Two years ago, Alex Dulac went lingerie shopping for his girlfriend, and struck out at six downtown shops.
“I couldn’t tell the difference between any of the pieces,” says Dulac, 36, who worked at a fashion startup. “And I was also looking to find a more niche designer.”
At a department store, he finally unearthed a bra, panties and robe from the NY-based label Araks.
“I knew it would deliver,” he says, and yes, his beloved loved her unmentionables. Dulac had an “aha” moment.
In November, he and pal Marc Balet, former creative director for Interview magazine, formed OuiHours, an online magazine and shopping guide featuring titillating photos and more than 60 brands of lingerie, including Cosabella and Kiki de Montparnasse.
Calling it “more sophisticated” than Victoria’s Secret, Balet, 65, says, “The last thing we wanted to do was the laddy thing.” They signed photographers like Bruce Weber and David LaChapelle to shoot highconcept editorials mixed with celebrity Q&A’s.
And if it seems odd that two men are helming a lingerie business — they say men account for 40 percent of lingerie sales.
“[My girlfriend] has a very nice lingerie drawer now,” Dulac says.