NEW YORK — Le Mystère has created a collection of specialty bras called Le Mystère No. 9 that is designed for a specific consumer segment: women who have had breast augmentation.
The concept of the line, which features five patented bra styles that will be launched for a one-month exclusive at Nordstrom at the end of May, was conceived by David B. Brothers, a board-certified plastic surgeon in Atlanta. Breast augmentation is the third most common cosmetic surgery in the U.S., Brothers said. A total of 300,000 women received breast implants in 2005, a 37 percent increase since 2000. The surgery costs $4,000 to $10,000.
“On an annual basis, the same or greater numbers of breast augmentations are done in South America, Asia and Europe,” Brothers said.
Patients have complained that “conventional bras” do not properly fit breasts with implants, he said, citing three reasons: “The conical shape of the cup is wrong, the flattened semicircular shape of the underwire is wrong and the design of the center connector is wrong.”
The Le Mystère No. 9 collection was co-developed with Femtech LLC, a company Brothers created that manages ownership of the patented products and has received pending-patent protection. Le Mystère is the sole licensee worldwide. The line, which includes a strapless style with a bump pad, a front-closure style, a sleek T-shirt look, a triangle-shape style, and sexy allover lace and sheer numbers, is designed by Julia Burns. Bra sizes are from 32 to 36, and half-sizes 33 and 35.
Michael Rabinowitz, chief executive officer of Le Mystère LLC, said distribution would be expanded to major stores and specialty boutiques in the U.S. Rabinowitz hopes to grow the innovative line in the international marketplace; the Le Mystère brand is sold in Harrods in London, Stuttafords in South Africa, Scitech in Peking, David Jones in Australia, Holt Renfrew in Canada and House of Frazier in the U.K.
Neither Rabinowitz, who’s been working on the concept with Brothers for three years, nor Brothers would give a first-year wholesale sales projection. But, based on industry estimates, the specialty line might generate revenues in excess of $20 million the first full year. Prices have not been locked in, but suggested retail will be “in the $70s range,” Rabinowitz said.
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Brothers began to work on the concept in the early nineties. “But I had to do it quietly because I knew I was onto something,” he recalled. “I could have shown this concept to a lot of people and companies. As they say, people look, but they can’t see. I approached Le Mystère, and I couldn’t have chosen a better company. They understand the idea.”
The specialty bras are set apart from traditional bra designs and styling because “they complement the unique changes in shape and size that occur after a woman has a breast augmentation procedure,” Brothers said.
The changes in shape and size are created by higher-profile implants that widen the cleavage and significantly increase the depth requirement of the cup size. Compared with a natural breast of equal volume, the augmented breast has a smaller base diameter, he explained.
Brothers said the popularity of breast-enhancement surgery has been propelled by media coverage of celebrities in the movies, television and music businesses.
“TV shows like ‘Extreme Makeover,’ ‘The Swan,’ ‘Dr. 90210’ and ‘Nip/Tuck’ have put plastic surgery in the spotlight,” he said. “The public is more educated, and these shows have helped to legitimize breast augmentation, making it more mainstream.”
Rabinowitz said it was “extremely difficult” to find a name for the specialty bras.
“I came up with up to 300 other names, and found a half dozen that were so good, they were already registered,” he said. “So I thought, ‘This is our ninth project and product introduction,’ and came up with Le Mystère No. 9.”
Tag lines being considered for a multimillion-dollar advertising and marketing campaign include “It’s All About Fit,” and “Le Mystère No. 9: Where No Designer Has Gone Before.”