Designs on Victoria's Secret revealed and Smokin' Hot
TIM Ellem, owner of More4Men, may have copped some stick about employing young models to parade his new underwear range around the Grafton CBD on Saturday, but the Prince St trader wasn't going to be dictated to by conventions.
"The way I look at it, this is no different to a girl in the streets of Yamba in her bikini," Mr Ellem said.
He joined forced with Hope Chest owner Carmel Sanne for the promotion of the shops' new range of underwear, Smokin' Hot.
"It certainly got people talking," he said.
"And even though it wasn't about lifting sales on Saturday - it was more about awareness - sales were good."
Mr Ellem said the Smokin' Hot range was designed in the Lismore garage of former coal miner Mick Ikin.
Mr Ikin, who has now moved to bigger premises at Tweed Heads, says on the Smokin' Hot website that he started the business while living with five women and observing a washing line filled with bras and briefs.
"I thought to myself, there's got to be something in this underwear business," he said.
"What started as a joke to cover the backsides of my family planted a seed that over the next year grew into a business."
Mr Ikin said his men's range draws upon his background in the mines.
"We know that Smokin'Hot has been worn by underground miners for two and half years and they're still going," he said.
Mr Ikin has thrown future designs out to his customers - promising $250 and naming honours to designs used.
