Blog of Bra

UK’s self-proclaimed Bra Queen, Michelle Mone has moved from near bankruptcy to founder and chief executive of Ultimo, the cleavage-boosting bra and lingerie company. The latest chapter in the past 10 years of her story was written last month, when she opened her first 10 in-store Ultimo boutiques at Debenhams.

Michelle Mone grew up in the East End of Glasgow. Her early career was as a model ran for Labatt’s Scottish sales and marketing team. After having her second child, in October 1996 whilst attending a dinner dance with her husband Michael, she decided to design her own cleavage enhancing brassiere after wearing a very uncomfortable one.

Her own “something better” are more comfortable, better looking with more cleavage. With three years of research, design and development on her MJM International Ltd who was set up in November 1996, she finally patented Ultimo bra which achieved the aims that Mone had set out herself.

Among her very first model to promote the Ultimo brand was Rod Stewart’s girlfriend Penny Lancaster. A year later Penny was replaced by Stewart’s ex-wife, the supermodel Rachel Hunter while the couple were divorcing.

Later on, Hunter was replaced again by Helena Christensen. In October 200, Ultimo newly announced the sale of D-G range. The model is Hollyoaks actress Gemma Atkinson. Other Ultimo models have included Michelle Heaton, Katie Price, Jennifer Ellison, Samantha Mumba and Ruby Stewart.

On the very first year of her bra business, Mone’s company nearly folded before it finally had sold a thing. Young and naive, Mone claims to have been conned by her own distributor who ran off with nearly £1m in cash and stock. By remortgaging the family home and using her husband money, Mone stave off the bankruptcy.

“I have got where I am because I wanted it,” she says. “If you’re not prepared to work for it, you’ll never get it. There’s no secret to being successful, it’s just a lot of hard work.”

The Telegraph reporting, her company has attracted the attention of potential buyers recently. She claims to have received letters with an “incredible amount” from a venture capitalists over the last few months. But she adds that her MJM company is not for sale, at least for the moment.