I can’t tell you how many times myself or other women haven looked at a lingerie item and asked ourselves any of the following questions: “How does this work?” “How is this even comfortable?!” Or how many women feel worse after looking through a Victoria’s Secret catalogue or having an unsuccessful trip to the dressing room. How many women feel defeated and less confident after all of this? It seems that when it comes to lingerie, it’s been created more for men than for us. It’s time we changed that and one women – Hayat Rachi – is leading that initiative:

“I always wondered – if lingerie didn’t have the sexualised context from the moment we are given our first bra, would it help girls pursue more in life? Not everything is about looking sexy, or fulfilling the male gaze.”

image001 Hayat Rachi wants to turn the lingerie industry upside down with what she calls ‘feminist lingerie’. Her UK lingerie company, Neon Moon, promises to bring us an affordable alternative that doesn’t objectify our bodies or make us feel bad about ourselves. Neon-Moon-non!-bra-and-bof!-bra-with-coucou!-knickers(Photographer-Fitria-Tjandra)-(3) Rachi decided to take on this challenge after facing the same issues many women face when searching for lingerie: finding a brand that connects to the same confident, empowering woman she was inside. She says:

“I don’t believe women need to be body-shamed into fitting a particular standard of “beauty” to buy great lingerie, and feel good about it. Women also do not need to be considered an object of the male gaze to have a purpose, which is frequently used in brand advertising. Bra styles that encourage push-up, padding and wiring to young women is especially frustrating, as it perpetuates body-shaming. Neon Moon was created on the back of this frustration. My brand is bold enough to stand up against it all, and have models who show their natural bodies in all its wonderful glory. I do not choose to hide the fact that women do have cellulite, stretch marks, acne, freckles or hair on their bodies – it is liberating to show aspects of a girl that would usually be retouched.”

rsz_slide_411146_5178476_free To help this lingerie line’s creation, Rachi created a kickstarter campaign, which was eagerly supported and funded! Manufacturing is set to begin August 2015. Watch Rachi speak in her kickstarter video below! Neon-Moon-bof!-bra,-non!-bra,-coucou!-knickers-(Photographer-Fitria-Tjandra) Rachi proves that lingerie doesn’t have to be uncomfortable or impractical. It can even be empowering and make a feminist statement. Neon Moon is completely body-positive, using un-retouched photos of unconventional models. You’ll see models with cellulite, stretch marks, acne and body hair – women that actually look like you and I! This is the brand we’ve been waiting so long for. It’s finally here!

“Women’s bodies are changing all the time. External factors such as diet, stress and menstrual cycle can make women’s bodies fluctuate. Girls should not have to question why they look a certain way or feel that they have to conform to society’s pressures. It’s important for girls to not compare themselves to unachievable standards of ‘beauty’. Rather, they need to reclaim the right to their bodies and decide how it should look for them and not for others.”

slide_411146_5177646_free_0 The lingerie is colorful, comfortable and practical with soft cup bras and underwear made from a special bamboo fabric that conforms and adjusts to each woman’s unique body! Right now, the lingerie is sized at small, medium and large – but Rachi has plans to expand into more both smaller and larger sizes. Shipping will be international (which is awesome – because I’m in the U.S. and I need this in my life!)

Help Hayat Rachi change the lingerie industry We’ve donated, and you can, too, by visiting Neon Moon’s kickstarter here. Although the campaign has been funded, further donations can aid Rachi in further developing her line. Anything helps! When women work together, we can accomplish anything. Let’s take charge and show the lingerie industry that you don’t have to objectify and sexualize us to make a sale. Let’s support a company that will actually nurture the body confidence of women instead of tear it down. Let’s show a company that represents women realistically that we are thankful and ready to stand behind it. Back this project!

Neon-Moon-coucou!-knicker--(Photographer-Fitria-Tjandra) For more, you can follow Neon Moon and the hashtag #NeonMoonGirl on Twitter and Facebook!

Neon-Moon-tac-tac!-bra-and-coucou!-knicker(Photographer-Fitria-Tjandra)-(2)

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