SPOTTED: our Cake Lingerie Real Mums

Check out this article in the lingerie industry bible, Lingerie Buyer.

The NZ Real Mums are going international - YAY!!!  Go girls!

Cake Lingerie Real Mums In the NZ Herald!!

Did you see the Herald on Sunday?  On page 16 was an article on the Real NZ Mums.  It's only THE biggest newspaper in the country on the biggest day or circulation - how cool is that!!!!!!

The story even made it to the NZ Herald online homepage for a time - I almost fell off my chair :)

‘Real Mums’ Bare All for the Cake Lingerie Shoot

Media Release - Not many competitions require winners to bare all, especially not those ‘in the family way’, but the Cake Lingerie competition did just that, with a nationwide search for four gorgeous New Zealand ‘Real Mums’ to be the faces and bellies of the Cake brand for 2010.

Competition winners were selected (appropriately) on Mothers Day, from an extremely high calibre of entries of pregnant or nursing mums and brought to Auckland for the shoot. For all four winners, this was the first time they’d bared all for the camera and all declared it a nerve-wracking, but empowering experience.

In conjunction with Cake Lingerie, the competition was created and organised by Louisa Currie and Heidi Riley, friends and founders of website Belly Beyond, and the resulting photo shoot will help launch the new Cake Lingerie range to the world. The organisers are thrilled with the response from entrants and support for their campaign. “Our desire was not to use existing models or a catalogue shot offshore,” says Louisa. “We wanted to show just how beautiful the mums-to-be in our own towns and neighbourhoods are” she said “and show them off to the world”.

“Choosing just four participants was a challenge. There were so many great and deserving women who entered, but the four we chose just had something really special about them, said Heidi.

The four winners were; Alisha Grimmer from North Shore City, Maree Hall from Hamilton, Chanel Gardner from Dunedin, and Debbie Heaney also from North Shore City.

All four women got the chance to be pampered by a professional hair and makeup team before revealing their pregnancy curves in fabulous designer maternity lingerie from Cake Lingerie. They also each won a fabulous $400 prize pack. Louisa and Heidi helped art direct the shoot and were hands-on in making the day a success.

“It was unanimous on the day that all the women were proud mothers and celebrated what their bodies could achieve through pregnancy,” says Chanel, “It’s amazing to be part of something that is focused on empowering women at such an amazing stage of life.”

Alisha was “surprised and thrilled” on finding out she was selected as one of the winners. And really enjoyed the experience on the day, “What more could a girl ask for, I felt special and good in myself; I was pampered and surrounded by inspiring women, and wearing a gorgeous product!”

The contest has been judged a success by organisers and now it is up to the public to see the results. “We have received great feedback from women all around the country who love the fact we’re promoting a healthy pregnant body image” said Louisa. “And we hope we can find another group of exciting talented, beautiful real women again next year.”

Cake Lingerie specialises in the creation of high fashion maternity lingerie that combines old-school glamour with style and comfort and is now available in 16 countries. The full catalogue of shots will be available soon on www.bellybeyond.co.nz and at www.cakelingerie.co.nz

Photograph - Nykie Grove-Eades

Cake Lingerie Real Mums Search - the photo shoot!

Cake Lingerie, in association with Belly Beyond, went on a nationwide search for 3 pregnant or breast feeding mothers (or both!) to become the faces of their promotional photo shoot for their latest collection ‘Let Them Eat Cake’.

Our criteria is simple -  real women that are pregnant or nursing, in all different shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicity.

We were looking for women who are proud of their beautiful curves of pregnancy and motherhood and could show the world that real women are beautiful and should be featured far more in the media.  In the end we couldn't decide on just 3 so chose 4 Real Mums.

It was shoot day on Sunday and what an amazing day.

Our 3 mums-to-be and 1 mum were up bright and early for hair and make up kicking off 7am by the brilliant Sara (and her lovely assistant) from Seb Make Up

The girls looked GORGEOUS in their Cake Lingerie.  Heidi and I said they were so gorgeous and so natural that people wouldn't believe they weren't professional models.
Lisa, our photographer was superb and you can see why she is an award-winner.  Her natural affinty with people was clear and she soon had the girls relaxed in front of the camera. Salsa music was a great ice breaker  but seeing 4 gorgeous Mums in rather beautiful underwear, salsa dancing music at 9am on a Sunday is not something you see every day!

There's a press release going out today with the winners details which I will put up so I won't spoil the surprise by giving their full names but here is a little bit about each of our lovely winners:

Alisha (33)  Bayswater, North Shore City
Mum to Jayden (2 ½) and breastfeeding 10 week old twins Ava Lea and Talia Rose. Ava has a large hole in her heart that needs surgery in the next few months.

Alisha holds a Bachelor of Science and prior to being a mum worked as a buyer and retail manager. She has plans study Midwifery as soon as time allows!

Debbie  (27)  Milford, North Shore City

31 weeks pregnant with her first baby (a boy) Debbie in on maternity leave from her nursing role. (Case Manager for rehab client)

Debbie enjoys yoga and reading and long walks on the beach.

