Ashley Dupre’s lingerie shop hosts fashion show to help people shop for … – The Star-Ledger
December 8, 2012 by admin
Filed under Latest Lingerie News
A model showcases an outfit at a fashion show/shopping event at Femme by Ashley in Red Bank on Thursday night.
Customers browse through items during a fashion show/shopping event at Femme by Ashley in Red Bank on Thursday night.
Customers purchase items during a fashion show/shopping event at Femme by Ashley in Red Bank on Thursday night.
RED BANK – Club music was blaring from Femme by Ashley on Broad Street on Thursday night, enticing several passersby to stop and take a peek inside.
DJ’s were spinning the tunes from outside the upscale lingerie and swimsuit shop, as valets were parking cars and waiters were serving champagne.
Meanwhile, dozens of patrons perused the designer items on the racks and learned which ones were best suited for their bodies – or the bodies of their significant others – as models showcased them from on top of platforms throughout the store.
This was an event that the shop’s owner Ashley Dupre said was designed to get people out and to have some fun while shopping for what can be some of the most difficult items to shop for: lingerie and bathing suits.
Dupre – who made headlines in 2008 as the woman at the center of the Eliot Spitzer prostitution scandal – opened Femme by Ashley seven months ago, because she felt there was a need for these kinds of items in Monmouth County and that Red Bank was the perfect location for it.
“I grew up in the area and there really wasn’t anywhere you could get a good bathing suit around here, without driving to the Short Hills Mall,” she said. “And Red Bank is an amazing place. I lived in New York for seven years and I think Red Bank is like a little SoHo.”
Long Branch resident Stephanie Cudney has shopped at Femme by Ashley before, but came to Thursday night’s the event because of the unique opportunity it offered.
“It’s local for me and I like to shop local, but she also has high-quality items right on the rack, which isn’t something you can find many other places, not around here at least,” Cudney said.
Even though the shop was featuring discounts of up to 40 percent – which will run through the holidays – Dupre said Thursday night’s event was more about having fun and education.
“About 85 percent of women wear the wrong bra size. And shopping for bras can be difficult and uncomfortable for a lot of people, because we all have imperfections and we all have flaws,” Dupre said. “But this is a very relaxed atmosphere, where they can get new ideas and where, if they want, we have people to help them find the right items for their personal body type.”
The fashion show and shopping event was catered to clothing for women, but Dupre said Femme by Ashley encouraged women to bring their significant others.
“When it comes to buying lingerie, men are clueless,” Dupre said. “But by coming here, they can see what their woman likes and what fits her. That way, when she opens the gift, there’s happiness and not disappointment.”
Shawn Reiser and Jim Purtill strolled around the store during the event.
As Reiser was checking out the merchandise, Purtill was watching the clock – and the scenery.
“I only came because I thought I got to bring one of the models home,” Purtill joked before revealing his true intentions.
“I’m not going to tell her if I’m going get her something, but I am paying attention to what she likes,” he said. “Because this would really be a gift for me too. So when I come back and get something, it will be something that I like too.”
Dupre said that she hoped the event would have a positive impact beyond the retail opportunities.
“Things are tough for a lot of people right now, especially due to the hurricane,” she said. “If this helps them get out and take their minds off of things for a night, then we’re happy.”
