When was the last time you checked the labels on your lingerie to see what it’s made of? As the first thing we put on and often the pieces we wear the longest, it’s important to make more conscious choices about what we wear closest to our skin. Not too dissimilar to our pantry items or beauty staples, the chances are that chemically-laden polyester has made it into your lingerie drawer too.
This week, we hear from Chloé Julian, the inspiring founder of Videris, the locally-loved lingerie label known for it’s powerful use of colour and sustainable (not to mention soft-to-the-touch) separates worn closest to our skin. In this conversation series, Julian takes us on a journey through her impressive resume as a designer for internationally-recognised lingerie labels; how her burnout formed the catalyst for the conception of her business; and her personal mission to shift lingerie marketing from the male gaze and instead have women see themselves with grace and compassion. Learn more below.
In conversation with Chloe Julain:
Tell us a bit about you, your background and your career to date:
Born and raised in Hamilton, I studied in Wellington. My first graduate job was at Bendon where I learnt the technical requirements of bra design. Whilst at Bendon I became the Head Designer for Stella McCartney lingerie. Following this I designed David Beckham’s Bodywear line. In 2011 I became the head designer at Agent Provocateur. In 2017, I led the design team as Vice President of Design to launch Rihanna’s lingerie line, Savage X Fenty.
After working on Savage X Fenty I was recovering from burnout and making a lot of mindful health choices and more conscious decisions on what fabrics I was putting on my body and I realised 95% of my lingerie drawer (which has hundreds of bras) was polyester and I felt there was space for a well designed chic lingerie brand made in natural and sustainable materials. This led to me launching my own business Videris Lingerie in 2020.
How did your journey with major brands like Stella McCartney, Agent Provocateur, and Savage X Fenty influence the ethos and design of Videris?
Videris really is a culmination of all my experiences and I have been really fortunate to work on these brands. At Stella [McCartney] we took a lot of influences from vintage pieces. What I love about vintage items is the really clever pattern making and hidden details. This has really informed my aesthetic to create garments that look quite simple and effortless but have a lot of inner technical construction to create support and achieve a great fit.
At Agent Provocateur there was no compromise between fashion and fit, both were equally important. Here I learned how to work with the female body shape, designing really complicated designs often in materials not traditionally used for lingerie and honing my technical knowledge.
Each brand I have worked on has its ideal woman or look but when I worked for Rihanna she had this amazing vision of body diversity that hadn’t been so present in my previous jobs. This has really informed the purpose of Videris which is to promote self acceptance and be a brand that celebrates all women and all bodies.
Your brand places a strong emphasis on the connection between colour and wellbeing. Can you share more about how you’ve selected the colours in your collection and the impact you hope they have on your customers?
Colour is used a lot in marketing and advertising to encourage us to act and behave in a certain way. Most people are aware of the effects of non-visible light, like radio waves, microwaves, infrared light, ultraviolet light and X-rays but are less aware of the effects of visible light; the colours we can see. Colour is made up of light and energy and each has a specific different frequency and wavelength that can affect our mood and physical and mental wellbeing. I just love that we can use colour as a way to connect with our inner self, that which can’t be seen; feelings, intuition, emotions, thoughts, spirituality, values, purpose, and beliefs.
It’s really thoughtful when our lingerie is purchased as a gift based on the colours because it’s about how you want the giftee to feel, for a new mum it might be rosy pink to embody nurturing and unconditional love or poise green for balance and renewal. It shifts that traditional lingerie paradigm from being about how you will look in lingerie to how you feel. The collection has nine different colours chosen to represent a spectrum of moods and emotions.
When you consciously choose the colour that’s right for you, you are taking a moment to reflect on how you feel and what you want from your day.
Is there a specific cut or shape you’re most proud of developing?
Our Belle Maternity Bra because it’s such a technical garment. A nursing bra is a functional style and is most likely to be seen whilst breastfeeding. I knew there was space for a well designed maternity bra that was comfortable and also looked great as a fashion item as I hadn’t found anything when I had my first child in the UK.
