THE FRIDAY INTERVIEW: KAY LANG OF VIXEN & FOX

Vixen & Fox is one of Australia’s newest and most exciting lingerie brands but speaking with its founder, Kay Lang, this is much more than a story of wanting to design beautiful lingerie – this was (and is) a journey of discovery and courage in face of personal adversity. A harrowing but ultimate uplifting story…

Born and raised in Sydney, I attended a private girls’ school before joining the workforce at an early age. My professional journey pivoted when I joined the Seagrass Boutique Hospitality Group. There, under the inspiring leadership of one of Australia’s top restaurateurs, I found my entrepreneurial spirit and quickly climbed the ranks. By 20, I’d bought my first property and was going from strength to strength. My career in hospitality spanned over a decade, participating in the launch of around ten restaurants across multiple brands. This phase was transformative, teaching me the importance of structure, efficiency and team management —skills that have served me well in the creation and growth of Vixen & Fox. I relocated to Queensland to open a new restaurant however this never happened, prompting me to reassess my life’s direction. I decided to pursue a business degree at Bond University, and also started training to become a telephone counsellor at Lifeline as I wanted to give back. Prior to Vixen & Fox, I had no fashion or retail experience. Has this been challenging? Definitely! But when you have a big enough WHY, you just put one foot in front of the next and you align with the right people and opportunities along the way.

Why intimate apparel?

The creation of Vixen & Fox stands as my resilient response to a challenging life experience that resulted in me losing my freedom for some time.

(Kay’s life took an unexpected turn when she met a charismatic American man with whom she had a relationship and supposedly also involved in the hospitality business but when she tried to end it things got very ugly with him threatening the lives of her family members and blackmailing her into working as an escort, placing her in a soul-destroying situation that went against she believed in. Travelling all over the world with him, she managed to return to Australia to renew her visa and broke away from his influence, eventually becoming the star witness against this individual’s trial who was jailed for 27 years).

Going through such an experience, I know first hand what it means to lose touch with that sensual feminine energy we all have as women, that is why Vixen & Fox was born – so I could liberate myself and encourage other women to do the same.

It was through the adversity that I found the courage to reclaim my narrative and build a purpose-led brand dedicated to empowering women. My vision is rooted in the belief that lingerie is not just a garment; it’s a tool for transformation, an homage to self-expression, and a symbol of liberation.

What’s your brand’s DNA?

Our brand has 4 pillars which make up the main part of our DNA:

Expertly Designed – Experts in their craft, our team spend a year meticulously finessing every final detail of a Vixen & Fox collection before she is released into the world. We create new collections only twice per year, because luxurious things take time.

Consciously Crafted – We are conscious of our impact on the planet, the people involved in our supply chain, and the purpose behind everything we do.
Honouring Our Earth – We believe in working in harmony with mother earth, not against her. It all starts with considered design – creating pieces that require minimal dying, low water use, as well as minimising textile waste by optimising our fabric efficiencies.
Advocacy – We support i=Change, giving back to organisations that support women in their recovery from abuse as well as The Freedom Hub, who run a survivor school for women who experienced modern day slavery [Kay donates $2 to the Hub from every sale].

What is different about designing underwear?

Designing lingerie involves unique considerations compared to designing other types of clothing due to its intimate and specialised nature. Lingerie is in direct contact with sensitive areas of the body, so achieving the right fit and ensuring comfort is of utmost importance to our team. This means you can go through quite a few samples before you get it right.

Our Bold bodysuit alone has 60 components, so it’s not a simple process to get it right, however it is very rewarding and exciting to see the final product.

Unlike loose fitting clothes that can fit most body types, bras and bottoms aren’t always so forgiving so it’s important as we grow as a brand, we design lingerie that can fit a range of body types comfortably and still feel luxurious.

Where do you get your ideas?

As you might see, our designs don’t include lace, frills or bright colours. This is because most of my inspiration comes from the art deco era as well as architecture. I really like strong lines, geometric shapes and earthy and neutral colours. I feel this design direction is what sets us apart. I’m also inspired by brands such as Alexander McQueen, Balmain and Dion Lee too – all brands that have a reputation for making garments that make a strong statement.

A typical week?

My weeks prior to now have mainly consisted of managing design and development across the 3 collections you see on our website as well as branding and strategy direction. I wanted to have at least 3 collections on the website before we started to reach out to wholesale partners and I wanted to ensure our messaging and brand was on point.

We have been selling direct to consumers since mid last year and that’s been going really well. This is driven by organic socials and paid ads, which are managed by myself and my partner.

On top of wholesale outreach and social media management, outreach to publications, stylists, podcast hosts and influencers is a priority for us to build brand awareness and give women the opportunity to try our luxurious lingerie.

I generally work 7 days a week on the brand, even if it’s a small amount on the weekends I’m always doing something to move the needle a bit more each day. Building your brand requires a lot of commitment and momentum, so days off are rare but it will ultimately pay off down the track.

Who wears your collection?

Our lingerie is worn by women generally between the ages of 30-45.

Who do you admire in the underwear industry?

I’d have to say Coco Chanel!

Coco Chanel played a crucial role in revolutionising women’s underwear. She introduced comfortable and less restrictive lingerie designs, moving away from the notoriously uncomfortable corset.

If you could design underwear for a celebrity, who would it be?

I’d love to design for Swedish singer, Snoh Aalgera. Her voice is angel-like, just so classy and elegant. She has actually been one of my muses I’ve had on my mood board since I started developing Vixen & Fox.

Any other ambitions for the brand?

This year it’s all about wholesale. A longer term goal is to have our own stores as our customers definitely deserve a first class, in person, experience when shopping our lingerie.

We would love to hold events all over the world, incorporating our own fashion show, networking and hearing from inspirational women. We want to continue building a community rather than just having customers.

Proudest moment to date?

Having our lingerie stocked in the beautiful Brigade Mondaine Paris boutique (our 1st boutique). It’s an exciting moment when others outside your team see something in you and your brand.

Worst move so far?

Not getting a fashion business coach from the beginning of my journey but I don’t have any regrets as my decisions have led me to where I am today and it’s not too bad at all however for people just starting out, I would suggest being guided by someone with a lot more experience that can help you to avoid making too many costly mistakes.

Time out?

Outside the business, my partner and I live a simple life on the Gold Coast. We live near the beach, so nice walks with our little 8 year old sausage dog are a daily occurrence. We also have a date night every Wednesday to break up the week and get our heads out of a computer as well as a family day on Sunday, which shouldn’t include any electronics (we try haha).

Pet Hate?

Brands that mass produce in the name of increasing profits with no consideration for people or the planet. Creating a brand simply to make money with no higher purpose to improve the lives of others, is not a business model I wanted to use. Going the other route is the road less travelled and has been challenging but it has also been very rewarding.