Having a good sense of humor is sexy, so it was promising that lingerie designers Maayan Zilberman and Nikki Dekker had some fun with their first presentation for their line, The Lake & Stars. The models, in looks inspired by “a 1970s American interpretation of Italian Neo-Classicism,” were guarded like works of art in a museum by a fleet of security guards. Only if you looked close enough each security guard had a tongue-in-cheek name tag like “Hugh Jass” or “Mike Hunt.” It was an idea that came to the Brooklyn-based designers in a state of “delirium” they said, but if you’re presenting a collection of lingerie, why not have some good naughty fun?

Though The Lake & Stars fall 2011 collection was more than just bras and panties–as underwear increasingly becomes more visible as outerwear (under loose oversized tanks and layered under sweaters and button down blouses)–it almost makes more sense to view The Lake & Stars as a ready-to-wear line. Zilberman and Dekker would like you to see it that way, too. Putting on a presentation, a luxury afforded them as one of Ecco Domani’s Fashion Foundation Winners, allows them to be viewed, said Dekker, “as a crossover ready-to-wear collection and more of a designer line and less of a ‘What do you wear as a bra and underwear?’”

The collection was delicate in lace and blush tones, with airy silk camisoles and dainty silk shorts, but with a hard architectural edge. Balconette bras had intricate bondage-esque straps and you could see the architectural influence (they said they were influenced specifically by Italian architecture firm Superstudio) in the lace paneling on high waisted garter-briefs.