I had the idea to develop a maternity bra during the first covid lockdown, I thought there might be a lot of babies born out of lockdowns and I actually fell pregnant myself, so I was able to develop and wear test the bra on myself, when I wore the bra straight after giving birth I even tweaked it slightly just as it was about to go onto the production line. So I have personally worn this bra and know it’s really great.
Videris translates to ‘you are seen,’ which is a powerful statement. You’ve also discussed the topic of the male gaze in a recent blog post. How have these themes informed your designs and the way you approach lingerie as a tool for self-expression and empowerment?
It’s about women seeing themselves with grace and compassion, thinking not just about how their body looks but about everything their body has carried them through. I think we are so conditioned to seeing images of women through the male gaze we don’t actually realise that we can be viewing an image of a woman secondarily through the lens of a heterosexual male, it’s actually kinda crazy when you really think about it.
When I create imagery for the brand it must be relatable, when someone sees these images I want them to think, that could be me, my friend, my mother. It is the antithesis of the imagery I grew up with in the 2000’s; the era of the supermodels, lots of beautiful women but not a body shape I recognised amongst myself and my friends.
I have mothers tell me that they felt comfortable showing their daughters my website, that’s really important to me, to portray positive and real examples of the female body that inspire inclusivity and redefine standards of beauty. There are many versions of the “perfect body.”
Your debut collection took nearly two years of research and development. What were some of the most critical aspects of this process, and how did you ensure that the final products met your standards for quality and sustainability?
The main fabric was really important and making lingerie in a sustainable material isn’t easy. Most lingerie is made from polyester and whilst this is great from a performance perspective as polyester never really breaks down it is not the healthiest option to wear against our skin nor is it good for the environment. The amount of chemicals used in the production of polyester laces, tulles and meshes is quite frightening. Unlike beauty or food products, clothing labels are not required to list anything except fabric composition, meaning synthetic fabrics can often contain forever chemicals. After much research and testing I chose Tencel™ a natural sustainable fibre made from wood pulp that wears well, is breathable and feels amazing.
I wanted the finished garments to carry the OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 which ensures that every component of every bra and knicker have been rigorously tested against a list of up to 350 harmful chemicals. It was a challenge in every part of the sourcing and development process because there are so many components in a bra, up to 12 different elements all from different suppliers. Having this certification gives me peace of mind that I am creating a product that is safe to wear.
As someone who has been at the forefront of global lingerie trends, how do you see the future of lingerie evolving?
In a similar way that the flat shoe or sneaker has now replaced the high heel in most women’s daily footwear I believe the wired bra will follow the same trend as comfort becomes a priority for women. Natural materials will replace the traditional plastic based laces and meshes as breast health and sustainable choices become an integral part of women’s buying decisions.
What’s next for Videris?
I am partnering with my friend’s charity Heart Place Hospital during the month of October to raise funds for Breast cancer awareness. This is a topic close to my heart and I will be donating a percentage of sales of all pink lingerie to her charity. I am working on offering our knickers with a monogram embroidery which will be such a cute way to personalise your knickers with your initials and a great gifting option. I hope to launch this late October.
If women could take away one lasting sentiment from this conversation series, what would you like to say to them?
Our lingerie is the first thing we put on our bodies in the morning and in the case of our knickers likely worn for the longest amount of time, so it is important to know that these items are good for you. Choose breathable lingerie that provides all-day comfort made in natural sustainable fabrics free from harmful chemicals.
Quick-fire questions
The most cherished item in my home is… my Hoya plant, I grew it from a cutting from my Great Grandmother’s plant
The Videris set I’m wearing on repeat for spring is… Future Purple which represents Imagination, Spirituality and Individuality
My favourite place to dine… Lilian
My next holiday destination… Mangawhai these school holidays
My guilty pleasure TV show or movie is… Schitt’s Creek
Album/artist on repeat right now… Caribou’s latest EP – Come Find Me
Three beauty products I can’t live without… Eve Lom Cleanser, Activist A.M.S Manuka Honey Lip Balm, Sans Activator 7 Body Oil
Images: Supplied.
