Have you ever ever considered carrying underwear fabricated from lemon, corn, and sugar? Two sisters and entrepreneurs, Heli and Neli Kools, are making it potential. Past their blood relation, a typical thread tying them collectively was the issue of discovering lingerie that didn’t cater to numerous physique varieties. One is heavy on the bust, and one heavy on the butt. This private demand led them to discover the hole within the lingerie business. With the concept of launching one-size underwear that matches girls of various sizes, additionally they had sustainability or the eco-friendly facet behind their minds. And got here up with Intimate Queen, a physique inclusive lingerie model fabricated from vitamin-rich plant waste!

Well being Photographs spoke to Heli and Neli about their journey of introducing sustainable lingerie that additionally caters to the precise challenges girls face whereas selecting snug and long-lasting innerwear.

Who’re Heli and Neli Kools?

Heli and Neli are two sisters who have been born and introduced up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. Heli, 37, has an engineering background however adopted her ardour for music and studied modern music and efficiency in Los Angeles. Later, she did an MBA. Neli, 40, is an architect and has a Grasp’s diploma in City Planning.

Their entrepreneurial spirit had already sprouted roots again in 2009, once they began their first enterprise enterprise – an promoting company – in Mumbai, India, and in 2010 in Los Angeles, US. However their true calling lay elsewhere.

“Heli and I grappled with private challenges—Heli with bottom-heavy points and I, Neli, with chest-heavy considerations,” says Neli. This private demand led them to discover the uncharted waters within the lingerie business.

Their journey was fueled by a want to make a significant distinction within the lives of ladies. They scoured the lingerie world for gaps and found a typical downside–manufacturers claiming to supply the perfect match, carry, and assist, however with various sizes and suits. Heli and Neli determined to redefine the sport by creating underwear that tailored to the physique, making typical sizing irrelevant.

Heli and Neli use plant-based supplies to arrange intimate put on

Sustainability was on the core of their model. In a market that had witnessed important modifications, Heli and Neli stored in thoughts the rising consciousness of consolation, measurement, and match points. Additionally they wished to supply sustainability as an added characteristic for the acutely aware client. After creating a couple of prototypes, Neli says, “We performed in-depth interviews with round 50 girls, together with family and friends, affirming the necessity for a model that understood and addressed the precise challenges girls confronted.”

She provides, “Then we explored the world of materials and our search led us to wellness materials with varied advantages akin to odour absorption and temperature regulation. Our intimate put on merchandise have a sustainable design that eliminates the necessity to change lingerie ceaselessly on account of measurement or match points. Using strong supplies ensures the longevity of the product and the design makes them body-adaptive between a variety of sizes, lowering waste and reducing manufacturing.”

For instance, their Yew Tree Lingerie have a mixture of cotton and taxol from yew bushes. The Lemon Bae Lingerie have vitamin C from lemon waste within the lining. Corn bae lingerie use cotton and a particular fiber from corn and sugar beets. These materials are renewable and biodegradable, lowering the ecological footprint of intimate put on manufacturing.

What makes this underwear distinctive?

Based on Heli and Neli, the Intimate Queen product’s physique is adaptive and one measurement. They actually have a certification known as Oeko Tex, which implies our materials are free from dangerous chemical compounds, very breathable, and mild on the pores and skin. However their mission prolonged past consolation—their pH-balancing underwear was designed to keep up and promote the pure acidic pH of the vagina, contributing to total vaginal well being and well-being.

The truth is, Neli says, “It additionally consists of wellness options akin to regulating temperature, moisture wicking, quick-drying, ultra-soft, and light-weight, making it really feel like carrying nothing. In each approach, you possibly can’t relate to your present on a regular basis put on. They’re additionally nice for individuals with delicate pores and skin.”

Heli and Neli say that in their analysis, they came upon that 80 % of underwear are discarded solely due to worn-out elastic or lace and measurement and match points regardless of intact materials. This creates extra waste that may’t be upcycled for hygiene causes, finally resulting in landfills. Therefore, they created intimate put on that’s fabricated from plant-based materials, which is sustainable, promotes physique positivity, and reduces the frequency of waste creation. It might be proper to say that they have been considering of the consumer’s emotional well-being together with the planet’s well being throughout their prototyping section.

Sisterhood is a energy for Heli and Neli Kools

How is it to be sisters and enterprise companions? “We’re a part of the identical group,” quips Neli, including that they divided their tasks and maintained a harmonious steadiness between work and private life. The ability of working in direction of the identical targets was their driving pressure.

Need to change into a businesswoman? Discover out 7 ideas from Heli and Neli

As younger businesswomen with a distinct segment concept, these are the learnings they want to share with different younger women who need to observe an identical path:

• Comply with your coronary heart. If you’re obsessed with one thing, dig deeper and discover a connection that really solves a goal. You should have a happier life!
• Acknowledge the various wants of your audience and goal for inclusivity in your services or products.
• Leverage your present experience and expertise, even when they arrive from a special discipline, as it may possibly present a singular perspective and benefit.
• Be adaptable and ready to face challenges, utilizing them as alternatives for development and innovation.
• Hunt down mentors who can present steerage and assist, benefiting from their insights and expertise.
• Interact along with your viewers and hear attentively to their suggestions, as it’s a useful supply of enchancment.
• Keep in mind that age isn’t any barrier to pursuing your goals and creating a long-lasting legacy.

We want to finish this by saying that their journey was difficult however rewarding!