Is this the new Spanx? The luxury shapewear that has become celebrity stylists' 'essential tool' for dressing A-listers for the red carpet
- Celebrity fans of dMondaine include Sofia Vergara, Halle Barry, Ginnifer Goodwin, Fergie and Kelly Osbourne
- The label's founder, Los Angeles-based designer Kiana Anvaripour, says the A-list demand is thanks to support from celebrity stylists
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Spanx may have become a modern byword for figure-flattering undergarments - but as far as the A-list are concerned, there's a new line of shapewear whittling bodies down to red carpet size.
According to the creator of dMondaine, celebrities including Sofia Vergara, Halle Barry, Ginnifer Goodwin, Fergie and Kelly Osbourne are all shunning the market leader in favor of her new, more luxurious alternative that uses couture techniques to shape the body.
Founder and designer, Kiana Anvaripour, tells MailOnline that the A-list demand is thanks to LA's celebrity stylists.
Red carpet essential: Celebrity stylists are now
instructing clients to wear shapewear by dMondaine (pictured) beneath
their formalwear
'Here in Los Angeles where we are based, dMondaine has become an essential tool with all the major stylists dressing stars for the red carpet,' she said.
Indeed, Anita Patrickson, who dresses Emma Watson, Julianne Hough and Bond girl Berenice Marlohe, is one of that number.
She told InStyle.com: 'They’re sexy. They cover all problem areas and add an extra layer of confidence when they’re on the red carpet.'
Shapewear secret: Actress Ginnifer Goodwin (left) and Brittany Snow (right) both pictured wearing dMondaine slips beneath their dresses
Celebrity fan: Nicole Scherzinger wore the dMondaine Jane bra as a top during her tour earlier this year
Ms Anvaripour says the secret to her success is that her designs not only look good, but shape the body and feel comfortable enough to wear all day long - something that she felt didn't already exist in the marketplace.
'There were pieces that had gussets, scooped out busts to allow for your own bra – and numerous images of black bras with a nude bicycle short and suspenders on top,' she recalled. 'How can that be sexy when you undress?'
Form and function: Kiana Anvaripour uses couture techniques learned working in London's biggest fashion houses
Nor are they typically
comfortable: 'I often hear stories of women wearing shapewear they feel
incredibly self conscious in, and have ended up taking it off during an
evening out to make themselves feel better,' she added.
Ms Anvaripour says her goal was 'about
designing something that gave you
an instant va-va-voom bombshell factor'. She says she uses 'couture
techniques that I learned working in London's biggest fashion houses to
ensure that the items create form and not just flatten. . . Most shapewear out there
flattens your best bits!'
What's more, each undergarment is intended to look attractive with or without clothes.
'When you catch a glimpse of yourself in
the mirror I want you to like what you see,' she says.
And it seems the appeal of dMondaine has gone beyond the A-list. Already, Ms Anvaripour's shapewear is being stocked by Neiman Marcus, Barneys and Net-a-porter.com - and customers can't get enough.
The Jane bra, a feature of several items in the dMondaine range, has been nicknamed 'the boob job in a bra' by fans. It was sported by Nicole Scherzinger throughout her latest tour, and has even become an unlikely hit among nursing mothers.
'It truly shocks them because not only are they feeling sexy and shaped without a wire, but they are able to wear the bra even after they have finished nursing and back to their original size,' the designer says.
The Lana high-waisted brief has also won enthusiastic responses.
'Recently I woke up to an email from a major UK retailer asking for a special order of 60 of our Lana high-waisted brief,' she said. 'The order was for a customer who had tried the Lana and fell in love with them so much that she ordered 60 for herself!'
Under where? Ms Anvaripour says some women want to wear the Marilyn slip as outerwear
Splashing out: One customer loved the Lana brief so much, she ordered 60 pairs for herself
Ms Anvaripour says that
while her customer is typically younger, she has fans in their late
seventies. It is unlikely that the septugenarians are those embracing
the dMondaine as outerwear though.
'Some women want to wear the Marilyn Contouring Slip out on its own with nothing over the top, and many have!'
As for herself, the designer says she lives in the bras and bodysuits, particularly 'for sheer blouses I can't button up fully and to feel confident in jeans when my pesky muffin top is showing!'
'MY TIGHT SKIRT FELT LOOSE!' FEMAIL PUTS DMONDAINE TO THE TEST
Putting it to the test: FEMAIL was curious to know if dMondaine could genuinely deliver something new to shapewear fans
At 5ft 4in and a U.S. size 6, I can usually benefit from shapewear beneath my more body-conscious clothes. Spanx is my go-to, but I was curious to know if dMondaine could genuinely deliver something new to shapewear fans, who are inundated with a new 'miracle' product on an almost daily basis.
I was sent the Marilyn - dMondaine's signature piece - to road-test. It is a full-body garment that looks like a rather short, tight, cleavage-baring minidress.
Getting into it was straightforward. It has a zip at the back, and once I'd wiggled it up, my less-than-toned midriff instantly looked more streamlined.
My concern, though, was the built-in bra, usually something I avoid as I usually require more serious support. But Kiana says that the dMondaine designs fit every size, and can be worn by anyone with or without a bra. In the interests of research, I initially tried the Marilyn without. But while it definitely had a 'boob job effect', I felt too unsupported to go without a bra, so ended up wearing it as well as the slip.
My clingy leather/wool pencil skirt, I felt, would be the toughest challenge for the dMondaine - it is gorgeous, but unforgiving on my gym-phobic body. Perhaps this would be the key to making it more of a wardrobe staple.
The result? The usually tight skirt was verging on loose - I was astonished. I felt like I'd lost a couple of inches from my waistline. Result!
In terms of comfort, the dMondaine fared well too. It's not as comfortable as wearing no shapewear at all, but distinctly more forgiving than any other shapewear I've worn. That first day I wore it through several meetings and an awards do - it didn't feel restrictive after eating and I wasn't itching to take it off at the end of the night.
The
verdict? I loved the dMondaine, but it's pricey at $169. The closest
Spanx equivalent is the Slimplicity open-bust full slip, at $88. If
you're prepared to splash out though, it's worth every penny.
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