Sustainable lingerie label to launch crowdfunding campaign

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.

Lara Intimates turns to Kickstarter to accelerate lingerie brand

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