When we think of lingerie brands and their models, it is hard not to picture the highly sexualized images which, for decades, have dictated western beauty standards and are made for the male gaze. Brands such as Victoria’s Secret have dominated the industry with a focus on runway shows which feature models who are both extremely thin and predominantly white.
Maïna Cissé, the founder of lingerie site the underargument, knew the world did not need another underwear brand. However, she was inspired to create a safe space where women could tell their stories, embrace their identities and be free to express themselves – all while wearing beautiful lingerie. A play on the words ‘undergarment’ and ‘argument’, the underargument celebrates the power of individuality and fighting against societal norms.
When launching her first collection in 2018, instead of hiring models using the usual selection process, Maïna explored the method of ‘anti-casting’ – blindly casting models to be the faces of the collection. She invites women to submit their authentic and original stories under broad categories such as, “for identity, against stereotypes” or “for insecurities, against self-doubt.” Maïna then selects the models for her next campaign, without ever seeing them or knowing their measurements in advance of shooting.
She says of the brand and her process, “Individuality fuels our purpose but, in a world fearing differences, it can be more intuitive to try to fit in rather than stand for our uniqueness and argue against the norm. the underargument exists to remind ourselves to always embrace authenticity so we can find our vision, fulfil our purpose, and simply live our best lives.”
The stories shared by models cover a myriad of topics from abuse and grief to exploring gender and self-acceptance. They are much more than a gimmick to go hand in hand with selling bras. In fact, when reading the women’s stories, the underwear, while still beautiful, very much plays second fiddle.
With other major lingerie brands such as Savage X Fenty being celebrated for using a diverse range of models in their shows, it seems change may be on the horizon within the industry. However, it is important that inclusivity isn’t seen as a trend or bandwagon to jump on. the underargument ensures that humans and their stories are always at the heart of the brand, no matter their race, size or background.
Each piece of lingerie includes a woven label featuring the name of the product. This serves as a daily reminder to customers to embrace their individuality. Names include; ‘Worthy of respect’, ‘Dig your flaws’ and ‘Success has no gender’. the underargument currently caters for sizes 28B-38E and XS-XXL, however, they are working on expanding the size offering for this year.
All images in this article are courtesy of the underargument.
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