The BRAZELLE STORY by Lucy Morello
Creator and Designer.

I love wearing a bra. Bras are romantic, sexy, feminine and comforting. Having been a professional ballet dancer, model and polo player I could not have done without it but, when it comes down to visible bra straps, I have a problem.

When your breasts are medium to large size, like mine are, you either buy strong bras with functional straps or you sacrifice good support. I chose the former.

I don't like VBS. Some people think it's cool to show them, but I don't agree. We may get away with it at the gym or exercise class, but when I am dressed to go out, for work or play, I find VBS unattractive and I do not think any woman of good taste would seriously consider having a conventional bra-strap on show. They are so unstylish and uninspiring... I dress mostly for comfort but I don't compromise on style. No VBS for me!

In order to avoid them I have tried everything: strapless bras that offered no support, bejewelled shoulder straps that dug and hurt my shoulders, so called invisible rubber straps that everyone could see! I even hand-dyed straps to match the colours of whichever top I was wearing. I became a colouring expert. At the end, I resigned myself to the fact that, come summer, I would have to wear sleeved tops instead of the sexy strappy camisoles I so longed to wear. There was no other option. Or was there?

Many people ask me how did I come up with the idea of Brazelle? Well, I had an family wedding to attend to and was worrying about how I was going to wear a striking pale yellow dress, covered in Swarovski crystals, that I had bought in the Harrods sale. The crystals made it incredibly heavy, yet this dress had the thinnest straps imaginable. I'm sure that that was the reason why it was still available at such a fabulous price, lucky me! I bought it on impulse, without thinking. I often do this; hence beautiful outfits hang unworn in my wardrobe, not to mention gorgeous pairs of shoes that are two sizes too big!

The weight of the dress flattened and pulled 'everything' down... a strapless bra would be pointless  the wedding was days away. I had to think of something fast. The solution came to me at night while I slept; I wrote it down so that I wouldn't forget. Next morning I could not believe what I had written, it was amazing! I immediately got to work. I would create a clip that would allow me to make my own straps as I needed them to be and in the colour and with the material of my choice.

The wedding day came and I wore make-shift prototypes of brazelles I had made myself. I kept them covered with my long hair because, admittedly, they didn't look that great yet and I didn't want anyone to see them. So impressed was I with the way they had performed that I set myself up to design the real thing.

The 'real thing' proved much harder than I thought. It involved many trips to Italy to find a supplier that believed in my vision. It was a difficult task. No one was interested in spending time and effort in something that amounted to no more than a dream. My husband, who believed in my idea, drove me tirelessly through the Italian countryside, where most of the factories are located. Perseverance paid up. Not only did I secure a supplier, I found one of the best artisans in Italy! He loved the idea and was willing to have a go. I am terribly fastidious about quality and detail but he was infinitely patient and understanding. Together we painstakingly tested and meticulously solved the many problems we encountered along the way and created a product that looks, feels and works beautifully.

I can certainly say that nothing came easy. I have the greatest respect for anyone who creates any kind of business at all; I now appreciate the huge work and commitment that lies behind even the simplest of ideas.

In the meantime I was also working in obtaining a patent and thinking of a name for my product. I was searching for a name that would encompass both the brand name and a name for the actual accessory, which by now, at least to me, had become a little person with an extraordinary personality. I must have thought of and written down at least 1000 names before I came up with the name Brazelle, driving my entire family mad in the process! I thought about it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It became an obsession. Brazelle is a combination of the names bra, jewellery and my biggest dream ever, to be Giselle in my favourite ballet.

For the present collection I drew inspiration from the splendour and romance of Venice, from the colours and grandeur of its carnival and the sensuality of its bridges and canals.

The culmination of hard work, sheer determination and irrational faith, the Venetian Collection was completed, totally hand made in Italy.

Once the collection was finished I needed a photographer who could bring to life the essence of Brazelle and the romanticism of my Venetian inspiration and I thought of my dear friend Clive Arrowsmith, whom I knew from my modelling days, having worked together on various assignments, including an award winning Mary Quant campaign. I was overjoyed when, after seeing the product, Clive agreed to take the photographs.

The conventional strap has a huge role to play; it's definitely the strap of choice while running, riding, playing sports or for wearing under jumpers and sleeved dresses, but under my new strappy tops? No way from now on I'm brazelling my way through summer, parties and whenever I want to sparkle, which is most of the time!

 

LUCY MORELLO

 

Lucy came to England, from her native Venezuela, to train as a Ballet Dancer with the Rambert School in London. Not being able to continue due to injury she turned to modelling enjoying a successful career. She lives with her husband in Surrey surrounded by her beloved dogs and horses.

She came up with the idea of Brazelle as a solution to the unwanted problem of VBS: a glamorous and stylish halter strap, which provides the same level of comfort and support as the conventional one, while standing as a jewellery accessory in it's own right.

After three years sourcing suppliers, creating and perfecting her designs, researching and testing materials, writing her own patents and designing her logos and trademarks, Lucy is proud to introduce the Venetian Brazelle Collection, totally hand made in Italy