldwide, but started a new craze for Hollywood-style curves and figures.
Hollywood Curves is a brand dedicated to inspiring women to feel confident and look their best, providing quality figure-enhancing solutions, and products that eliminate those annoying, far too common wardrobe malfunctions. The collection debuted at the Las Vegas International Sexy Lingerie show in 2014. Since then, the brand and its products have been released in North America, Australia, France, Russia, Spain, Germany, Italy amongst other regions.
Right from silicon enhancers, lingerie, shapewear and fashion accessories, they have it all. Also featured are apparel accessories like Invisible Thong and The Low Down bra strap converter, as well as completely seamless bras.
Tailor James is the Executive Vice President of the brand and as former Playboy model, she contributes by identifying solutions used by stylists and designers worldwide. Keeping her experience and expertise, she teamed with product developers to produce Hollywood Curves, which currently retails 26 best-selling products.
Excerpts from the interview
Did your experience as a Playboy playmate and lingerie model influence Hollywood Curves?
Tailor James (TJ): While I was modelling, I was lucky to work closely with the best in the industry and saw closely how they worked creatively to create that ‘perfect look’. Why should only women working in the glamour industry have the right to look perfect. All women must have that opportunity to look their best, no matter how old they are or what they wear. I have worn and experimented with varied lingerie styles during my career – perhaps more than an average woman would do in her lifetime. And by a trial and error method, I have learnt what makes lingerie and figure-enhancing products work or not.
Also, I believe not everyone has access to costly invasive or beautification surgery. With Hollywood Curves, I want all women, everywhere to look their best – regardless of age, colour, shape or size! Hollywood Curves will not let your sex appeal change with age, even if your body does.
How were the beginnings?
TJ: Well I first began to research where all and what kind of figure-enhancing products were available in the market. And I was obviously not satisfied. Shapewear is a must have in the glamour, movie, modelling and fashion industry. And yet I realised the tremendous dearth that was there in terms of variety. Whatever was available, was, no offences, straight out of the middle ages. It was as if technology, science and innovation did not touch your granny’s boudoir at all! Not only did they look ghastly, but were completely impractical and based only on tall claims, not functional at all. This is when I teamed up with my partners to create Hollywood Curves – to create figure-enhancing solutions as well as products to deal with annoying wardrobe malfunctions.
Do you get down to the brass-tacks of operations – the everyday functioning of the brand?
TJ: Absolutely! I cannot call a product my own till I am completely involved with it – from ideation to creation and perfection. I have always been totally hands on with product development after researching the market. I test the fit myself and also am involved with copywriting our campaigns. The packaging design, photo shoot, sample shopping as well as travelling the globe for presentations, trade shows keep me on my toes. My experience as a model has given me an education of most of the aspects of selling a product.
Why did you take on a busy executive role in the company? You could have run the show via remote?
TJ: I would like to believe my company is an exceptional idea and is viable enough in a deprived market. I also thought my past work profile would add to the brand image and also inspire women to try Hollywood Curves in preference over cosmetic surgery.
What is the USP of Hollywood Curves and how does it score over other shape-wear brands?
TJ: Hollywood Curves offers quality products that actually show results. There are key items that have been proven successful with retailers around the globe facing incremental sales. We have not just picked up products and put them for sale, but our products are functional, comfortable, practical and sexy – this is a hard combination to find in the shapewear and lingerie segment.
Which of your products are the most popular?
TJ: There is such a fantastic assortment of shape boosters that it is hard to pick. But basis sales figures, The Magic Bra and the Booty Boosters sell like hot cakes.
What does the future hold?
TJ: More innovation is something we are always striving for. Our next collection, which is still in the development stage has multi-function bras and lingerie that double up as shape-wear. We would also like to take our marketing campaign to the next level and try and explore new markets.
Such as India?
TJ: We would love to come to India and I personally feel Indian women are naturally shapelier than women in other parts of the world. Creating shape-wear to be worn under sarees and the Indian salwar-kameez is something I am excited to do.
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