Brazilian model displays lingerie with a GPS device attached - Photo : AFP

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 30, 2008 (AFP) - Lingerie maker Lucia Iorio says her new design targets the modern, techno-savvy woman, but the GPS-equipped "Find Me If You Can" line has raised the hackles of feminists who call it a 21st-century chastity belt.

The lingerie combo consists of lace bodice, bikini bottom and faux pearl collar, with the GPS device visibly nestled in the see-through part of the bodice next to the waist.

"This collection... is a wink to women and a challenge to men because, even if she gives him the password to her GPS, she can always turn it off," Iorio told AFP.

"She can be found only if she wants to."

"It's not a modern chastity belt. Some men think they can keep tabs on their girlfriends with it, but they're wrong," she added.

Unconcerned with the controversy her new collection has raised, Iorio is also dismissive of the global financial crisis and its adverse impact on luxury items sales since the GPS lingerie retails from a cool 800 dollars, with a standard Global Positioning System, to 1,100 dollars with a more advanced model.

So how many has she sold?

Iorio admits to selling only a few so far, but is full of optimism for the future.

"Some women are now interested in buying it for protection," she said, adding that in a violence-prone country like Brazil her GPS lingerie should soon be selling briskly.