You want to empower women? “Well, just change your underwear brand”, says Naja. And created a lingerie brand that actually helps empowering women – and is also a very sexy lingerie brand.
Yes Naja. No, we are talking about snakes. If you have pronounced it as NaJA (‘Ja’ as in ‘Janet’ or ‘Jason’) you have got it terribly wrong just like I did. It is pronounced as ‘Naaya’. The meaning of the word doesn’t matter once you know the vision and purpose of the brand because it will melt you down to sweet nothings. Naja is a lingerie brand that has set itself to weave a mesh of global sisterhood in the most unique way.
Naja lingerie is specially designed for all kinds of women – dark, fair, tall, slim, curvy, skinny, size zero, size 16 – labels just don’t matter. The idea is to let women feel the feminism within and celebrate it. Each piece is thoughtfully designed and stitched to perfection and resembles the quality of a luxury brand. The fabric used is the finest and hand harvested from countries like Peru. The lace used is made of nylon than polyester as it is gentler on the skin. A major difference between Naja and other luxury lingerie brand is that you don’t have to dust your wallets to own one.
Here comes the best part. Beautiful and inspirational designs are etched not only in the exterior but also in the interior of the undergarments. Well the idea is make their customers feel beautiful not just from the outside but also from the inside.
Designs are even funky or rebellious or even cute. Even there are designs that express about vaginal hygiene in a quirky way. ‘Freethebush’ with a hastag says it all. Just like expression handbags Naja is also about expressing your thoughts but through your underwear. Not to mention pampering quotes like, “He offered her the world, she said she had her own.” printed on the centre of panties so that every time you pee these quotes would make you smile. Aww…
The founder, Catalina Girald and her team innovatively designs lingerie with just one word in mind – Empowerment. Girald who used to be an ardent fan of Victoria Secrets, the lingerie brand that currently rules the American market, refutes the imagery that the brand generates. She aims to make products that celebrate women and not victimise them beneath labels and social standards.
“I think Victoria’s Secret makes very nice products, but it’s a company sending out a message to women that they have to be very sexual, which I don’t think is a good message to send out to our girls,” she says. “I’m aiming for a brand with soul.”
And it doesn’t end there for Girald for she believes in working with a social purpose as well. A meandering travel history says she has been to unknown places with just a backpack and a one-way ticket. Her then exposure to the plight of uneducated women in the villages of Indonesia and Cambodia is the reason behind Naja’s ‘Underwear for Hope’ program. A percentage of a purchase is donated to the Golondrinas Foundation in Cambodia. The foundation teaches poor women and single mothers skills such as sewing which allows them to support their families. They sew the wash-bags that come with each Naja purchase.
So when you buy a Naja product you will get a wash bag with a name written on it. It would be the name of woman whom you have empowered with the purchase. That is Empowerment in the real sense. That is how we make the world a better place to live in. In Girald’s words, “When you educate a women everything changes.”
