Coco de Mer explores darkness through a positive light with The Secretum
Its new collection for AW17
Inspired by erotic imagery which was once considered sinful and is now celebrated as beautiful, the new range is dark, opulent and luxurious. All photography by Rankin – a long-term Coco de Mer collaborator.
The Secretum * – Latin for secret – takes its lead from I Modi
A famous erotic book of the Italian Renaissance in which a series of sexual positions were explicitly depicted in engravings. The original edition was destroyed by the Catholic Church but, time and again, drawings of the engravings were reproduced, showing society’s interest in this kind of erotic depiction.
The most erotic parts of the body are concealed in beautiful adornments, and sophisticated pieces are juxtaposed with cheeky and playful elements. The colour palette consists of rich, jewel tones taken from glass windows and opulent jewellery, which sit against dark emeralds and deep, intense navy while softer tones come from religious stonework and architecture.
The Secretum blurs the line between day and night – creating several versatile, dual-purpose pieces which can be worn as underwear or outerwear. Coco de Mer CEO Lucy Litwack said:
“Following the idea of concealing erotica within a beautiful object, and the contrast between erotic sin and erotic beauty, we have drawn inspiration from erotic curiosities such as ornate trinket boxes and gem encrusted phallic jewellery.
“Shape and colour have been influenced by opulent religious architecture, such as grand cathedral spires, arches and stained glass windows.
“We focus on the intricate details within an object of curiosity, and use these to think about the finishing’s and style lines within each collection. The idea of opening something up to reveal a secret inside influences the designs.
“The overall mood is dark, erotic, opulent and luxurious. The customer will feel that they are able to decorate and adorn their body in the most sophisticated way, while Coco de Mer‘s signature erotic tone will add drama to the look.”
The Secretum includes:
- Corine – Codentel lace combined with a deep poison orchid silk – peep holes and cut-outs capture the idea of looking through something beautiful to catch a glimpse of something erotic;
- Messaline – a short slip adorned with Forster Rohner embroidery which can be worn at night or as outerwear;
- Angelique – Jean Bracq all-over lace combined with a ‘mink’ silk, this is feminine and romantic and is a great bridal option;
- Glycere – an erotic and open range which displays your erotic areas and teases them with a tassel;
- Nereide – made from a blue all-over Jean Bracq lace with contrasting black silk;
- Dejanire – black and rose gold lurex lace combined with black stretch chiffon, this fly-away babydoll is a great gifting option for Christmas;
- Ariane – combines Broderies Deschamps embroidery with red stretch silk so it looks as though it is almost floating on the skin;
- Seraphine in Moondust – a recolour of one of our best-selling ranges, a dusty purple-grey shade which sits with the black Codentel lace and strapping.
Retail prices range from £60 for a G string to £495 for a lace robe. AW17 is available from Coco de Mer’s flagship boutique in London’s Covent Garden and via the website www.coco-de-mer.com from June.
