What started as Christine Morton’s hobby bordering on obsession has evolved into internationally sought-after lines that include this Christine Vancouver red glamour gown ($297, available at christinevancouver.com or at the West Vancouver showroom).

Vancouver’s Secret
By GUY BABINEAU

“It started with lace,” says Christine Morton.
Whether it’s embossed, embroidered or delicately detailed, Chantilly, Alancon or Calais, or comes from Italy, France or Switzerland, Morton, the owner of Christine Designs, is passionate about the stuff. Fine lacework plays a prominent role in both of her lingerie and loungewear collections, Christine Vancouver and Christine Morton, as do top-grade silks.

“I needed a place to put my lace,” Morton continues, sitting in her office in the company’s cozy and unpretentious design studio and walk-in showroom in West Vancouver (#201–657 Marine Dr., West Vancouver, christinevancouver.com).

What started out in the ’70s as a hobby bordering on obsession – collecting lace – has evolved into an internationally sought-after line of sensually and tastefully tailored Teddys, camisoles, chemises, nighties, night gowns and pyjamas for women of all ages. Morton started out crafting one-of-a-kind pieces that combined the vintage lace she’d collected at rummage sales and thrift shops with luxurious, high-quality silks. Her cottage industry days ended when notable retailers such as Holt Renfrew and Creeds in Toronto came calling, and at the age of 22 Morton founded her company.

Today, Christine Vancouver is available at department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Takashimaya New York and Holt Renfrew. The Christine Morton collection is sold exclusively at Neiman Marcus in the U.S. Both are available locally online or at the showroom, which is open to walk-ins Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Regular sample sales are posted on the company’s website.

She could have moved her operations to a bigger fashion city, but Morton, who is married with three grown children, has and always will stick to West Vancouver.

“There’s a balance here that I like. These were my roots and this is where I want to be.”

Various CV and CM Items have appeared in editorials in Vogue, Glamour, InStyle and other A-list style bibles but the line’s exposure hit a whole new level last January when Oprah Winfrey wore a Christine Vancouver silk charmeuse tailored pyjama set on the cover of O magazine. Orders went through the roof and business hasn’t been better. “The problem was that everyone including retailers and online shoppers wanted the same colour [purple] Oprah wore on the cover, even though the chemise comes in 20 colours,” says Morton.

Morton is set up to respond to changes in the production line and maintains stringent quality control. She works closely with her small, onsite design team, pattern-makers and an expert silk-cutter, using local sewers and manufacturers to put the pieces together. The result is a parade of sensual silhouettes, sumptuous shades and patterns, and meticulously tailored details designed to make women feel beautiful, not like pole dancers. Current collections include a selection of vivid prints, rich creams, royal reds, velvet-embossed lace and intricate black lace trims.

“Lingerie can go in two directions,” says Morton. “There’s what I call the Madame X variety and lingerie that is more couture.”

Morton’s designs fall firmly in the couture category, delineating the difference between raunch and romance. I don’t know about you, but most of the women I know are more inclined to fancy themselves in the pages of Vogue than Maxim, something to keep in mind when shopping for that special gift.