Underlines chats this week with Joanne Deery of Loung-erie who came up with her idea (like so many good ideas!) in the periods of lockdowns during COVID-19. With no experience of intimate apparel (except as a wearer), she devised an alternative to underwired bras, designing prototypes, and researching the market and incredibly now producing her designs in the UK with her own D2C transactional website.
LIFE BEFORE LOUNG-ERIE?
I am a wife and mum of two incredible teenage boys – my life revolves around my family and I am very fortunate to have so much love and support around me. Career wise I graduated with a degree in Advertising and have had previous positions in IT, Web Design, Brand and Marketing but for more than 13 years I have been working alongside my husband and his business partner in the construction industry.
SO HOW DID LOUNG-ERIE COME ABOUT?
During the lockdown period, I found myself on a personal quest. I wanted to find a more comfortable and supportive alternative to underwired bras. I wear a 32FF/G brand and after a long day wearing it, taking it off used to be quite the highlight! Although unfortunately due to the laws of gravity and with two teenage boys at home, walking around with my boobs on the loose was not something I felt very comfortable with.
I wanted to wear something that wasn’t a bra – no back hooks, no wires, flexibility to accommodate fluctuating breast size and most importantly, comfortable straps that didn’t dig in and were adjustable. I had tried many ‘comfort’ style bras that I purchased online but I couldn’t find one that ticked all of the boxes.
Frustrated with my search, I vented to my husband about my desire to create my own solution. To my surprise, he bought me a sewing machine! I had no idea where to start and even thread the needle (thank you, You Tube) and it wasn’t long before I had a very rough sample. The more I worked on it and the more I shared my ideas with friends and family, the more I thought so many women would benefit from it – I then decided I wanted to create a brand.
AND HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT BRINGING THE IDEA TO REALITY?
I took the necessary steps to register the business and immersed myself in thorough research. The brand slogan “Everyone needs Loung-erie, not just Lingerie” captures its essence, offering garments that go beyond the confines of traditional lingerie. This is not to diminish the role of traditional lingerie but to show that Loung-erie offers a different type of garment that specifically addresses the need for comfort and support.
“Everyone needs Loung-erie, not just Lingerie”
BRINGING TO MARKET – WHAT STEPS DID YOU TAKE?
I then faced the next daunting task of finding a manufacturer with my lack of experience in the fashion and textiles industry – this was so much harder than I ever thought it would possibly be. My husband and I even attended trade shows in Paris, feeling somewhat lost and overwhelmed. However I remained steadfast to my goal, refusing to lose sight of my vision. Thankfully, I discovered the perfect manufacturer in the UK to create our first seamless collection. Since then I have also created a collaboration with another UK manufacturer and am currently working on a cotton range. Additionally their manufacturing processes are GRS certified and Oeko-Tek certified adhering to strict UK legislation and regulations. Making environmentally friendly choices is an important element in Loung-erie.
AND THE RESPONSE?
The positive feedback I’ve received so far fills me with pride and fuels my passion to create more. The journey thus far has been an incredible learning curve for me. My mum and sister have become my models, testers, confidants and my husband and boys are always behind me. I am still juggling my role as a mum, ordering building materials and calculating bills of quantities, packaging parcels, managing social media, researching and developing the next collection but I wouldn’t trade any of it.
[The Loung-erie Collection currently consists of Seamless Comfort Bralette and seamless comfort shorts in four sizes – S-M, M-L, L-XL and XL-XXL – in black, white, pink (This is Love) and animal print (Jungle Fever).]
AND FUTURE AMBITIONS FOR THE BRAND?
Well very soon we will be introducing a new seamless vest top with in-built support with signature front adjustable straps as well as a seamless nightdress also with in-built support and an animal all-over pattern. I am so excited to see how the brand grows and to continue to embody the values of comfort, empowerment and self-care.
