It was just over a year ago. Lauren Santo Domingo, being Lauren Santo Domingo, was gracing the public with her appearance at yet another silly event or other, and there it was - the only thing that could upstage her billion dollar golden tresses that could buy and sell you in a second, the perfect dress. This proper silhouetted piece of heaven pulling daintily below the knee, slunk off the shoulder with a Georgia May Jagger tooth gap bodice that just winks of fun. The kind of thing you could wear to a garden party, tea with the Queen, or to ruin someone's marriage. After all, for the modern woman, versatility is key.

Having long been fashion's go-to for their quintessentially brilliant blend of demure and sultry, Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs are two of the most exciting names to watch in the industry. Body hugging looks with slits on slits on slits, Cushnie et Ochs is feminine, put together, and just about to fall apart. We took a stroll around the office of the design set that's dressed the likes of the most empowered, sexy women around - from Charlize Theron and Karlie Kloss to Rosie Huntington-Whitely and Diane Kruger - and grabbed some insight as to the perpetual women's issue. Sexy, but not too sexy?

[Photos by Wendy Ploger]

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