Naughty but nice

From her base in Shepherd's Bush Pom Lampson is on a mission to make lingerie sexy and comfortable. Alison Adams gets the bottom line

Above: Design by Sexy Panties and Naughty Knickers

A few days after meeting Pom Lampson I happened to catch Dragon's Den on television. I couldn't help wondering what the modern-day Inquisition of millionaires would make of the engaging mastermind behind Sexy Panties and Naughty Knickers (SPANK). During our chat at SPANK HQ in Shepherd's Bush, Pom cheerfully revealed that she had no experience in design or manufacturing before launching her 'pants' business; that she isn't a believer in long-term planning because 'the world might look different in two years' time'; that she might decide to sell up and make socks because 'I've got this weird thing about them'; and that she is 'amazed to have got this far'.

So, by Dragon standards, Pom doesn't come across as an immediately 'investable' proposition. But consider this: in only four years SPANK has carved out a niche in an ultra-competitive market, the collection has expanded to include bras, camisoles, thongs, nighties and dressing gowns, it is selling worldwide and is stocked by Barney's, the Manhattan Mecca for fashionistas, and the pants adorn the celebrity rears of Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Imbruglia, Amy Winehouse, Orlando Bloom and Johnny Vaughan. Beneath the charming, self-deprecating manner Pom is clearly doing something right - and working very hard into the bargain.

'I'd like to think that as a label Sexy Panties and Naughty Knickers sits exactly in the middle of M&S and Agent Provocateur,' she smiles. 'Most of my pants are silk, but they are affordable everyday wear and go in the washing machine; they are also fantastically comfortable and flattering. I have 60 year-old ladies and 16 year-old girls who adore the same pair of knickers. And what I love about silk is that it's a natural fabric. I don't believe that any woman should wear polyester; I think underwear should be lovely and luxurious rather than purely functional.'

Although there is evidence of latent creative flair - Pom says that she was only good at 'sewing and making things' at school - nothing in her professional past suggests incipient lingerie entrepreneurship. Before launching SPANK in 2004, Pom had been a photographer for eight years: 'After finishing my photography course I was lucky enough to get a second assisting job and I thought "this doesn't feel like work, this is the way to go!" I ended up specialising in shooting interiors, travelling the world and having a fantastic time.'

It was while living in New York that Pom's pant epiphany happened. 'I was given a pair of silk knickers and they were very beautiful. The attention to detail was amazing, but they were so uncomfortable! I put them on and 15 minutes later I couldn't wear them a moment longer. But that planted a seed in my mind. Previously, Father Christmas had bought my underwear from M&S and it was always white and looked the same. I realised that I wanted to wear silk, but I couldn't find any designs, however expensive, that were sexy and comfortable. In the end I found I was designing pants in my sleep so I thought, why not have a go and get some samples together? That was five years ago.'

Returning to the UK, Pom enlisted her sister, a successful jewellery designer who runs her own business, as an advisor. 'She told me, "You're insane, you're a good photographer and you're happy, so why do you want to make your life so complicated?" She came over to see my samples, ready to play devil's advocate; I had six in all and she took one look and said, "I want to take five home - you'd better hurry up and get on with this!" That was that. I ordered 18,000 pants, having never designed let alone manufactured anything in my life, and sold enough to cover my costs. It was quite mad. From then on the business has just rolled on by word-of-mouth. My factory in China has been brilliant - the guy there has become a father figure to me. I think he realised that I was an innocent abroad and he has taken me under his wing and taught me everything.'

In response to demand - in particular from her brother - Pom soon branched out into boxer shorts. 'He just kept saying, "what about me?" My boxers have a silk-lined fly and a three-panel back so there's no seam. And for a long time they were my second best selling line. That's been my biggest surprise - I have men saying, "I want 20 pairs, I won't wear anything else.' And I have to ask, what about the label's memorably saucy name? 'I can't take the credit for that,' Pom laughs. 'My friend Jason came up with the idea. All my labels are paper and can be torn out so I actually embroider SPANK on the front of the men's and the back of the women's pants. Then at least you know which is front and which is back when you're getting dressed in a rush!'

When pressed to explain the secret behind SPANK's success - and it takes some persistence on my part - Pom puts it down to: 'Being brave enough to follow my gut instinct. At the beginning I didn't really know if it was right or not, but I followed it through. Curiously, there's much more trial and error now because I'm doing bras and they are the ultimate nightmare - absolutely impossible to design! But it's also fun and I enjoy the challenge.'

The future for the Sexy Panties and Naughty Knickers brand looks rosy and one thing is certain, Pom will be developing it one step at a time. 'You don't want to be the next big thing that balloons, because then you'll burst. Building slowly means there's a chance you can get a place in the market. I don't want to be greedy. I want to encourage people to wear "proper" pants - just having people love my stuff is so exciting!'

Sexy Panties and Naughty Knickers is holding a Christmas/Sample Sale on 13 December (11am-9pm) at Unit 2H, Woodstock Studios, 36 Woodstock Grove, W12. For more information call 020 8740 8621 or visit www.sexypantiesandnaughtyknickers.com