Offering up a little support

After several years selling a successful body-shaping undergarment, a Costa Mesa company is preparing to launch a new line of panties and swimwear that will change the way women look at themselves from the bottom up.

KarinArt, maker of the “Biniki,” has announced plans to launch a spring production schedule for a new line of men’s and women’s undergarments designed to give the backside a comfortable boost. The new underwear are the second generation of the Biniki, a three-ring elastic support system that operates much like a bra. While the center strap wraps around the wearer’s waist, two other rings fasten around the upper thighs, providing a firmer look.

Company founder Karin Hart said the Biniki has been popular with women with flatter bottoms, especially with the prominence of full-figured stars like Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce.

Hart said she first got the idea for the product after she lost weight and noticed that certain areas were sagging more than they were firming up.

With adhesive tape and later some wire ribbon and two bra-straps, Hart created the first Biniki. Eventually she developed the elastic model, which includes two side straps for expanded control.

“A lot of people aren’t sure what do with their backsides and want to avoid undergoing costly surgery,” company operations director Darren Rizzo. “This just gives people another option.”

Hart estimates she sold about 100,000 Binikis since the company went into full production in 2002. Company leaders are hoping to expand that success with a new underwear and bikini bottom line. Women have to wear panties with their Biniki, but Hart said the new line will make the support system more comfortable and fashionable.

Hart said she used her friends and family to test the new underwear and is working with a team of seamstresses to get the final designs ready.

“A lot of my friends can’t wait for us to start producing panties because they want new pairs,” she joked.

KarinArt plans to finish its design prototypes by April and launch into full production by spring. Rizzo said the company will start marketing in Europe and Asia and will be working with several boutiques in the U.S. The company also plans to work on licensing deals and is in talks to design a full-body suit.

Hart, a former clinical psychiatrist, said she’s enjoyed her newfound profession and hopes to one day link up with a major retail outfit to sell her product.

“We have a lot of fun and this really keeps me feeling young,” she said. “When I think about all the women who could be wearing these panties and the fact that the idea came from this house, it gets me really excited. I want to be queen of the panties.”dpt.27-bizspot-CPhotoInfoI81ODHSM20060227ivbis9knMARK DUSTIN / DAILY PILOT(LA)Karin Hart in her Villa Park home with some of the Biniki panties for women flanking the four U.S. patents she has for her designs. The Biniki is a panty that does for the rear what the Wonderbra does for breasts.