indie lingerie brands

Inspired by her love of colour and print – and her pet peeve of elasticated waistbands that dig in – Lucienne Rutherford set out to create a lingerie line that was fun, feminine, ultra-comfortable, and created with environmental responsibility in mind. And she’s giving one of our readers a chance to win something!

Based in the UK and owned by Hungarian designer Linda Miller, Divaurae is a handmade brand that pulls inspiration from a wide variety of sources. I spoke with Linda to discuss colour, cohesion, and creating lingerie that conjures up a specific mood.

Earlier this year I wrote about the lingerie brands providing a repairs service as a way to embrace sustainability, and it got me thinking about other things that brands can do beyond simply choosing a sustainable fabric. One important thing to consider is what they do with the leftovers from that fabric.

Handmade in Málaga, Spain by Bohemian Soul Lingerie, these pieces have some of the most fabric I’ve ever seen on a nightwear garment. Just metre upon metre of fluid lace, chiffon or cotton voile that drapes down to the ground and puddles around your feet.

The first time I saw the Sans Peur collection from Âme Nue Intimates, it took my breath away. The brand itself is named after the French phrase meaning “naked soul”, and each piece in this new collection does an excellent job of conveying both the power and vulnerability behind that idea.

Earlier this year, I wrote about Beba Lingerie, a Serbian brand that I had at the time just discovered – and it was love at first sight. It was giving me strong Honey Birdette vibes, with maybe a little Bordelle thrown in too, and the prices seemed pretty great for the designs on offer. I simply could not get the brand’s Becca bodysuit out of my head.

Allow me to introduce you to what I’m already positive will be one of my very favourite collections of the Autumn/Winter 2021 season: Regalia by Studio Pia. It’s inspired by “the decadence and lavish excess of royal court dressing” and, as ever, is centered around some incredible bespoke embroideries.

Many designers are open to creating custom pieces, made specifically with your body in mind for little to no extra cost. This sounds too good to be true, right? Well, sometimes, it’s an amazing deal, and sometimes it means the product won’t be as great as you imagined.

I am delighted to be delving into my local Barcelona lingerie scene today by introducing you to another fabulous indie lingerie brand: ai!culotte by Paula Botana. This ethically-produced, slow-fashion label creates underwear which comes in vibrant colour schemes and uses fun and unexpected combinations of prints.

Even in a pandemic, creativity can thrive, and one of my favourite things to come out of 2020 was the newly-launched lingerie label Elena di Cuori which debuted online in June. It’s a luxury line centered around two things: sensual and sophisticated design, and “traditional, Made in Italy craftsmanship”.