Discover 2018's Trailblazers!

02 July 2019

In 2018, The Best of Intima Awards added a brand new category dedicated to retailers who are changing the game with their innovative approach to intimates! Check out what makes them special!

La Lingerie, Madison

Owner Katherine founded La Lingerie not only to provide women of all backgrounds with access to high quality foundations, but also with a specific goal of providing a fitting experience that is educational, empowering and uplifting.
Since the store’s very inception, it has operated under the credo that lingerie is not merely something thrown on by women, but rather that it interacts with and affects many other areas of women’s lives. The La Lingerie team regularly offers educational classes to nursing mothers’ groups, at conferences and at in-store events, and encourages its staff to look after themselves, creating a happy, motivated workplace. Having built the complex layers of women’s lives into the very DNA of the store, when Katherine took the stage to talk about what made her store a trailblazer, she chose to speak especially about a very special event.

Once a year, La Lingerie goes on a recruitment drive, finding local women of all shapes and sizes to model their fine collection of lingerie and swimwear. Add some extravagant accessories, theatrical staging, and an enthusiastic audience, and you have the La Lingerie Annual Fashion Show. Raising money for a local women’s charity, the fashion show helps involve local women as models, audience members, and even beneficiaries of this amazing event. It was this unique initiative that Katherine highlighted at the Best of Intima Awards, even showcasing a video of the latest show!
The outlook of La Lingerie may begin with foundations, but it stretches far to encompass many other aspects of life as a 21st century woman. It is mobilizing its position in the center of the community to bring women across Madison together, one fit at a time.

rêve rouge, Toronto

A minor celebrity in the Canadian lingerie world, Liliana Mann decided to do something radically different when she opened her third store in 2017. Having noticed that the millennial demographic was underrepresented amongst the customers at her other stores, Liliana threw herself headfirst into millennial ways when creating her latest store concept.

Rêve Rouge is a radical step towards keeping younger generations interested in brick and mortar retail, and Liliana insists on staying up to date with her research. The tag line, “for the love of me,” emblazoned in neon lights on the back wall, speaks to a generation of women who are happy to put themselves first when shopping for comfortable pieces that make them feel good, and similarly, the products offered are reflective of a younger palate. From smaller, newer brands, to more comfortable, natural silhouettes, many owners will recognize the demands of this emerging market. Rêve Rouge also embraces the growing trend of underwear as outerwear, and stocks a range of styles that can be worn without anything over them.

At Rêve Rouge, all these dreams come true, and in a perfectly Instagrammable fashion! The red and white color scheme is completed by playful details, including a whole wall of lipstick kisses. The store’s vibe is sexy, without being restrictive, appealing to those who believe the key to sexiness is found in confidence, and being comfortable in one’s own skin. Liliana made no secret of the fact that establishing this concept took a lot of help and research, in recounting some of the challenges she faced when embracing a whole new vocabulary, a new outlook, and a new set of rules. Despite a few bumps in the road, Liliana’s gamble has paid off to great success, and the growth of Rêve Rouge seems to be unstoppable.

Yes She Can!, Marmora

The Yes She Can! store was only a year old at the time of its win at The Best of Intima Awards, but owner Dana Wilson had many more years of bra fitting under her belt. Her bra fit journey had begun in 2011, when she started selling bras from the back of her van, traversing the state of New Jersey. It is through this experience of travelling to different women, seeing them in their own homes, that Dana gained profound insight into a range of issues women are facing both in public and in private, as well as the ways in which a bra fitting can be a turning point in overcoming these struggles.

Dana’s decision to move to a brick-and-mortar store was informed by her desire to stock a wider range of sizes and styles for her every-growing customer base. The resulting store is a small, cozy space, filled to the brim with a hand-selected array of the best products on offer, intimate enough to make everyone feel comfortable – even those who may be intimidated walking into a bigger, more anonymous store. Years of visiting women at their own homes has certainly left its impact on Yes She Can!, both in the store’s décor and its deeply personal approach.
When invited on stage to speak at The Best of Intima Awards, Dana moved the crowd with a heartfelt speech addressed to all her clients: women recovering after mastectomies, new mothers, those struggling with confidence, those fighting oppression, and many more. Fitters and storeowners in the audience were especially touched, recognizing many situations they had seen in their own fitting rooms. At Yes She Can!, Dana’s customers have always come first, as she already had a loyal following before the physical location was established, and it is the desire to serve these women that has driven her every business move.

You can read about all the winners of The Best of Intima Awards online here, and don't forget to look out for updates on this year's edition on the blog, on our instagram @thebestofintimaawards, and of course, in the upcoming edition of The Best of Intima!