I’m joking about the long walks on the beach – just checking you are paying attention ;)

Chanel (29) St Clair, Dunedin

28 weeks pregnant with her second child, she is mum to 7 year old Grace.

Chanel is a practicing family lawyer who loves living in the next to the beach in Dunedin and the living so close to the best of the South Island (Queenstown is a fave).

Maree (29) Hamilton

Mum to Gabriella, 2, and now 29 weeks pregnant she lives in Hamilton and works part-time for Telecom. This is her 3rd pregnancy and is extra special after losing her second baby at only 20 weeks.

Maree is enjoying settling back in NZ after living overseas in Hawaii and Australia for the last 5 years.

Congratulations ladies - you were fantastic!
_____________________________________________________________________________

We received an fantastic response from all over the country and can't wait to see these Real NZ Mums as the faces of an international brand!

Release of the photos is a couple of weeks away but trust us when we day the wait will be worth it.

Central Leader!

Well, won't our mums be proud - we made the local paper.  The Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums search gets a feature as do a couple of bras!  Will leave it to you to guess which one of ours they are :)

Cake Lingerie Real NZ Mums competition Final Week!

Hot Curves and Hot Competition as the Cake Lingerie ‘Real Mums’ Model Search Draws to a Close

With four days left to enter, Auckland’s glowing and pregnant women are showing they’re prepared to bare all to be the face and body of Cake Lingerie. The number of entrants is growing by the day (as are their curves) as the ‘Cake’ competition due date draws near.

The ‘Real Mums’ model search has been running for one month and will result in three pregnant or breast feeding women being chosen to feature in a photo shoot to help launch Cake Lingerie's latest collection of maternity lingerie and sleep wear to the world.

Organised by Belly Beyond founders Louisa Currie and Heidi Riley, the competition is designed to celebrate the pregnant beauties that you see ‘day to day’ by choosing the new face, and body, from the public rather than a modelling agency.

Says Louisa, “The feedback from entrants has been great and we love to see so many women getting behind the campaign and celebrating all the shapes, sizes and colours of pregnant women.”

Adds Heidi, “Plus the lingerie itself is gorgeous, any pregnant or nursing woman will feel absolutely beautiful and feminine in the new ‘Cake’ range - it’s very old school glamour and the photoshoot itself is going to be a lot of fun.”

Entrants so far have generally been from Auckland but some have come as far as Waikato and the Bay of Plenty including the only pair of sisters to have entered. One of the Waikato entrants Hannah Simmonds speaks of the reason her and her sister entered the competition, “We believe that it’s important for women to feel good about themselves, especially at the crazy, hormonal time of pregnancy and being a new mum.”

She continues “We see this as an opportunity to represent your everyday, average sized woman in a media world where we are constantly bombarded with images of tiny, flawless and mostly foreign women.”

Entries close on Friday 30th April and the winners will be drawn on May 9th Mothers Day. Not only will they then become the face of the next Cake Lingerie campaign, but will take part in a glamorous photo shoot as well as receiving a Cake Lingerie prize pack valued at over $400.

For more information or to download an entry form visit: www.bellybeyond.co.nz 

Cake Lingerie Search for 'Real' New Zealand Mums

This search has taken on a life of its own.  We've had a fantastic response from New Zealand mums who totally 'get' what this seach is about and are keen to involved.

If you know a mum or mum-to-be who totally deserves to be treated like the star she is then download an entry form here and encourage her to enter.


Check out some of the places we've been seen so far, not even a week in!

infonews.co.nz -The Search Has Started For The Face And Belly Of 'Cake' Maternity Lingerie

babybites.co.nz  Cake Lingerie Belly Beyond Search for Real Mums

Lingerie Store today - Cake Lingerie Search

voxy.co.nz - The Search Has Started For The Face And Belly Of 'Cake' Maternity Lingerie -

Wordpress: Cake Lingerie Real Mums Search

Kids Fashion NZ - Cake Lingerie Seach for Real NZ Mums

plus lots of Twitter chatter!

Cake Lingerie Search for 'Real' New Zealand Mums

Have you ever dreamed about being the face of an international brand?  Are you proud of your beautiful curves of pregnancy and motherhood?  Then this is for YOU!

Cake Lingerie, in association with Belly Beyond, are searching New Zealand for 3 pregnant and breast feeding mothers to become the faces of their promotional photo shoot for their latest collection ‘Let Them Eat Cake’.

Our criteria is simple -  real women that are pregnant or nursing, in all different shapes and sizes, ages and ethnicity.

Prize Package Includes:

Three lucky women will be chosen to help launch Cake Lingerie's latest collection of stunning maternity lingerie and sleep wear.

You'll receive professional hair and make up and feature in a 'real' fun and bubbly promotional photoshoot celebrating motherhood.

Plus each winner will also receive over $300 worth of Cake Lingerie from Belly Beyond!

For more info and to download the entry form click here.  Entries close 30 April 2010