(This post was originally published on June 8th 2015 and updated on March 21st 2021)
When the idea of Olyinka Lingerie was conceived, it was our mission to convey lingerie differently from the norm. We decided that we would only communicate what it meant to be a woman who wore lingerie — not on a sexual level, but on an emotional one. We are all different, and we all deserve to feel great, empowered and strong in who we are, not in how society wants us to see ourselves.
It was Audrey, our founder's, mission to design lingerie pieces that would last a lifetime; for women to feel beautiful in their garments and not be objectified; and to create beautiful pieces that women could feel empowered wearing. She named the brand Olyinka after an African word meaning 'strength'. Her hope was that we would be strong in our own skin — strong enough to love ourselves in all our glory.
Inspiration for her designs derives from the early 1920s, an era when lingerie design was much more appreciated and intricate — beautiful corsets, silk camisoles, and lace briefs. It is our goal to produce that quality of lingerie today. Lingerie is not just a sexual item but an art form that can inspire a woman to be more confident and strong. We believe that everyone should feel empowered and inspired by the lingerie they wear. Lingerie is about self-expression, and we are proud to be a brand where women can be themselves without being demeaned or objectified.
Every woman needs lingerie that fits her body, regardless of size or shape. It is our duty as a brand to provide pieces which cater for all women's needs and wants.
Olyinka believes it is our moral obligation and responsibility to challenge the way women are treated in society through our consumer advocacy, no matter how small or large the issue. We endeavour to promote a positive image of a woman through the media, and we feel this is one of our greatest forms of activism. Because we believe in respecting women, we have designed our products with this in mind. We will not promote harmful messages via our platforms and marketing campaigns.
To reinforce that obligation, we launched Olyinka Magazine — a digital magazine created to promote lingerie, body confidence, self-esteem, fashion, beauty, and style. What initially started as a small project quickly snowballed into something more, and it's a real passion project we are proud of. Olyinka Magazine exists to empower women, celebrate women's beauty, and showcase the products we all love.
With all these changes, we hope Olyinka will continue to be a leading brand in the lingerie industry, embracing feminism and supporting women with their body image, self-esteem and confidence. We hope to inspire women by producing beautiful lingerie pieces which are functional, unique, comfortable and true to size. Every woman deserves to feel confident about her body, so we set out to create images of beauty without distorting the form.
Our philosophy is that every woman is beautiful. Even when she's struggling with insecurity about her body, there are ways to feel beautiful and empowered. We believe that a woman's body is sacred and that any form of body shaming is not okay. We are a brand that values individuality and embraces it in every element of what we design.
This is our vision: to empower women, to make them feel confident, strong and beautiful by producing pieces which fit and flatter all women. To build a platform that encourages and inspires women to become their best selves.
So are you in?
We want to support the community as a whole, so if you have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to contact us. You can also subscribe here to be part of our vision and community.
In the meantime, enjoy Olyinka! xx
