Why lingerie brand Chouchou Intimates pays no consideration to the male gaze

Chouchou Intimates, pronounced shoo shoo, is the modern it-girl brand many lingerie lovers have been waiting for.

Frustrated with the choice between lacklustre everyday underwear and overpriced luxury lingerie, brand founder Tina Grasso took it upon herself to redefine the category.

“I understood that if I couldn’t find high-quality, affordable intimates that resonated with my style and personality, I would have to create them myself,” Grasso told Inside Retail.

Since its launch in 2019, Chouchou Intimates has given consumers a brand they want to buy into – a lingerie label that balances ethics and aesthetics. 

Grasso has re-written the rules for a lingerie brand, and her playbook is worth taking a page from.

Bringing sexy back

Contrary to the underwear empires that came before, Chouchou Intimates is not interested in selling an overtly sexual product that most often caters to the male gaze.

Grasso said she was “determined to challenge the preconceived notions surrounding intimates — who lingerie is for, how it is meant to make you feel and what is ‘sexy’.”

“I wanted to create products that women would genuinely want to buy for themselves as a means to feel more confident in their own skin,” she said.

Grasso’s research informed her that young women found most lingerie brands to be confronting and intimidating through their overtly sexual positioning – an insight that has gone on to guide not only Chouchou Intimates’ designs but also its photoshoots.

“We want our campaigns to resonate with our community by embodying the essence of our brand’s values and aesthetics,” explained Grasso.

“We want to evoke feelings of confidence, femininity, playfulness and rebelliousness with each campaign – the women depicted in our campaigns are always in control, they have the power and are owning their sensuality,” she added. 

Lingerie for all

Chouchou Intimates’ considered marketing to position itself as a lingerie brand for the girls and by the girls can also be seen in its approach to design and sizing.

“For so long, being feminine was demonised and having a ‘super-girly’ aesthetic was ridiculed, some even deeming it anti-feminist; at Chouchou we embrace these things, doing it on our terms with no consideration to the male gaze,” shared Grasso.

Beige or seamfree knickers have no place in the Chouchou universe – the Australian lingerie brand draws inspiration from the fashion of the ’50s and ’60s but reinvents them for the modern it-girl of today.

“Since day one we have celebrated femininity by embracing bows, ruffles, and lace, in a way that challenges outdated ideas of femininity and the typical notions of what is ‘sexy’,” Grasso said.

Beyond its designs, Chouchou Intimates has also pushed back on the lingerie industry’s antiquated portrayal of an ideal body type.

“Being as size inclusive as possible was a non-negotiable for me, the products are inspired and tested by all the women in my life so creating lingerie that suits a wide variety of shapes and sizes is hugely important,” explained Grasso.

“I try to highlight this as much as possible through our socials, we work with a wide range of models and content creators in the hope that our community can always find someone that represents them and to relate to.”

Currently, Chouchou Intimates’ size range caters from an XS to a 3XL and has plans to expand to include a 4XL in the coming months. 

Grasso refused to launch the brand unless as many women as possible would feel comfortable in her now iconic lingerie sets.

“A lot of people don’t realise an expanded size range is extremely difficult to achieve as a small business due to order quantities and the manufacturing process, so I really had to push in order to make it happen from the inception,” she shared.

In high demand 

Grasso’s vision for a new and improved lingerie brand that is grounded in inclusivity, sustainability and affordability has been embraced by consumers who now eagerly await every new collection.

In 2023, only four years since its launch, the brand had its biggest year to date generating seven figures – proving Chouchou Intimates is not a nice-to-have concept but an essential for women.

One of Chouchou Intimates’ bestsellers, the Audrey Bralette and G-String set, is sold every 10 minutes. 

Moreover, its European summer-inspired collection, Ciao Bella, went viral on TikTok this year and became the brand’s biggest campaign to date, selling one unit every 90 seconds. 

That kind of internet exposure that can only be created by loyal brand fans and is largely responsible for spreading the word about Chouchou Intimates – something Grasso is looking to make the most of.

“A key growth opportunity for us lies in expanding our presence in the US market,” stated Grasso.

“We have seen a growing interest and demand from US consumers organically, so this will be a focus for us moving into 2025.” 

While the US market is the primary target for expansion, Chouchou Intimates also remains focused on increasing its accessibility in Australia.

“We are also excited about the prospect of expanding into retail partnerships within Australia,” said Grasso.

“I hope by collaborating with select retailers, we can make our lingerie more accessible to consumers who prefer in-person shopping experiences, allowing them to touch and feel the products prior to purchase,” she added.

Chouchou Intimates has created a world that consumers want to buy into and wear.

“We hope to captivate prospective consumers with our unique designs, compelling narratives, and the inclusive and empowering message that our brand represents,” Grasso concluded.

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