Exclusive: Luciela Founder Lucienne Rutherford Wants Lingerie to “Flatter, Rather Than Fight” Your Body

What does it mean to make beautiful lingerie that does not ask a woman to compromise on comfort, ethics, or the body she has today? For Luciela founder and designer Lucienne Rutherford, it’s a question that began with one very disappointing shopping trip and eventually became a four-year investigation into lace, mesh, briefs, bralettes, biodegradable synthetics, and the cursed elasticated waistband.

After spending the better part of a week searching for underwear that felt decorative and feminine but didn’t dig into the body, Lucienne found herself shocked by how few alternatives existed. “After a lot of complaining on my part, one day my husband suggested I design something myself,” she says. “And that was the seed that eventually grew into Luciela!”

He had a point, although where most lingerie brands might approach comfort through a softer fabric or a stretchier waistband, Luciela goes several steps further. The label’s pieces are designed to flatter rather than fight the body, with sheer mesh, lace, painterly prints, and silhouettes made for women who want their lingerie to feel special from the moment they get dressed. “Women today have far too much to think about to be distracted by lingerie that rides up or digs in,” Lucienne stresses.

In keeping with that same level of care, Luciela has built sustainability into nearly every part of the brand. Lucienne sources European materials, produces in Europe, and selects fabrics, straps, elastics, accessories, thread, and labels made with recycled or biodegradable fibres. Even the packaging is recycled and biodegradable, while the website runs on renewable energy.

Below, we spoke with Lucienne about the failed shopping trip that sparked Luciela, the realities of building a lingerie brand from scratch, what makes a good bralette, and why the right lingerie should simply celebrate who you already are.

You previously mentioned that Luciela was born out of a personal frustration. Before starting the brand, what was your own experience shopping for lingerie and finding pieces you genuinely wanted to wear?

Extremely challenging! The idea for my own brand actually came just after a failed shopping experience, during which I spent the best part of a week trawling online and physical shops looking for what I wanted, without success. I have a particular gripe, which is the elastic waistband commonly used in women’s underwear – I hate how it digs in and, even on very slim women, creates a “muffin top” effect.

For my basic daily use I would typically stick to simple laser-cut underwear, but I decided that I wanted something more decorative and feminine. So I began searching and, although there was plenty of beautiful lingerie available, I couldn’t find anything that didn’t come with the dreaded elasticated waistband in the brief. It is something that I refuse to compromise on, and I became progressively more and more frustrated – and shocked – that there were so few alternatives available. After a lot of complaining on my part, one day my husband suggested I design something myself. And that was the seed that eventually grew into Luciela!

As many of us know, starting a brand is easier said than done. What was the research and development process like when you were creating those first Luciela pieces?

Oh goodness, with my non-existent background in the fashion industry, I was so grossly underprepared! I sometimes wonder whether I would have started the brand had I known how complex it was going to be…so it’s probably a good thing I didn’t! I was working a full-time job in SaaS at the time, so I spent my evenings and weekends researching and learning about the industry. That was one of the hardest parts, because I had no idea where to begin – no idea where to source suppliers, how to select fabrics (something that came back to bite me later), how to transform the ideas in my head into something real… The discovery of the Interfilière trade show in Paris was a big turning point, and where I met many of the suppliers that I still work with today.

I also found a sewist in Madrid, where I live, who was able to help me create my first (and second, and third, and fourth…) prototypes, which eventually went off to the factory in Lisbon. By that point I still didn’t have tech packs as I didn’t know such a thing existed; I was fortunate that my factory demonstrated enormous patience with me and my designs, and despite the challenges we managed to turn out the full collection. The entire process from conception to launch took about 4 years, and sampling represented a large chunk of that.

I lost count of the number of rounds of samples that I went through, but I was determined that the fit would be perfect. With no prior experience, it was very much a process of trial and error; it also didn’t help that, not knowing any better, my first collection contained 21 different designs!

From the beginning, sustainability and ethical production have been a big part of Luciela. Why was it important for you to build the brand around those values?

Very early on in the research phase, a friend of mine suggested I explore sustainable fabrics for my brand, and that sent me down a rabbit hole from which I have never emerged! I quickly became aware – and very conscious – of the horrifying impact of the fashion industry on both its people and the environment, and that has coloured every decision surrounding the brand since then.

