admin “I am totally controlling and was very hands-on with the bras. For the very first T-shirt bra, I worked with the mills to develop this soft, soft, soft, soft fabric from the get-go. It was very important in terms of the fabrication and the way it’s made to get that feel-good softness. I was fixated with that. It was soft. It conformed to the body. And women just loved it. My recollection of those times (in the beginning was that) most bras looked like they were poking out or they looked bulletproof. But there’s no reason to ever sacrifice comfort from beauty and glamor.
“I grew up with the baby boomers and now their daughters and their granddaughters are wearing the bra. I have to say it’s very gratifying. It’s a starter bra for a lot of young women because it’s friendly and not intimidating. What makes the Feathers bra unique is the fit, and it’s flattering. There’s something sexy about it, the intricacy with the lace. You feel glamorous.”
Now in 2023, can you tell us how the Feathers bra, as beloved as it is, has been evolving with the changing fashion industry?
“I believe you can always be better. You don’t ever want to sit on your laurels — nothing’s perfect, and I feel very strongly about that. So starting with spring ‘23, we made the bra with 35% recycled materials; by fall, it’ll be 50% recycled. We’re mindful of updating a favorite bra sustainably with materials and all the components but keeping the fit. It takes over a year to change things in the production cycle, so it’s not a joke with coordinating all of that. It just takes time. But we are very committed to it in every way.”
Your East-West sensibility is often cited as what sets Natori apart. I wonder how you have managed to stay true to your original vision and ethos after all these years.
“I’m very proud of my Filipino heritage and I’ve always said my biggest asset has been, No. 1, being a woman and, No. 2, being Asian. Combining those two elements has really given Natori a distinctive point of difference. The East-West sensibility comes naturally to me because I’ve been in this country since I was 17.
“Our artisanship has always been front and center. People know me as a collector of art and our mission has been bringing that art into your daily life, even if you’re wearing these under your clothes. Our prints, our sense of color — you can tell from far away if it’s a Natori piece. The attention, the femininity, the strength. Natori is never wimpy. It’s never quiet. Investing in lingerie is self-indulgence, but I say indulgence is a necessity. It’s a treat that I believe we all deserve. I laugh because I hear that sometimes your generation doesn’t want to wear bras. I guess in the ‘60s women burned their bras, right? But, in the end, you come back to the bra because it’s practical, and you really want to feel good in it.”
