Jan 6, 2020

Bra companies welcome De Montfort University drive to create lingerie for women with breast cancer Representatives of Tesco F+F, Marks and Spencer, Next, George and Figleaves lingerie all support the idea Share 03:00, 6 JAN 2020 Sign up to FREE daily email alerts from BusinessLive - East Midlands Subscribe We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights Thank you for subscribingWe have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Representatives of some of the biggest bra companies in Britain have welcomed a campaign to create lingerie designed for women being treated for breast cancer. A De Montfort University academic has set up a national research group called the DMU Medical Forum to develop more comfortable lingerie for women who have just had surgery. Professor Gillian Proctor – who has led the Leicester-based university’s contour fashion course for the past two decades – wanted to act after finding out two years ago that she needed surgery for stage two breast cancer. Prof Proctor is now launching a group which will meet regularly to see how experts in industry and medicine can work with patients to drive the university’s research and meet demand from the 55,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer each year. A recent meeting to consider her proposals included presentations from students on the Medical Forum along with Dr Nick Ibery, a venture capitalist who specialises in UK healthcare policy and regulation, and Mr Jaroslaw Krupa, one of the country’s leading breast surgeons, based at Leicester’s Glenfield Hospital. DMU contour fashion designs Industry representatives from Tesco F+F, Marks and Spencer, Next , George and Figleaves lingerie were also present. Professor Proctor, who is now an Associate Professor for Enterprise, said: “Every good story starts with a ‘why me?’. “And I guess if anyone had to get breast cancer, why not me? Why not someone who is in a position to pull together people who can effect a change. “I approached this like any woman in the street in terms of how do you go about finding a post-surgery bra? “There is a big gap in the market here and we need to activate change by bringing together medics, breast cancer patients, the industry that we work with very cohesively here at DMU, and involve the course and the students, to work holistically to solve these issues.” Emily Dean, a designer for Tesco F+F and a DMU alumna, said: “For me, I think the Medical Forum is a fantastic opportunity for us all to collaborate. “As a designer, I do not have lots of free time to research, so to be able to have access to all these people is a very exciting opportunity to bring the right product to market.” Professor Gillian Proctor Julia Mercer, head of bra fit at Marks & Spencer, said: “This is amazing. It is the first time we have brought all different types of industries together and all different types of people. “This is a complex subject but if we can all work together this will really make a difference to real women.” Tori Shelton, another DMU alumna who works for lingerie brand Figleaves, said: “I think the Medical Forum is a great idea and I think Gillian’s personal approach is amazing.” Lysa Jayne Hearst, lingerie tech manager at George, said: “Gillian is doing something really interesting and we should all be on board.” Mr Krupa said: “I think it is a unique project that is helping to bring together specialists from very different areas of expertise so that we can look at ways of supporting patients after breast surgery and developing new products to help women after going through this treatment.” Third year contour fashion communication student and forum member Melissa Holden said: “I want to be involved and be at the heart of this game-changer. “I also want to put all I have learned into practice and change women’s lives.” Read More