Lara Intimates, a new sustainable lingerie brand headed up by two
Fashion Contour students from the London College of Fashion, is set to
launch a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter next month.
Co-founders Cindy Liberman and Faith Leeves are looking to raise 22,500
pounds to pay for fabrics, specialist lingerie sewing machines, equipment
and a new studio space in East London, in order to launch their lingerie
label in September.
“Lara Intimates has grown very close to a group of women on social media
that want beautiful underwear that’s made responsibly,” said co-founders
Liberman and Leeves. “Through crowdfunding, we give that group of women a
chance to shop before we launch and they’re actually helping us make Lara
Intimates a reality.”
The sustainable business uses luxury reclaimed textiles that have been
unused or mis-dyed by large factories in the UK to ensure that its zero
fabric waste scheme converts scraps from the cutting room floor into new
garments.
The London College of Fashion graduates states that 10 percent of all
fabric in the fashion industry is wasted on the cutting room floor and that
its goal is to save and shred every loose scrap to use as stuffing in a new
garment, which is currently being developed by the duo.
The collection aims to offer women everything she needs in her underwear
drawer, including soft bras, wired bras, briefs, thongs, and bodysuits. Its
bras come in 28A-36E, one of the widest size ranges available, and features
double layers of mesh to add support around the body, with the aim of
taking stress off a woman’s shoulders.
The idea is for the sustainable label to rival high street styles whilst
putting emphasis on being ethical and transparent with how the products
have been put together and where the materials have been sourced from.
Liberman added: “Our products are so cool and different to what is on
the market and they’re ridiculously soft and fit like a dream. On top of
that, Lara Intimates is committed to sustainability. So many women thank us
for being ethical throughout our supply chain, and I think that’s more than
enough to make them invest.”
The Lara Intimates crowdfunding campaign will launch on Kickstarter on
May 8, with backers receiving their orders before the launch in September.
In addition, at the beginning of May, pre-orders will also start on the
Lara Intimates website.
The crowdfunding campaign launches on the back of the design duo’s Gold
prize win at the Student Enterprise Team Challenge final, where the brand
was awarded 5,000 pounds to help accelerate its new lingerie label.
The School Enterprise Challenge is a global start-up awards programme
for schools, with up to 50,000 dollars in prizes available for the most
entrepreneurial schools, teachers and students.
Images: Courtesy of Lara Intimates