This week Underlines interviews Emily Bendell, Founder & CEO of Bluebella Lingerie, and how she ended up in the world of lingerie. She explains her sense of fulfilment in celebrating diverse beauty and being part of the conversation around sexuality and gender to encourage tolerance and celebration of differences.
Life before Bluebella?
I studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Oxford University and after graduating worked as a journalist. So not the usual route into lingerie!
How did the brand start and when did you start working on it?
I have always loved lingerie and just couldn’t find what my friends and I wanted. Back then the lingerie industry was very binary – underwear was presented as either boring and functional or ‘sexy’ to be dressed up in for someone else. I found this focus on the ‘male gaze’ to be deeply troubling. I wanted lingerie that reflected my personal style, that was fashion forward, but inclusive and accessible. Hence the idea for Bluebella was born. I originally worked on it around my journalist role, but then the renewal on my flat was coming up so I took the leap! I handed my notice in the next day and moved back in with my dad to cut my outgoings and got started on the business full time. I thought I would give it a year as a test and then decide whether to carry on. That was over 10 years ago!
I wanted lingerie that reflected my personal style, that was fashion forward, but inclusive and accessible.”
Where do you look for design inspiration?
I find living in London incredibly inspiring. What I most love about living here is seeing the constantly evolving wonderfully diverse street style, which helps develop our underwear as outerwear aesthetic which is a key part of the Bluebella brand. I also love the V&A, so much inspiration in those hallowed halls. A stroll through their jewellery exhibition has inspired the development of some of our product’s signature metalwork detailing.
What is different about designing the Bluebella products?
I think here at Bluebella we have a unique take on contemporary female sensuality. Our mission is ‘sensuality redefined’ – the belief that sensuality is something owned not shared. Every design is confident, empowered and a fashion statement. Some people might look at an open bra for example and see an overtly ‘sexy’ bedroom look. We understand that for the Bluebella woman this bra can be many things – from a styling piece that could be layered over a Tee or shirt as outerwear, to a beautiful provocative look that makes her feel amazing should that be her mood.
What are the highlights of your collection?
That is like choosing between my children! My favourites change with my mood and the season but right now I am loving the Maia – I just love the pleated banding and barely-there sheer contrast, so chic. I also love the Neeson PJs – gorgeous as loungewear but I also can’t wait to wear them on the beach come summer.
What do you read and whom do you follow in social media to keep ahead of trends?
I follow a fairly eclectic mix of designers, brands, musicians, influencers, artists and feminist icons. I am also inspired by the Bluebella community – it’s quite circular in that our community might style a piece a certain way or we see a trend developing organically which then helps inspire us in new designs.
Any other ambitions for the brand or complementary products?
For AW23 we are relaunching nightwear which I am really excited about. We have always created nightwear but it’s been a small part of our collection, but we have now really focused in on it and the collection is gorgeous. We’re also working on an exciting new category for SS24…watch this space!
A Typical Week in your life
One of the reasons I love my job is that no week is ever the same and that I get to work on both the creative side of the business and the business side – I really do love both equally. But to give you a flavour – I generally get up at 6am to sneak in a tiny bit of Pilates or yoga before my kids (age 3 and 5) wake up. I usually work three days from BB HQ in Hoxton and two days at home. We are working on so many exciting new things, so I spend a lot of my week in quite varied meetings – from things like reviewing samples or CADS and brainstorming new creative marketing ideas, to working on budgeting and reviewing our tech roadmap. Sometimes its hard to switch from creative brain to commercial brain so many times throughout the day! I also have 1-2-1 time every week with each of my senior leadership team. When I clock off varies dramatically. My husband and I alternate handovers with our nanny at 8am and 6pm so I usually either start early or work late and have the other end of the day focused on my children. I also travel to the US a few times a year for PR activations and to visit buyers and stores. I try and see friends at least one evening a week. At weekends the pace slows, and we might see friends or family or get away if we can.
Your proudest moment to date?
It’s hard to isolate one moment! We have won numerous awards, which is always lovely. I adored our Bluebella x Ashish collab collection which has recently been restocked for festival season. I also feel proud when someone I hugely respect creatively loves Bluebella: we worked with the Mercury nominated singer/songwriter Self Esteem for our 2023 Valentine’s campaign and I felt proud seeing her love for our product and ethos. I am also proud of the pioneering work we have done in the industry like casting a trans woman (Munroe Bergdorf) to front a major campaign back in 2018.
Your next big challenge?
We have something very exciting launching next year…watch this space!
Your worst move so far?
Again hard to isolate just one as the entrepreneurial journey is littered with mistakes and I think it’s important to be very honest about that! But to choose one – I think I have often delayed hiring for key roles which has been a false economy as when you find someone amazing you realise just how much value they add and how much they contribute to growing the business. I am now so proud of the amazing team we have at Bluebella.
What do you hope to achieve?
At the risk of sounding cheesy, what motivates me the most is the privilege I have of sharing my view of the world with our female audience. I really enjoy celebrating diverse beauty and starting important conversations around sexuality, gender and female strength. I hope to continue to use our platform to encourage tolerance and celebration of our differences.
What about time out?
I used to be terrible at taking time out from work but having kids has forced me to be much better at this – which I believe is probably better for both me and the business! I love spending time with my kids, seeing friends, visiting exhibitions, hearing live music and going to festivals. The sun instantly lifts my mood, and my happy place would be a beach with all my favourite people, great food, drinks and music. I am also a bit of a geek and love a ‘social deduction’ games night. If you have never played ‘One Night Werewolf’ or ‘Blood on the Clock Tower’ I encourage you to get your geek on and give it a whirl.
