Models and Intimates: Good Fit But Bad Business

In November, the news came that Australian model Elle Macpherson was splitting with her 25-year lingerie licensee Bendon, as she announced plans to move to the U.S. and continue Elle Macpherson Intimates and her other lingerie brands with a new, as-yet-unnamed manufacturer. Shortly thereafter, Heidi Klum added New Zealand-based Bendon to her roster of licensees, for a similar line of intimates sold globally.

The turnover served as a reminder of the logical fit between celebrity models and the lingerie industry. Yet there are relatively few licensing agreements in place that pair the two. This despite the fact that models have been among the fastest-growing segment within celebrity licensing in terms of launching and expanding brand-extension efforts.

One of the reasons behind this dearth of deals is that working models, especially those with the most fame among mainstream consumers, tend to have modeling contracts with lingerie firms, notably Victoria’s Secret. As a result, they are prevented from marketing their own line of lingerie, or choose not to do so in order to protect their modeling relationships. A licensing deal, while potentially lucrative, could harm their core business.

One example is Alessandra Ambrosio, a Victoria’s Secret Angel and longtime brand ambassador. Her company Silver Sunrise paired with Cherokee for a line of mid-priced apparel; Cherokee also serves as the Alé by Alessandra label’s licensing agent, overseeing deals for other categories. But intimates are not part of Ambrosio’s label to date.

Thanks to this conflict between models’ runway, advertising, and brand ambassador deals and their ability to extend their names into intimates, most model-centric lingerie licensing focuses on runway retirees, such as Klum and Macpherson.

Still, there are a few examples of working models who have entered the category. Helena Christensen, who was a Victoria’s Secret Angel in the 1990s, continues to work in modeling and collaborated with Triumph International in 2012 for a lingerie collection sold via e-commerce. And Ashley Graham, a plus-size model, launched her own collection of lingerie at Canadian retailer Addition Elle; she had served as a model for the chain for five years before the launch of her signature line in 2013.