Intimate apparel companies and influencers came together for a special evening to celebrate positive branding and garment innovation at the annual Femmy Awards.
Organized by the Underfashion Club, Inc., a non-for-profit intimate apparel industry organization, the Femmy Awards were held at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York Tuesday. Former InStyle Magazine fashion director Hal Rubenstein hosted the awards, where several brands, including Aerie and Under Armour, were recognized for their ground-breaking contributions to the intimates industry.
Since debuting its unretouched #AerieReal campaign in 2014, Aerie has established a welcoming space for all body shapes in the intimates industry. Last year, Aerie supported National Eating Disorder Awareness week with a customer engagement campaign, which enabled customers to support the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) by buying select merchandise. Aerie also announced British-born model Iskra Lawrence as 2016’s #AerieReal Role Model and promoted positive body image with its Share Your Spark Campaign in August.
“I would really like to thank the Underfashion Club for getting behind us,” said Aerie global brand president Jennifer Foyle, who accepted the brand’s Retailer of the Year Femmy Award. “We want girls to be themselves and that is what we live by with Aerie.”
As intimate apparel advances with technology developments, many companies, including Under Armour, are revolutionizing the sports bra concept. In January, Under Armour debuted its first U.S.-made apparel collection, the Arris Project, which features advanced women’s sportswear. Developed with the female form in mind, the UA Arris Bra features mesh paneling and compression for low-impact physical activities and a special wicking technology to keep the body cool during workouts. The company aims to provide functional sports bras for female athletes, a demographic that is often overlooked in athletic apparel.
“Our mission is to make athletes better through the relentless pursuit of innovation,” said Under Armour VP of technical design Lisa Struble, who accepted the company’s Innovation Femmy Award. “To the other innovators here tonight, whether its intimates or a sports bra, we need to keep raising the bar higher.”
Related Stories
Established in 1958 as the Corset and Brassiere Women’s Club and re-invented as the Underfashion Club in 1963, the Underfashion Club aims to support future designers and emerging talent in the intimates industry. With annual initiatives, including the Femmy Awards, the Underfashion Club continues to foster the education of intimate apparel students. In 2016, the Underfashion Club distributed $220,000 in awards, internships and scholarships to intimate apparel design and merchandising students worldwide.