The year is ending, and as usual, I like to do a roundup of the indie lingerie designers. It’s fantastic to see small brands get better and better or remain consistently exceptional over the years.
One-woman businesses aren’t easy to manage, but in the lingerie community, this is the kind of company we often encounter. I love to see passionate and strong-willed women speaking their minds through unique creations and artistic photoshoots.
Today, I want to feature seven indie lingerie designers I would love to try—or try again—next year. All of them show incredible craftsmanship and a will to touch the heart of the wearer.
Blue Reign
Blue Reign is a brand on my wishlist since 2015. It’s one of the first full bust luxury brands I have come across. At the time, I had never seen a luxury brand do H or HH-cup successfully. They used to run small and provide fashion designs that were far from fit oriented. Now fashion isn’t always about the fit, but it is super when you find both style and fit in one glorious piece.
The brand recently rebranded and re-opened, with three new amazing collections going up to a G cup (with the possibility of custom sizes). Every bra is adjustable at the back and straps. I would love to know more about the overall fit and sizing! It looks very risqué but promising. The entire line is ethically made in London, and from the product videos and pictures, the attention to detail seems outstanding.
Pillowbook
Pillowbook is another creative brand that took a little break and is back this season with new designs and the same beautiful spirit. Created by Irene Lu, a Taiwanese-NYC born designer, Pillowbook is a love letter to Chinese fashion and erotic culture from a modern point of view that excludes stereotypes.
At the center of her collections, the silk dudou—a diamond-shaped piece of lingerie—flatters smaller breasted figures. While Pillowbook offers some lovely bralettes, the dudou is the signature piece that gives a different flavor to this brand. I didn’t know it came from Chinese culture before discovering Pillowbook. I wore dudou-inspired tops as a child until my mother decided I was too full-busted to keep wearing them (around my 10th birthday sadly). Now that I have made peace with being a full-busted woman, I feel comfortable wearing Pillowbook’s creations, since I tried them last winter. It's good to understand where it originated. Irene’s creations indulge and feel free in your body. At least that is what they do for me.
Bettie Fatale
Bettie Fatale is a brand that is continuously improving. Fit and design-wise, it only gets better through the years. I was initially interested because it is Canadian. (I wish I could buy all my lingerie in Canada and save myself the customs drama.) But now I love it because of its “vintage-princess-rock-and-roll” aesthetic. Bettie Fatale is different, for the designer seems to create what she likes no matter what that means. I love that the brand isn’t restricted to a certain aesthetic, although it has its own. It's a reminder that you can rock whatever outfit you like. And can be provocative, cute, elegant fashion, small-busted, full-busted, petite, plus size, and fantastic looking. It’s a whole mood.
Queen of Suburbia
Queen of Suburbia is a Toronto-based brand that evolved in a fast and impressive way since it’s launched. Megan, the designer, former lingerie blogger at All's Fair in Love and Lingerie, went to fashion school and launched Queen of Suburbia in 2016. Since then, Megan shows a lot of dedication in perfecting both fit and design. As a former reader of AFILAL, I think the brand translates Megan’s aesthetic. It’s soft, dainty, and luxurious. I love that she offers customizations to adapt to customer needs. If you read the reviews from her Etsy customers, you’ll see that attention to detail shows in Megan’s work.
Emma Harris
Emma Harris is a UK-based luxury brand dedicated to creating timeless lingerie pieces that you’ll wear a lifetime. Sustainable and ethically made loungewear, and lingerie is something I admire. And Emma Harris offers this kind of fashion.
The brand appeals to a wide range of ages and doesn’t launch a new collection every season (there is nothing wrong with that). But if you need to save to afford some of their designs, there is a chance that they will still be available when you are ready to splurge. There is something great about saving to buy something. It seems to give it even more value after you put all your patience and hard-earned money into it. If you are looking for excellent silk and lace loungewear, this brand will meet your needs. There are a few pieces I've wanted to get for a while now!
Sada by Sarah
Sada by Sarah is an NYC-based brand that I fell in love with a couple of years ago, although I only tried it last summer. Designer Sarah Dawson is a free and creative spirit. I love that she creates pieces that sometimes look unpractical but still fabulous. Sada offers lingerie to celebrate yourself. It’s the lingerie you don’t need a specific occasion to wear and that you can put on and appreciate. It isn’t for every day or those super busy days. But whenever you wear these pieces, they remind you how amazing you look and how you deserve beautiful things. It’s refreshing, and this brand will only get better n the future.
Sofia Luzón
Last but not least, Sofia Luzón, a Stockholm designer that creates luxurious fairy lingerie. I have loved Sofia Luzón lingerie ever since I first discovered it. Sofia has the most delicate aesthetic, and you can tell that every single piece is a work of love and excellent skills. I have been dying over her most recent collection. Her work appears to come out of a melancholic fairytale—as if there's a story behind every collection. Like the other designers in this article, she creates slow fashion, which gives a very particular feel to her lingerie. It just keeps growing on you until you are sure that you must own it. I love her work and hope more people get to try it and see for themselves, myself included.
What is your opinion on slow fashion? Who are your favorite indie lingerie designers?