Heidi Klum named creative director at Bendon

Bendon, one of the world's leading Intimate apparel companies, has named model and TV presenter Heidi Klum as its creative director and face of its flagship Intimates collection. Klum is replacing former model Elle Macpherson who will depart the New Zealand-based group at the end of the year after a 25-year

partnership. The change in creative director will mean that the entire Elle Macpherson Intimates collection will be rebranded as Heidi Klum Intimates and will re-launch on January 1, 2015.

In addition to rebranding Elle Macpherson’s The Body line, the Heidi Klum Intimates collection will also include a men's brand, HKMAN, and Heidi by

Heidi Klum, a more accessible line of every day essentials. It is also expected that the supermodel will expand the product categories to include swimwear.

Justin Davis-Rice, CEO of Bendon, said: "As a globally renowned supermodel and successful entrepreneur, we are very excited to welcome Heidi to our flagship Intimates collection.

"As our industry continues to globalise, fresh designs and active publicity are becoming more and more important. Elle has been a great partner to Bendon, however it's time to take the brand to even greater heights, and Heidi is perfectly positioned to do just that.”

Heidi Klum replaces Elle Macpherson at Bendon

The move to replace Macpherson with Klum comes as Bendon looks to “leverage” its global base and expand its business. Macpherson’s line represented around 20 percent of the company’s business and it is hoped that Klum’s expertise will double Bendon’s business over the next five years.

Eric Watson from Cullen Investments, who co-owns Bendon, added: "Global distribution has been a real focus for Bendon. The announcement of our partnership with Heidi will enable us to leverage the global base we've already established and grow exponentially. When you combine that with the 25 year heritage of our Intimates business, the future for Bendon looks incredibly exciting."

Commenting on her new role, Klum said: "I've always loved lingerie and can't describe how incredibly exciting it is to globally launch my Intimates collection with Bendon, a true leader of the industry.

“In addition to spending a majority of my career modelling lingerie, I am also a woman whose body has changed over the years. I am a mother of four children so I genuinely understand the importance of finding the right lingerie. I want women everywhere to feel sexy, empowered and confident in my collection every time they wear it."

As well as acting as creative director of the Intimates collection, Klum will also be the face of the brand and will star in a multi-platform campaign. Heidi Klum Intimates will launch in over 1800 retail doors worldwide from January 2015.

Image: Heidi Klum/Bendon