Producing A Responsible Underwear and Lingerie Line

Opening this Masterclass on Producing a Responsible Underwear and Lingerie Line, in this video, you'll meet Nicola Hopkins, founder of London-based design and development studio, Bold Intimates, and leader of this month's lessons.

Bold Intimates specialises in underwear, swimwear and activewear, with a focus on sustainability. Find out more about Nicola's experience and approach to creating meaningful experiences through consciously constructed underwear.

Learn the key considerations designers should make when sourcing fabrics and trims for a responsible underwear line. In this video, Nicola Hopkins, founder of Bold Intimates, covers the qualities you should look for in fabrics to create long-lasting garments, where to source these fabrics and the most sustainable fabrics available on the market today. 

This lesson comes complete with a guide to terminologies for materials and trims commonly used in underwear production. When you know what you want but the names are just on the tip of your tongue - this guide's for you!

Sizing in underwear is make or break, so in this video, Nicola Hopkins reveals some of the industry's secrets to help you achieve super comfortable, well-fitting underwear designs that your customers will treasure.

Although you'll almost certainly be working with a professional pattern cutter to create your underwear line, it's important to understand the process behind creating bras and briefs to ensure your designs work practically and meet the requirements of manufacturers and seamstresses. This video sets out nine considerations for brands preparing for the pattern cutting stage of designing your intimate apparel collection.

Getting the fit right for your intimates range will take several rounds, so make sure you know what to expect. Nicola Hopkins, founder of Bold Intimates, takes you through the process of a fitting session, including how to take measurements, what to ask your fit models and specific considerations for bras and briefs.

This video takes you through the most common stitches and sewing techniques used for underwear garment construction, where and when to use them and the effects they'll help you achieve in your designs.

Joanna Blein, founder of Feel Good Couture™ and eczema skin warrior, joined us to explain the effect that clothing has on those suffering from chronic skin conditions. After another hospitalisation, Joanna's 40 years of experience with severe eczema led her to finally take the plunge and launch a lifestyle brand that would assess the needs of other skin warriors alongside her own. Aiming to normalise skin conditions, while increasing confidence and wellbeing through stylish yet comfortable designs, Joanna's business is genuinely bringing something new to market - it was not being able to find it aged 15, that got her juices flowing in the first place.

Tuck in to raise your awareness on a little discussed topic, and increase your knowledge in researching sympathetically for such a business.

Underwear and lingerie is inherently personal, with markets across the board for functional or sexy, eco and quick. In this session we want to dive deeper into how underwear and lingerie can affect our mood, how sales have changed over lockdown and specifically how you go about launching a sustainable or ethical underwear and lingerie brand.

This live panel discussion first aired on 18th May 2020, 7-8pm.

Guest Speakers:

First guest: Nicola Hopkins, Bold Intimates

Bold Intimates is an expert product development studio for lingerie and swimwear brands, offering technical and sustainable solutions. After working for over a decade in the intimate apparel sector honing her technical skill and knowledge, founder Nicola Hopkins created Bold Intimates through her desire to consciously restore and regenerate a product development system that is relevant to our world today.

Second guest: Katie and Amanda McCourt, PANTEE

PANTEE is the world’s first underwear brand that gives dead and rejected stock a new lease of life by transforming pre-consumer t-shirts, that would otherwise go to landfill, into comfortable and stylish underwear. Founded in 2020 by sisters, Amanda & Katie McCourt, PANTEE products are designed and brought to life in the UK.

Third guest: Maïna Cisse, The Underargument

Maïna dreamt about bras from age 5. When others little girls dreamt of being princesses, she dreamt about being grown-up, being a 34C (very specifically) and having her first bra. Getting older, lingerie was therapy to her. It’s always been her go-to pick me up. Her rebellious attitude combined with her multicultural background helped shape a brand that thrives to empower women with their own individuality.

[Header image: shoot from Organic Basics]