Ann Summers

Why shouldn't hangers be sexy too?

We were commissioned by Ann Summers' supplier of lingerie hangers to redesign a new range to cater for the wide variety of lingerie items displayed within the company's stores.

Hangers are traditionally an engineered plastic product considered in terms of practicality and not for its aesthetic value. We had a vision to create new designs that were firstly able to cope with the vast range of garment styles and also present them as desirable items and capture the store's brand - sensuous, feminine, and fun!

After researching the garments the hanger needed to hold, we developed 2D illustrations of a design which was curvaceous but would not overshadow the garment itself. The visual was approved and we set to work on the design of the practical aspects of the hanger. Bras were relatively straightforward as from our anthropometric data we could see that one size would fit all, the shoulder width did not change dramatically between small and large women.

As for the knickers, there was a much greater range of sizes and styles to contend with - some had elasticated waistbands while others had little more than a string. The design we created was a curvy detail which would retain waistbands and which could be tied onto for those items with less material. To accommodate all waist sizes, the side of the knickers could be folded around the back of the hanger, creating a consistent front view for display purposes.

The final hanger designs were introduced at the launch of the company's new store designs and complemented the new opulent style and transformed the way in which lingerie could be consistently displayed. To date, over three million hangers have been purchased by Ann Summers and they have proved popular with staff and customers alike.