Fashion Holidays, sure can be sexy!

Needing improving ideas for this Christmas? Something to feel incredible that magical night? Fashion designers often feel they need to leave Vancouver for the big city (which can be anything from Toronto to New York, London, Paris, or Milan) in order to make it big. Few travel the other way, but one who did is Malene Grotrian, the designer behind a new label that features glamorous, finely detailed bustiers and eveningwear.

Wearing a long, chunky-knit cardigan, Grotrian snacks on a bagel as she describes how she ended up designing bustiers and other form-fitting garments. “I began making corsets when I was in school [at TEKO Center, a Danish educational institute linked to the fashion and lifestyle industries], and always liked the challenge of a bustier,” she says. “They need to have a perfect fit, because they’re so close to the body.”

Blushing Boutique was one of the first retailers to carry this year’s Malene Grotrian winter collection, although Grotrian says the upcoming spring line will be her official debut. Regardless, her bustiers have already proven popular, due to the fact that Grotrian has few competitors in Vancouver and, of course, the garment’s dress-up appeal.

“Holiday is the traditional way to think of bustiers,” she says, “but my challenge is to make them more dress-down-able.” The bustiers range from $300 to $500, with most falling in the lower end of that range. “They’re not cheap,” acknowledges Grotrian, “but I have no problem spending more money on a jacket, because you wear it so much. I think the same goes for a bustier.”

While a black satin number with feather trim ($360) is glamorous and easy to imagine at a ball (Grotrian herself will be wearing it on New Year’s Eve), others—such as one in teal satin or another in a brown leaf print with keyhole detailing (both $300)—can be dressed down by wearing them over a white blouse, under a blazer, or even with jeans. “You can really get a different feeling depending on how you wear it and what you wear it with,” Grotrian says.

Other pieces include a red and charcoal floral number that’s stunning when worn with a floor-length red skirt, and a cream organza style with floral appliqués. Grotrian also likes to use unexpected fabrics, such as the wools and tweeds of business suits, and sometimes adds details like feather trim or contrast stitching. (The entire collection is produced locally and is available in sizes 2 through 14; pieces are also available at the Velvet Room Boutique [2248 West 41st Avenue].)

Each bustier contains flexible spiral-metal boning to help create an hourglass figure. “Women love the feeling you get when you put one on,” she says. “They’re super-feminine and give every woman a waist and lots of confidence.” And of course, you will feel extra special for this Holidays Season, why can’t you feel sexy all year?