Chantal Thomass

French designer Chantal Thomass’ lingerie is tempting and flirtatious but never overtly sexy. We love the drama of her designs – and dramatic can be the word used for describing her career, too.

Thomass never studied fashion design. She started designing her own clothes as a child, and at the age of 18, began to design for other girls of her age, too. A year later, she married Bruce Thomass. Together they launched a fashion company called Ter et Bantine, manufacturing and selling young and unusual clothes. They made dresses from hand-painted scarves and designed dresses with flounced pinafores, schoolgirl collars, and balloon sleeves. They opened their first store on Boulevard Saint Germain in Paris in 1967. Actress Brigitte Bardot became a regular customer. The business grew, and in 1985 they expanded into licensing, with the Japanese group World as a financial partner. Licensed products included everything from eyewear to swimwear.

Then, in 1995, Thomass was fired from her own label! She owned only a minority of the company at that time. World published aggressive expansion plans and launched new, commercial designs. However, a year later, the label went bankrupt and liquidated its assets. Eventually, Thomass reacquired the rights to her name and was able to relaunch her brand in 1999. In 2108 she retired from her role as the brand's creative director.