Penny provides a supporting role

Published on 24/08/2003 01:00

PENNY Lancaster, the model girlfriend of rocker Rod Stewart, will reveal Michelle Mone’s latest line in underwear at a star-studded fashion show in Glasgow on Saturday.

Designers at MJM, Mone’s lingerie and leisurewear company, have been working on the new all-in-one undergarment for the past 18 months.

A spokesman said: "It is a one-piece designed for clingy evening dresses which provides support in all the right places without giving anything away. There is nothing else like it."

Former model Mone pulled off a sensation by signing up Lancaster as the face and body of her Ultimo range after a number of other celebrities. including Liz Hurley and Kylie Minogue proved elusive.

But sales have been even more difficult to pin down. Last year MJM made a loss on a turnover of less than 2.8m, far short of her self-imposed 2004 target of 100m, which she now admits was a mistake.

Recent distribution deals with retail chains such as John Lewis, Allders and Debenhams are expected to give MJM’s sales a lift.

Earlier this year Mone was allegedly attacked by thieves outside her Glasgow office, claiming they made off with her car containing designs for her autumn and winter collection.

The company had just been bailed out by entrepreneur and 25% shareholder Tom Hunter who provided a further 300,000.

The SECC show is the largest event staged by MJM in Glasgow and Rod Stewart is expected to attend after watching the first half of the Celtic v Livingston match.

DJ Boy George and pop singer Louise Redknapp are also pencilled in to make appearances.

Proceeds from the 20 tickets will go to a range of charities including the Breast Cancer Campaign and the Prince’s Trust.

Mone, the 2000 winner of the World Young Business Achiever title, set up her business with her husband Michael in 1996 using 16,000 redundancy cash from her previous job with Labatt, the brewer.