In Conversation: The Nude Label
A love letter to femininity, ethical brand The Nude Label are reshaping our expectations for our first point of call each morning: our underwear. Designed to celebrate the female body at its most natural, the brand’s super soft cotton separates and bodies are non-seasonal, elevated basics to be reached for everyday. Stripping away unnecessary details The Nude Label underwear is the ultimate base layer to build upon in a neutral, balanced colour palette.
Above: Basic Bra & Triangle Brief in Rust
Designed and produced sustainably in Spain, long time friends Ana Alemany and Clara Ropero have approached the lingerie market with a modern understanding and a for-women, by-women sensibility. Their soft, emotive imagery and strong sense of femininity has won them a loyal fan base of women whilst tackling sustainability by maintaining local production. We started from the beginning and spoke to Ana and Clara about their love of comfort and how the brand remains supportive in all senses of the word!
Starting with the basics can you tell us where the idea for The Nude Label came from?
It all started when we were still living in London. We wanted to start working in fashion but we wanted to do it our way as we didn't feel big companies could accommodate or fit into our needs. Once we were clear we wanted to start our own business we started working on different ideas and eventually decided to make underwear as we realized there was a lack of comfortable yet beautiful underwear brands out in the market at that time.
Above: Basic Bodysuit Black
Did you have any experience in design before starting the brand?
We both worked in fashion before starting The Nude Label. Despite having experience in different fields inside fashion, starting our own business has been a big challenge for us.
What does designing for women mean to you?
It is amazing. As women we can understand the needs a woman has when choosing underwear so we try to do the comfiest bra our customers can have in the most considered and nicest way possible.
Above: Basic Bra and Triangle Brief in Peach
Given the strength in art direction of your shoots and social media, how important is aesthetic to the brand?
For us the aesthetic is an essential part of The Nude Label and our particular visual identity is one of the things that makes us different to other existing underwear brands. We believe in feminism, the concept of self-love and being inherently natural so we try to translate this idea to our followers and customers.
Above: Triangle Brief Black
As an openly sustainable label what do you do to ensure you remain ethically and environmentally conscious?
One of the most important things for us is the actual product and so we remain conscious towards the people who produce it. When working with people we want them to feel they are an important part of the team so we treat them as well as they deserve. It is also important to us that we produce locally so we can control and monitor the entire process, the closer the better.
We defend the slow fashion movement; we don't feel there is a need to change your wardrobe every six months, we believe in buying less but better and enjoying and loving the products you purchase.
Can you tell us about the choices you make for sizing, fit and fabrication?
What we keep in mind all the time is our intention to make the most comfortable pieces you can wear so choosing the fabric was easy. Stretch cotton adjusts to the body, feeling like a second skin and allowing us to simplify sizing. We don't use any underwire or padding in our bras and our closure system has different positions meaning sizing and fit is customisable. We make underwear that runs from XS – XL, trying to fit as many bodies as possible. There are lot of sizes still missing but we are working on this as the brand progresses to be able to satisfy all the women wanting to wear our underwear.
Above: Basic Bra & Triangle Brief in Rust
Has your personal style influenced the brand? What do you turn to for inspiration both culturally and sartorially?
For sure, our wardrobes are very simple and timeless so when starting The Nude Label we felt like we had to create underwear and basics in the same style and with the same kind of comfortable fabrics and materials we wear.
Which piece from the collection do you reach for the most and why?
Our favorite bra is the cut out, both of us really love it and wear it to death!
Above: Cut Out Bra in Sheer Black
Words by Rebecca Field. Shop selected pieces from The Nude Label online and in store.