NAJA: Ethical Lingerie Empowering Women

Lingerie. Sometimes humans like to complicate things. We know we have the option to make undergarments a simple situation. We are aware that we can go basic. However there is something about wearing these lacey and elegant bits that can bring out a feeling of sensual power and confidence in a woman. Even if they are never seen by others they bring forth a sense of empowerment and a fearless poise. However, like many aspects of women’s fashion, they typically feel like wearing cages of torture after a few hours. Therein lies the dilemma: how to wear pretty things without fuss. Well Naja has perfected the art of comfortable pretty ethical lingerie, and they’ve done it consciously to boot. We are pleased.

“Naja is a product of our passions and beliefs:
a love for beautifully designed things, a bit of rebelliousness, and a deep desire to make the world a better place.”

What brands come to mind when you hear the word lingerie? Victoria’s Secret (previously one of the biggest lingerie distributors and retailers in the USA), is likely on the list. They are mega-giant manufacturers with massive marketing budgets. Also, ties to very well paid supermodels and television networks created a buzz that spanned decades. However the brand’s reputation is synonymous with HR nightmare level press accounts of body shaming, bullying and all around poor business ethics. Often the quality was extremely low and inconsistent. While not every mainstream lingerie brand is quite so low on our list, most major labels have a long way to go to be considered “good” brands in our eyes.

For us, the treatment of employees all the way down the supply chain is extremely important. As well, where and how are these garments are produced and how these practices affect the planet hold sway. How are the colors, patterns, and fabrics designed? It’s quite amazing how much the garment industry produces the amounts of fabric waste and the billions of gallons of water that are used just to dye certain fabrics for just a few wisps of fancy. It certainly doesn’t align with that empowered feeling we were looking for.

We know however that the most important thing to look for when buying our everyday lingerie is comfort. Women deserve to wear pretty things but we also deserve to get through a day without odd bits poking into us uncomfortably for the sake of looking good. We have therefore created a rather hefty checklist of wants when it comes to our knickers. One of our favourite ethical lingerie brands is doing the complete opposite of the mainstream by creating jobs, sustaining water, using digital technology, and empowering women globally. Naja not only supports ethics throughout their brand, but they go the few steps extra to ensure that they can give back more than they take. Then they package all of that ethical lingerie badass-ery into garments that are both fantastic looking and exceedingly comfortable.

Regardless of your personality, there is a Naja vibe to match. They cover a large spectrum of designs to align with their inclusive approach. From simple basics that maintain their sweetness with intelligent use of detail, to more intricate and elegant lace designs. We love the tattoo style artwork on the Sparrow brief as much as we love the sweet Bees & Grass line and Joey lace set.

Naja was created by two very strong and dedicated women. Catalina Girald started her career as a lawyer in the hustle and bustling city of NYC. Having an MBA from Stanford University, as well as a JD from Boston College, she is now the CEO and creative director for the brand. After travels through some of the most remote areas of the world, she developed an interest in empowering women in a different way and became the founder of Underwear for Hope program. Known for helping single mothers living in the slums of Colombia by teaching them to sew, the program directly offers them an opportunity to find employment that meets their unique needs. Naja also puts a percentage of each sale toward furthering the education of these women.

You many recognize co-founder Gina Rodriguez, who was a Golden Globe winner for her comedy series “Jane the Virgin”, as well as from her other projects such as “FILLY BROWN” that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival where she was given an Imagen award in 2012 for “Best Actress” in a Feature Film. The two women met while filming a piece on up and coming Latina women and bonded over their shared passion for empowering women. Their approach is seen clearly in everything their brand does.

It has been clear from the beginning that Naja’s image supports the idea that lingerie is for every body. They continue to break the molds of what lingerie advertising has looked like in the past. What we find so lovely about their branding is that their passion and focus is in changing the way that lingerie is being marketed. They are using their platform to connect with women with a major goal to change women’s lives. Instead of trying to target women’s collective sense of inadequacy with photoshopped models that are essentially aimed at the idea that a woman exists to please the male gaze, they want to be able to build a connection with all shapes and sizes that a woman can bring.

Their garment factory hires mothers at above market wages who are then also provided with healthcare benefits and training. Naja takes this care for the employee to another level, providing a schedule where their employees are able to balance both work and their children’s lives. This is key to making sure that their employees are not stressed or needing to choose between working or family. Providing as a mother is a complicated situation even for those not in at risk situations, so taking into account the entire family dynamic holistically says a lot about the brand’s authenticity in their approach. Each worker’s children are provided with books, school supplies, uniforms, and even paid meals. That kind of care for their employees is something this industry does not see often. The way that their business model turns an oft used symbol of sexualized women into empowered women  that appeals the most.

Naja as a company focusing on a sustainable approach is also very unique and different. Especially with consideration in how they create their beautiful and bright patterns by using digital and sublimation printing technologies. This is one of the highest environmental concerns in the industry but is often overlooked. Naja uses one of the most environmentally friendly processes that we see in the garment industry. The water consumption that garment dying processes typically use is incredibly high. According to the Textiles Economy Report put out by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, “Conventional textile dyeing uses anywhere from 25 to 40 gallons for every two pounds of fabric. Globally, the water used in textile production (including cotton farming) adds up to about 24.56 trillion gallons each year.” By using digital printing Naja is able to cut water consumption and wastage down to a bare minimum.

The last few years has seen a major incline with materials being made using recycled materials. For example, rPet fabrics made from recycled plastic water bottles. Unfortunately there is a misconception that rPet fabrics are eco. They are technically better than using virgin materials to produce nylon and polyester etc. In addition, if the plastics (which these fabrics are) that exist now are not recycled or reused somehow, then they will simply sit in their waste state for decades or even centuries. This creates a bit of a grey area in the realm of sustainability. We agree with those points. However we feel that anything that needs to be laundered often is not the best use. Especially in respect to garments that are by nature worn close to the skin, plastics are not the best choice. This is the one area that we would like to see Naja improve in.

Our take is this. Mass consumption of plastics was only available as early as the 1950s and they are not actually necessary. We would like to see a move away from using them altogether. It is true that fabrics such as these are commonplace for a reason. They are less expensive to produce en masse, they lend themselves well to blends such as poly-cotton, and they make the garments longer lasting in certain applications. However they also leach toxins and shed microplastic fibres into our waterways and oceans. This has been proven to be worse for the environment than simply dealing with the plastic issue as it stands now.

There are many better applications where rPet materials would be unable to shed. Since they are not laundered, handbags, upholstery, shoes and a host of other products are a better use. Regardless, it is obvious that Naja is doing wonderful things as a business. We hope it is on their agenda to implement organic and natural fabrics. Or at the very least, non-blends that aim toward circularity.

Fashionable staple undergarments have been around for literally centuries. We are happy that we are finally in a place where we don’t have to concern ourselves with buckles and boning to be on trend. Those pieces in a woman’s wardrobe that create a sense of sexuality and self confidence will always have a special place. These days we need to start focusing on how the garment industry provides fashion lovers with our clothing, no matter how small and wispy, in a smart, empowering and earth loving way.