TO CAROL Graham, professional expertise is about never getting her knickers in a twist. An underwear buyer on a visit to Hong Kong for the British Sock Shop chain of stores, her reputation of being big on smalls has earned her the dubious sobriquet of 'Pantwoman' among friends and colleagues.
It's an important title this year as underwear appears on international catwalks as it has never been seen before. Historically referred to in polite society as 'unmentionables', this year's undies are being fully exposed by the likes of Chanel and Prada under high-split skirts and dresses. Be they girdles, hot pants or G-strings, today's undies are not designed to be kept under wraps.
'People have been talking about underwear for years now but it has been bubbling under the surface and now it's just about to come to the boil,' Graham says.
'Glamour is definitely back for women. We are being told that women can be whatever they want - they can be sexy, they can be raunchy, they can have fun and they can have a figure. And that whole feeling works in the favour of underwear. We are all going to be doing underwear that's designed to be seen and the same goes for men too.' Despite having a job description which she admits involves 'a lot of professional shopping', Graham takes her undercover responsibilities very seriously. Viewing Hong Kong as the important stop on a undie-buyer's itinerary, she scours offices in Sha Tin and factories in Kowloon Bay, visits agents and orders samples, looking to place bulk orders.
'Hong Kong has had a great reputation for manufacturing for some time,' Graham says. 'Technological advances in fabrics have been major news. There has been so much happening and I'd say Hong Kong manufacturers catch on pretty fast. The down side is that communication can be really hard work. It's often easier just to present suppliers with a sample and say 'copy it' rather than go through the hassle and worry of painstakingly explaining something and then crossing your fingers that when the sample arrives it's going to be OK! It can be a real headache.' Fortunately Graham's shopping list is written before she even arrives in the territory, thanks to in-house designers who translate what's happening on the catwalks into ideas for Sock Shop underwear collections that will go on sale in British high streets.
So what has the fashion underworld in store for the year ahead? According to Graham, this year's retro 1940s styling with a kitschy '50s perspective, fun '60s 'space age' designs, and funky '70s ensembles will influence the cut and colour of bras and knickers. This season's catwalk colours will range from powder pink and baby blue to black, fuchsia and orange. Patterns include classics such as tweeds and paisleys, to be followed by a return to opulence next Christmas with the emphasis on rich velvet and chintzy fabrics and Oriental styling. And while brocade knickers are unlikely, underwear will be as sumptuous as outerwear.