Author: Juliette Lagrue
Feminist: 5 brands committed to women
Provocative and committed, fashion brands are championing the feminist cause. From Body Positive to No Photoshop and Empower Women, women are at the heart of the positioning of French feminist brands.
But what does it mean to be a feminist in 2024?
Being a feminist in 2024 means being aware of the inequalities around the world. Feminist movements began in the 1910s. They gave people the right to study, vote, work, and empower themselves.
But what rights are women fighting for today? The most well-known is equal pay. But it goes much further than that. Today, the feminist movement aims to break the primary image of women: a hypersexualized object of beauty or a mother.
Brands have decided to participate in this fight through innovation for women (menstrual panties), through their commitment to associations or even through their brand universe.
We are going to present to you the feminist brands that have caught our attention.
Meuf Paris: the brand that empowers women
The team had the opportunity to meet them thanks to the Planète Meuf pop-up store opened last November.
Many people know them from the sweatshirt and t-shirt they wore in Angèle's "Balance ton quoi" music video for "Anti Sexism Academy."
Claire Suco is the founder of Meuf Paris. Initially a freelance performer, she left film to launch her own brand with the goal of empowering women.
“I want to empower women through the clothes they wear.”
These are therefore t-shirts, sweatshirts and socks with positive and feminist “warrior” “badass” messages.
This is an ethical and feel-good brand; truly committed, which is not afraid to speak out. Claire Suco and her team regularly express their “rants” on their Instagram. Provocative and irresistible, we can only validate the entire universe of this brand.
Bombo: Witches' Panties
Three friends who have been working together since September 2019, Laurine, Fanny, and Noëllie, wanted to align their three planets on a specific topic: feminism. They became interested in women's intimate life and wanted to choose the thing that came closest to it: panties.
To create a feminist brand that stands out from the rest, they partnered with illustrators. Each collection is in collaboration with an illustrator who interprets the diversity of women's bodies, their intimacy, and their sexuality.
Their brand universe is well-crafted. They draw a parallel with witches, who have become a symbol of women's liberation: "underwear for sassy witches." And their name, Bombo, refers to Hecate, the goddess of witches, aka Bombo the Triple. It's this spirit of witch independence and rebellion that we find in this brand.
Mina Storm: Comfortable and comforting lingerie
We discovered Mina Storm during our competition to be part of our concept store at the end of 2017, they finished 2nd in the public prize.
The Mina Team was created by Samantha & Chloé after they graduated in 2016. But it had been on their minds for much longer.
They created their "comfortable and comforting lingerie." The underwear is designed for comfort and fashion for young girls and women. From the outset, they have been committed to promoting body positivity and refusing to retouch their photos so that every woman can identify with their models. All their models are selected from their social media channels without any body type criteria. A brand that aims to help women build confidence.
Feminists, certainly, but not only that. Their production is slow fashion, with limited editions in an effort to combat overproduction.
Superb: the revisited panties
Mélanie Daries is the driving force behind the Superbe project. With plenty of ideas in mind and a desire to create with her own hands, she embarked on the adventure and partnered with Sonia Taboubi-Béji. In June 2017, they produced their first pair of panties, which they saw as a fashion accessory.
They wanted to revisit panties as a piece of desire or as a comfort piece, like Petit Bateau. They were inspired by feminine shapes and curves. Their panties are available in high and low waists and in several colors: silver, gold, rose gold, velvet, etc.
Superbe also offers swimsuits, bodysuits, bras, and more. The young brand has created two collections to fit any budget: couture and ready-to-wear. Always keeping their mentor in mind: “Be who you want to be.”
Septem: feminist combinations
Jessica Troisfontaine, a business lawyer, launched Septem in 2017 out of a passion for clothing. It focuses on ready-to-wear clothing, particularly jumpsuits. The designer wanted to create a variation to accompany women in all aspects of everyday life: a jumpsuit to empower them.
The Septem team has created a community around the brand, "the Septem Girls." On its blog, the brand has created a series of portraits of determined women. Wearing their Septem jumpsuits, they share their stories and experiences: from Joyce Jonathan to Justine Hutteau to Siham Jibril. They have all taken control of their lives, and this is what Septem aims to convey through its collections and its universe.
They also follow trends and start podcasting with the Septem Club, featuring women.
Pop-up store rental to promote feminism
Retail makes it possible to clearly express your commitments. Some feminist brands, like Meuf Paris, have understood this well. Renting a pop-up store immerses your community in a universe you've designed. Through the space, messages reach customers directly, without an opinion leader acting as an intermediary. Whether you want to promote feminism, respect for the environment, or local production, retail is an ideal marketing pillar to showcase your commitment!
