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La Perla
What Ada Masotti started in 1954 as a small shop in Bologna, Italy, has turned into an international brand synonymous with ultra-luxe lingerie. While the Masotti family is still very much a part of the business-Ada's son Alberto serves as chairman, his wife Olga is on the board, and their daughter Anna does communications-San Francisco-based JH Partners now owns a majority share. In addition to lingerie, the label has come to include swimwear, and from 2001 on, a women's pret-a-porter collection. From 2004 until 2008, Alessandro Dell'Acqua helmed the ready-to-wear line, turning out collections of frocks and separates in nude hues, with draping and touches of lace or eyelet, evoking the sensuous underpinnings for which the label is known.