A new generation of labels is reconsidering what we need and want from our lingerie drawers. No longer do pieces have to come laced with outdated tropes, once thought of as a fast track to sex appeal. Instead, these most intimate pieces come with inclusive messaging, sustainable foundations and a gender-neutral stance representative of our times.
Parade – the lingerie brand started by 24-year-old Cami Téllez, which has pledged to become fully carbon neutral this year – is spearheading this switch. “For so long I didn’t see myself or so many others reflected in the big-box retailers,” Téllez tells Service95. “Knowing that brands have the power to write cultural scripts, I felt compelled to launch my own to help change the narrative.” In 2020, she dropped out of New York’s Columbia University to dedicate herself to Parade, a label that doesn’t define sexuality by satin finishes and chantilly trims, but is instead made up of bright, bold briefs and sleek, soft cups.
Unlike its predecessors, it is driven by the wearer’s fluid interpretation of how sexy looks and, ultimately, feels. “We never dictate what is sexy. We ask our community for their feedback and based on what they say, create products and a space that allows people to express whatever sexiness means to them,” says Téllez. “Parade has dismantled the archaic lingerie monopoly once dominated by an overtly sexual aesthetic that catered to the male gaze.”
Naomi Pike, previously an editor at British Vogue, is a freelance writer based in London
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