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About Alicia Vargo, Founder
Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie

After a negative bra shopping experience at Victoria's Secret, Alicia Vargo decided to do something about it. In 2001 she and her husband, John, started an online lingerie store called Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie. The mission of her business:  "Nurture the Female Spirit!"

"I recall that day vividly. I was feeling rather blah and all I wanted was something to make me feel beautiful and confident "all under." But I left the store without a package, feeling empty and un-nurtured. The store had nothing to fit my body type," she laments. "But I turned that negative experience into something positive by starting my own lingerie store. I wanted to make women feel beautiful and cared for no matter their size or shape."

With the overwhelming success of PamperedPassions.com, the couple decided to take their mission a step further by opening a retail store in 2003, located in Englewood, Colorado.

In 2010, Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie was honored to be awarded Best Lingerie Reference Shop in the USA.

The award is part of the annual "Best Shop Awards" presented by Intima, the leading intimate apparel industry magazine.

Helping Others and Creating Sense of Community

Alicia actively works with underprivileged women and breast cancer survivors in her community and is a self-proclaimed "feel good junkie." Throughout the year, Alicia pairs with Dress for Success to fit disadvantaged women with new and properly fitted bras. She has fitted hundreds of women in Denver, Colorado Springs, Seattle and New York - and future cities are on the calendar!

Alicia also is a vocal advocate for breast cancer survivors, partnering with the American Cancer Society to fit women with post-mastectomy bras. She also networks with breast cancer clinics to ensure mastectomy patients have a place to get properly fitted for a bra. She employs five trained mastectomy fitters on her staff. "It"s my calling to nurture everyone I meet and take the time to truly care about each and every person - customers, employees and all!" says Alicia. "That is the secret to our success - we do our best to make every person that graces our lives feel special."

Becoming a Recognized and Leading Authority on All Things Underneath

Alicia has been recognized locally and nationally for her amazing efforts.

Locally, in November 2009, Alicia's hard work and caring spirit lead her to win the Leading Lady Award by Ladies Who Launch in Denver, an annual award that recognizes an exceptional female entrepreneur in Colorado. In September 2010, Alicia also was named as one of the Outstanding Women in Business by the Denver Business Journal, an honor awarded to only a handful of women each year.

Nationally, Pampered Passions Fine Lingerie was named as a 2010 "Bride"s Choice" recipient by WeddingWire.

Alicia is a recognized authority and industry luminary on all things underneath. As the National Intimate Apparel Examiner for Examiner.com she writes daily about the intimate apparel industry and latest fashion trends. She has been a featured expert and guest on Fox, ABC and NBC stations as well as in Cosmopolitan magazine, US Weekly, iVillage and other leading apparel blogs and sources. She is a member of the IAC, Intimate Apparel Council.

Prior to becoming a lingerie entrepreneur, Alicia spent 25 years in the wine, beer and liquor industry as an advisor to the Governor. She also served on the Colorado Board of Agriculture and represented the 22 Colorado wineries.