Janet Reger

Janet Reger (née Philips; 30 September 1935 - 14 March 2005) was British lingerie designer and business woman, best known for her eponymous lingerie brand which became famous in the 1960s and 1970s.

Background

Born Janet Phillips into a Jewish family in the East End of London in 1935. Reger's family had a background in the clothing industry, her grandfather ran a textile business and her parents manufactured bras during the Second World War. Reger was bought up in Reading and went on to study "Contour Fashion", underwear and swimwear design, at Leicester College of Art and Design in the 1950s. After leaving the Polytechnic she worked as a designer for a number of brands.

Reger was originally a freelance designer. Janet Reger's company was founded in 1966. She used to be a freelance designer for popular companies such as Marks & Spencer, Rosy of Paris and Slix swimwear. She was able to establish herself with experience in London and all over Europe.

In 1966, Reger decided to set up her own lingerie business with her husband, Peter Reger. It began as a small backstreet store and quickly turned into a recognised international company. With a lot of scepticism that she received for her bold designs for undergarments, in the 1970s Reger took part in the revolution for lingerie becoming a fashion statement rather than just an undergarment.

Janet Reger died in 2005, and her daughter Aliza Reger became chief executive and took over the business. The business has now been around for more than 40 years.