A husband-and-wife team with one major success under its belt turns its attention to lingerie shopping in New York

AUREN AND ALLEN BLANKENSHIP have a knack for starting businesses and Bodyhints, which has newly opened in New York, is the second major example of their entrepreneurship. It’s now apparent—and arguably it always was—that Rouze.com, their edgy, lifestyle publication that débuted on the web in 1999 was not going to be a one-off for the couple.
   Having met before Rouze.com, and married four weeks after its launch, the Blankenships have a background in business, with Lauren a Yale MBA grad and an executive in strategic relations and Allen a Wall Street prodigy who had been the youngest person to pass the NASD Series 7 examination (at age 18) and the youngest person to be named vice-president of Montgomery Securities.
   Rouze.com was later sold to Playboy Enterprises, and its URL now points to the Playboy site.
   It’s an unlikely background for a couple who seems to be able to find creative niches and exploit them. Bodyhints is arguably a new concept in lingerie, in a spacious, comfortable store that people will want to visit, regardless of what the pundits on Wall Street are saying about the economy.
   Then again, what drives the economy? Half-point drops in the interest rate, or successful brands? Brands endure, and, like dress sizes, there’s only so much cutting you can do to the number. Even in a recession, consumers like feeling good—and Bodyhints appeals to that very part of the psyche. And it looks like it’s around to stay.
   Maybe in the light of their respective understanding of business, the novel concept behind Bodyhints isn’t so unlikely.
   The store offers the world’s finest in couture to practical, seamless designs, not to mention comfortable loungewear and sleepwear. There’s also a line of bath and candle products.
   Inside, you can find brands known to the discerning intimate apparel shopper, particularly those who've been across the Atlantic to see the finest on offer: Aubade, Chantal Thomass, Princesse Tam Tam and Rigby & Peller.
   According to Blankenship, ‘I didn’t like my lingerie and loungewear shopping options and I thought there had to be a better way. Bodyhints combines the selection you seek in the finest department stores with the focus, unique brands and service of a specialty boutique.’
   With well over 50 name brands to choose from, Bodyhints is a very fun shop to check out. Visit it at 462 West Broadway or online at www.bodyhints.com.

Richard Spiegel is New York Editor of Lucire. Jack Yan is founding publisher of Lucire. Both contributed to this story.

Copyright ©2001 by JY&A Media, a division of Jack Yan & Associates. All rights reserved.
Lucire is a member of the Totalwoman Network. Send feedback to Lucire.