A lot of wonderful indie lingerie brands sadly don't have as long of a life as one would first think and they have to shut their doors after only a few years. A lot of this has to do with the cutthroat nature of the fashion industry and just not making enough money to profit, or even cover overhead costs. I read this piece on The Lingerie Addict a while ago about great indie brands that have closed their doors for one reason or another and I became enamoured with the Chocolate Box set (pictured above and below) by Miss LaLa Presents.
Miss LaLa Presents launched in 2007, three years after designer Fine Rees (pronounced Feena) opened her boutique stocking other brands in 2004 in London. Rees was an actress in Hollywood for ten years before opening her boutique and had no fashion industry knowledge or experience, but the boutique took off. It also looks as though the brand was a success at the time and they got a lot of press and the lingerie industry was buzzing about them. They even had celebrity clients like Scarlett Johansson raving over their designs.
Look at how cute the contrasting satin interior is on the Chocolate Box set -- such an adorable detail!
Miss LaLa Presents suddenly closed their doors and the shop was quickly sold in late 2009. However their closure wasn't due to money, it turned out that Rees developed late-stage Lyme Disease and became too ill to keep running the brand and her shop. Lyme disease isn't too well-known even nowadays but in 2004 when Rees was bit by the tick that gave her the illness in South Africa, doctors didn't even think of it when they diagnosed her originally with flu-like symptoms and a bulls-eye mark where the tick bit her. Years later, doctors would tell her that her constant fatigue was due to overwork but she would forget people's names, mix up phrases, and even pass out at work. Finally she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease but it was in the late stages, which can be detrimental to one's health.
Rees was confined to a wheelchair and had to put a stop to her glamorous jet-setting life to live with her parents almost as an invalid, as she could barely leave her bed and had to be carried around. She often needed to use an oxygen mask just to breathe and she lost the ability to read.
The Meet Me in St. Louis Collection
The doctors in the UK didn't have the resources to treat late-stage Lyme Disease so a GoFundMe page was put up to help donate to Fine's trip to the US to be treated for the illness. She took the trip to California in January and seems to be in better health than before, she can even get around without a wheelchair now. I even talked with her on Instagram to order two sets and she was very lovely and helpful.
Miss LaLa Presents has been active again since at least the beginning of this year, and the profits of the lingerie sets sold went to Rees's trip to California to combat Lyme Disease. They currently don't have a website but you can buy lingerie from them on their Instagram and Facebook pages. They don't have a large size range, their bras range from a 32-36 band and a B-D cup and their bottoms from S-L. I purchased a 36D in two bras and a large knicker in the Chocolate Box collection (Fine said it's best to size up as there isn't much stretch) and a medium in their Les Patisseries De Lala collection.
The Les Patisseries De Lala collection.
Miss LaLa Presents is unapologetically girly and feminine with its ruffles, bows, and fun prints, but gets away with it without being too costumey or little-girl-like. The attention to detail in the pieces I've seen online is quite something and I can't wait to get my sets in the mail and see what they're like in person. I'm hoping there's more to come from the brand because I would love to see more designs and colours from them. I'm also incredibly happy that I can own lingerie from them because it seemed like a pipe dream a while ago. It's always sad when a wonderful brand goes out of business but I'm happy we all get a second chance at buying gorgeous lingerie from Miss LaLa Presents. I'll let you know my thoughts on the lingerie itself when it comes in the mail!
What do you think of Miss LaLa Presents? Let me know in the comments!