Maison Finou, la Lingerie thérapie

My lingerie therapy project is closely related to my two grandmothers.
It was my grandma Odile who gave me my passion for lingerie, and still today she continues to wear beautiful pieces.
On the contrary, my grandmother Odette, who worked as a seamstress, has a different relationship with lingerie. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 50 and had a mastectomy.
I was young at the time but even then I remember being surprised that she couldn’t find suitable lingerie that was practical but at the same time stylish…

Later on, I was faced with another problem: I didn’t fit into a traditional size category.
As a result, it was difficult for me to find Lingerie that I felt good in.
By sharing this frustration with the women in my life, I discovered that I was not alone.

It was this observation that prompted me to go to a fashion business school and start working in the textile industry.
As it was essential for me to understand what the obstacles and limitations of the industry were, I sought to diversify my experiences. Moving from the style office to the manufacturing floor to sales.
While working in sales in a lingerie shop, I once again realized that there was a strong demand for something that didn’t really exist.
It happened so many times that I lost count of the number of women who came into the shop and said things like "it’s no use looking, I won’t find my size".

We must put people at the heart of product development by focusing more on their individual needs.
In fact, in order to be able to provide products that fit a variety of figures as well as the different problems that women face, we have to completely change the way we think about and produce lingerie.
We can do this by rethinking our designs and using a similar made to measure process to avoid technical difficulties.

This flexible approach allowed me to develop:
. A real bra without wiring which makes it possible to combine both comfort and aesthetics for large breasts
. A practical but attractive maternity bra
. A set which has been redesigned to compensate for reduced mobility
. A bodysuit that smooths the silhouette and bring the breasts inward. Perfect for people with very large breasts such as size G or H
. A bra with two different cup sizes
. A bustier for small breasts that gives the impression of volume which allowed a woman who was insecure about her body to go out in public without a bra

My solution to be able to adapt to each person, to each problem, is to offer half-measure, customizable lingerie which is manufactured on demand in Paris.
I design different models that I adapt on the body of the person, taking into account their tastes, specific needs and lifestyle. We then further develop the model together, choosing the fabric, the color, etc. 

By experimenting with the concept on several different women and through involving them in the creation of the model, I was able to see how the women changed the way that they looked at themselves as the process went along. 
There was a kind of increase in self-esteem and confidence because we were developing the model together, taking into account each woman’s insecurities but also what they like most about themselves.

For me, lingerie is closely linked to our intimacy. It is like a second skin that accompanies us throughout our life, that follows the evolution of our body, the changes it undergoes and sometimes even the illnesses...
Our body and the insecurities we have about it are often connected to things that happen to us during our lives. That’s the reason why I talk about lingerie therapy.