Talking Body Love with Lingerie Designers from Around the World

Lingerie is meant to be intimate and sensual, a delicious treat you share with yourself to feel empowered in the bedroom. However, it can be difficult to find a brand that you connect with in the sea of mass produced intimates that dominate the market; their supremacy propelled by glitzy ad campaigns that have redefined what our expectations are for a real body. Lingerie pushed into fast fashion causes it to lose all sense of understanding that not all bodies are created the same way, and that we are amassed with various shapes, sizes, and needs. 

Catering to those looking for a more personal approach, a new generation of unmentionables have been born, led by a bold group of female entrepreneurs that are tired of feeling alienated. Here are inspiring women-led brands from around the world that maintain their own unique cultural impact, but also share common passions about what makes lingerie such a powerful tool for women to fall in love with their bodies and selves.

Empowerment Through Underwear

When Brazilian Hope Lingerie  (a favorite of Gisele Bündchen) was founded in the 1960s, they had the bold vision of transforming the lives of women through beautiful, yet comfortable lingerie. Can something as simple as lingerie actually transform your relationship with your body and self? The designers I spoke to seemed to think so.

Starting your day by putting on a stunning and thoughtfully designed chemise is a surprisingly powerful body love ritual—really there no reason for donning pretty panties, other than finding joy in your body. 

For Sara Paspalj, the designer behind the Serbian label Kaan Lingerie, wearing beautiful lingerie is a chance to celebrate your body every single day, “Lingerie empowers women and we all know that very often, just pretty lingerie can make the whole day a lot better, even if we are the only ones who know about it.” Paspalj points out that in many places, like Serbia, there is still a stigma against women treating themselves or expressing their sexuality. She hopes her bold designs and commitment to body love will help younger women to explore the subtle art of sensual indulgence. 

 

Embracing the Natural

Madonna Bain is the mastermind behind Australian organic cotton label Eco Intimates, which is not only better for the environment but also healthier for our lady parts. For Bain, pursuing the natural is about more than using organic fabric, she also creates lingerie that comfortably conforms to the shape of the body. Enter: soft cup bras and comfy “knickers.”

Ophelia Debisschop, the woman behind the Belgian Ophelia Lingerie, follows this principle in her designs as well. “I design lingerie as a compliment for the female body, following its lines and curves. Most importantly, I aim to create pieces that embrace your own shape instead of trying to shape it into something else,” she explained. She also draws inspiration from the sophistication of high fashion and art throughout Belgian history, especially the surrealist movement. 

And then there’s Sandra Chayo, who although is creative director of one of Brazil’s largest lingerie brands, Hope Oficial, still makes the time to try on every single piece she designs to make sure it’s comfortable and empowers women to feel beautiful in their own skin. Feeling comfortable in your own body is not just a hallmark of Brazilian fashion, it might also be the reason Brazilian women are often considered the sexiest on the planet. 

Nurturing Your Body

The one thing all of these women agreed on was that loving your body cannot thrive solely as a statement; it must be followed by actions that both reinforce your appreciation for your body and help nourish it. Chayo reminds us this goes beyond just eating and moving in a healthy way—you also have to pay attention to your thoughts. Sara Paspalj seconds this idea: “You have to love it. It feels love, and it responds to that love just as it responds to hate, so be careful how you treat yourself.”

That’s not to say that healthy eating and exercise doesn’t play a significant role. Debisschop love nourishing her body with body lotion, while Chayo keeps to a vegan diet and practices yoga and meditation. Saunas and warm bubble baths were also a favorite amongst the women to relive stress and honor their bodies. Who says self care is always hard work?

 

Finding Acceptance 

It often seems difficult to find kind thoughts about our own bodies, we nitpick and compare no matter how much we say we respect and accept ourselves. But remember, there’s always something to be grateful for. Bain recommends that women practice self-gratitude consistently. “Thank your body everyday for how beautiful it is, how strong it is and how amazing it is! Thank your lungs for air and your legs for their strength. Everyday find a reason your body is wonderful.”

And yet, there are those days where we find ourselves displeased with what we see in the mirror, obsessing over flaws that only we seem to see. After watching numerous women tear themselves apart in her shop, Debisschop found that it is absolutely psychological: “In the fitting room, I constantly see women fixating on what they don’t like about themselves. This is how I realized that these fixations are merely that, only visible to ourselves. I often compare these ‘flaws’ with scars that have almost disappeared. They are not noticeable, but they contain so many bad memories that we give too much importance to them.”

It’s critical to stop comparing ourselves to others. After all, it’s celebrating our uniqueness and exploring ourselves that’s the key to self love, explains Paspalj. We strive to push ourselves as individual and independent humans beings, and yet we tear ourselves down. Isn’t it time that we practice what we’ve been asking for and seek fulfillment inside of our minds and hearts rather than our waist and cup sizes? Take the advice of these leading ladies and celebrate yourself. Slip into a silky little number and revel in your own beauty. Self love is absolutely a journey, but starts with scrumptious moments for yourself.

Feature image courtesy of Ophelia Lingerie