Designer Brands
Ultimo is a Scottish designer lingerie brand founded by Michelle Mone. more...
 Home
Necklaces & Pendants
Other Wedding Jewelry
 Body Jewelry
Bracelets
Charms & Charm Bracelets
Designer Brands
Earrings
Ethnic, Tribal Jewelry
Hair Jewelry
Handcrafted, Artisan Jewelry
Jewelry Boxes & Supplies
Loose Beads
Men's Jewelry
Vintage, Antique
Wedding Apparel
Wedding Rings
Wedding Sets
Wedding Supplies
Wholesale Lots
History
Michelle Mone grew up in the East End of Glasgow, and after an early career as a model ran Labatt's Scottish sales and marketing team. After being made redundant and having her second child, in October 1996 whilst attending a dinner dance with her husband Michael, she decided while wearing a very uncomfortable cleavage enhancing brassiere that she could design something better which was:
more comfortable;
better looking;
create more cleavage;
MJM International Ltd was set up in November 1996, and three years of research, design and development resulted in the patented Ultimo bra which achieved the aims Mone had set out.
In August 1999 a month after having her third child, Mone launched Ultimo at Selfridges department store in London - Selfridges sold the pre-launch estimate of six weeks of stock within 24 hours. In April 2000 Mone won the World Young Business Achiever Award in the Epcot Centre, Florida. In May 2000 Ultimo was launched in to the United States at the Saks Fifth Avenue store in New York.
In 2001 after pulling out of an exclusive deal with Debenhams, Mone wrote in her diary: "... Worst day of my life!" The company lost 12 million customers, and was restricted to selling a single product - gel-filled bra - by mail order and the internet. After poor sales in 2002, Mone was forced to gain £100,000 of loan backing from Scottish Billionaire Sir Tom Hunter, who also holds a 25% stake in the business.
After re-entering Debenhams in 95 stores the following year, together with John Lewis and Allders stores, the brand successfully moved into profit on the back of celebrity endorsement, when Julia Roberts wore one to the Hollywood launch of the film Erin Brockovich, and revived with a 500% growth in sales. Society "It Girl" Lady Victoria Hervey and Prince Charles’s wife Camilla Parker Bowles are among other well-known wearers.
Marketing
Rod Stewart's girlfriend Penny Lancaster was the first Ultimo girl, replaced a year later by his ex-wife the supermodel Rachel Hunter while the couple were separated/divorcing. Stewart was upset with Mone, as she had approached her fellow Scot to help her business and persuade Lancaster to model the Ultimo range. Stewart called Mone a "manipulative cow"' and commented that: "I hope she (Mone) chokes on her profits." Mone responded that she had always wanted Hunter to model the clothes as her original target, and only went for Lancaster at £200,000 because she was cheaper than the £1million it later cost her to sign Hunter.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
|