I made the choice to opt for only European materials and production, for three reasons: a) greater transparency and ease of visibility over working conditions; b) minimisation of transport emissions; and c) prioritisation of local workmanship – something that has diminished continually over the last couple of decades as Asian production has emerged as an accessible and less costly alternative. For me it was important to examine sustainability at every level and each stage of the supply chain. It isn’t enough to pick one recycled fabric and call yourself a sustainable brand – especially when one single bra can contain upwards of 20 different components.

I decided that each and every material used in Luciela pieces, from the fabrics to the straps, elastics, accessories, thread and labels, would be carefully sourced and selected to contain either recycled or biodegradable fibres. And that is the case as it stands today, without exception. I don’t believe there is currently any other lingerie brand that can say that they are doing that. Lingerie, like sportswear, is a challenging industry to navigate sustainably due to the constraints and requirements of the materials, and I know there are many who advocate for natural fabrics.

It is a complex and nuanced subject, and one I could talk about all day (I won’t), but I do invite anyone who wants to understand more to read this article, or our spotlight on Luciela materials here. I believe that biodegradable synthetics are the way forward, and my goal for the brand – when industry demand makes it possible – is to create lingerie that is entirely biodegradable. Beyond sourcing and production, all of our packaging is recycled and biodegradable, and even our website is powered with renewable energy!

For women who may be investing in quality lingerie for the first time, what do you hope they feel when they put on Luciela?

I hope they feel vibrant, feminine and comfortable! Vibrancy and femininity are two core pillars of the brand’s visual identity, and something I really hope to convey to the women who wear our pieces. A lot of work has gone into creating pieces that flatter, rather than fight (elasticated waistband, I’m looking at you), the feminine silhouette, so that women can feel elegant from the moment they put their underwear on in the morning. And comfort…goes without saying!

A piece of lingerie can be the most beautiful thing in the world, but if it isn’t comfortable it will ultimately end up at the back of the underwear drawer. Women today have far too much to think about to be distracted by lingerie that rides up or digs in.

Luciela has some of the prettiest lace bralettes we’ve seen thus far. Whether you’re designing or shopping for yourself, what do you look for in a good bralette?

First of all, it’s important to have the right expectations when buying a bralette. A bralette is designed without an underwire or structured cups, precisely to give it a more natural, comfortable fit. This means that it obviously won’t have the same effect as a push-up bra. That being said, a bralette can still absolutely be supportive, and there are varying levels of support depending on the design.

Some bralettes are designed as minimal or “barely-there” pieces, like our sheer mesh range. These are deliberately sheer, without a lining, and provide light support for a natural, sensual shape. For women who want a bit more coverage, other bralettes can be lined and provide greater support, like the most supportive of our range – the Thistle Bralette (my favourite). Shape and support are variable and really depend on the woman’s preference, but a good bralette should always, always be comfortable.

Sheer mesh, lace, and pretty prints all seem to be hallmarks of the label, but at the same time, they can also feel intimidating for some women to embrace. What advice would you give to anyone about feeling confident in their lingerie?

This is an interesting question! I think we’ve been taught that confidence is something you earn before you’re “allowed” to wear beautiful lingerie. I see it the other way around. You don’t need to look a certain way or wait for a particular milestone to wear something that makes you feel good. 

Most women are far more critical of themselves than anyone else ever is. We wait until we’ve lost weight, toned up or reached some imaginary version of ourselves before buying beautiful lingerie. My advice would be: don’t wait! Life isn’t lived in the future. Wear the beautiful set now. The right lingerie shouldn’t ask you to change yourself – it should simply celebrate who you already are.

Pivoting away from the brand itself, the lingerie industry has changed quite a bit in recent years. What are you noticing at the moment, and what do you hope to see more of in the future?

One of the most encouraging developments I’ve seen in recent years is the continued progress in sustainable materials. When I first started researching fabrics, the options were much more limited; today we’re seeing far more innovation, and it’s a trend that has picked up pace in recent years – the only trend I’m interested in! I really hope the industry continues along this trajectory. Supply is, of course, governed by demand, so we need more lingerie brands to seek out sustainable materials so that the industry continues to invest in them.

Lastly, are you working on any new designs at the moment? Building on an already incredible year, what’s next for Luciela?

Yes, I am! The next collection is already designed, and I am currently sourcing the final materials and starting on the first samples. The pieces feel a bit more sophisticated and they have an autumn-winter feel; the collection also contains our first underwire bra! Apart from these new designs, I am working on variations of some of our bestsellers (like our mesh kimonos), so stay tuned!