ChinaShop

Hopeless Hotel is my new favourite lingerie line.  Based in Melbourne, Australia, this is a one woman show.  Owned, operated & lovingly hand-stitched by Gabrielle Adamidis, her vintage-inspired delicates are in a league all of their own.

Each piece is made to order, & the ranges are delightful in their detail, comprising bras, knickers, suspender belts, t-shirts, aprons, babydolls & leotards which can be mixed & matched however you please.

Far from a sweatshop scenario, Hopeless Hotel HQ sounds like a wonderful place to work.  “I spend most of my days watching old movies & sewing silk & bamboo things for girls around the world,” Gabrielle says.

With her latest range inspired by Jaws, this is one unconventional place to look to for your skimpy but fabulous underthings.  She says, “I love basing my collections around a film… But instead of the obvious things I like looking further into screenshots, like the shape of the shark’s teeth & gums, the shape of the old boat, the swell of the ocean, & then translating that into shapes for the underwear.”  Any cinephile will be delighted to hear that she has tabs on basing future ranges around Revenge of the Nerds, Singin’ in the Rain, Jurassic Park, The Graduate, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, & anything featuring Vincent Price!

It all makes sense when you consider her #1 style tip: “Don’t be afraid to wear outfits that are totally out there, inappropriate or slightly crazy. It makes the world a more interesting place.”

Freely admitting that the majority of the Hopeless Hotel line isn’t comprised of “the most practical pieces”, she thinks her lingerie requires a girl with a bit of confidence to wear it properly.  “I think they need a certain imagination to really get into whatever character they might want to be!”, she says.  But she loves the fantasy element of what she does, & wouldn’t have it any other way.  “I spend most of my days in my own little dream world & I like to think that the girls who buy my things enjoy that too.”

What’s her next big dream?  “To have a Hopeless Boutique, that is half a little cafe patisserie with amazingly beautiful cakes & sweets, so girls can come & eat lovely things & buy lovely lingerie all at the same time.”  Sounds delicious.

Words by Gala Darling

3.07 (15 votes)

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