fashion is a dirty word (la petite s*****)

But, seriously, there's nothing dirty about this, not at all. It's all pretty pretty.

Nicola Helgesen quit her job in 2001 to create La Petite Salope. Now written (and known) as La Petite S***** ― translation: the little strumpet, ooh la la ― the line offers a dusky palette of artfully gathered tulle dresses with in-built corsetry. They're the sort of pieces just perfect for an intimate dinner: a beautifully draping dress; flickering candle lights of a dimly-lit restaurant picking up the warmth of its hue, reflecting it as a luminescence of your skin as you gaze lovingly into your dinner companion's eyes. *wistful sigh* And yet, the dresses also remind me of the delicious simplicity of my fave comfort dessert, apple pie (démodé, merçi). [A few pieces available online at Net-a-Porter, My-Wardrobe and Yoox.]

So certainly, Nicola Helgesen has succeeded in creating pieces that are ‘accessible, flattering and fun’ as described on her webbie. Even the account detailing a bit of the brand's history is a funny, yet inspiring anecdote; paralleling the sentiment of her clothes.

"...she produced a small sample collection of bustiers and made an appointment to see the buyers at Browns [London]. The day she cycled to the iconic store, her backpack bulging with samples, was the same day she pedaled home clutching her first order."

Butterfly kisses.