Named after a Victorian euphemism for a woman’s skill in the bedroom, The Lake and Stars intimates balance provocation and humor, intelligence and sensuality, for a new vision of feminine style.
Streamlined lingerie and swimwear find a place among more traditional lingerie essentials, for creative pairings that revive the classic and redefine the seductive. Designed to stand alone or in complement to other clothes, the pieces themselves embody a broader view of lingerie as fashion expression, rather than costume. Their clean lines and assertive detailing describe unique stylistic characters all their own, making them as personal as they are diverse, and as accessible as they are luxurious. They are intimates meant to be seen—reflecting, as a fashion statement, on the open and sophisticated tastes of their wearer.
For Winter 2011, Maayan and Nikki looked to the 1960s/70s Italian architecture firm, Superstudio, and their manifestos pertaining to surface, symbolism, and function (in “Life Without Objects”), borrowing motifs from their historic ‘Continuous Monument Project’. Textures mimicking building and sculpture materials, custom painted textiles by artist Francesca DiMattio, and spray-stenciled crystal sequins all appear alongside baroque printed lace, “cracked” ice detailing, silk velvet mimicking the rippling of water, and The Lake & Stars’ signature hardware in Kelly green.
For Holiday 2011, the designers looked to Seize sur Vingt, New York based menswear line known for the best bespoke shirts in town, when they decided to add sleepwear to their collection. Consistently inspired by traditionally masculine textiles and intricate tailoring, their collaboration is inspired by mid-century mens’ magazine “The Dude” and can be worn both in and out of the bedroom.
BIO
Motivated by the notion that lingerie could play an active role in their wardrobe without having to stand alone as a costume in the boudoir, designers Maayan and Nikki launched The Lake & Stars after meeting in New York City in 2007. Having designed previously at mass and boutique brands respectively, together they sought to create a collection that would bridge the gap between special occasion and everyday lingerie. Serving as a counterpart to their ready-to-wear designer contemporaries, the brand would be inclusive, friendly, and lighthearted- designer lingerie meant to be worn everyday, as a statement of personal style.
Nikki Dekker was born and raised on a farm in North Dakota and went to school in Minneapolis before designing for Target, then moved to New York. Maayan Zilberman was born on a Kibbutz in Israel then lived in Vancouver, Canada before moving to New York for art school. The two live and work in Brooklyn.
Some recent honors include the 2011 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Womenswear, a retail space in BOFFO’s Building Fashion 2011 series, and a space in the CFDA Incubator Class of 2014.