Kirsty Lunn is the proud owner of 'Molke' along with her business partner, Ros. The ethical underwear brand aims to promote body confidence, support and comfort whether you’re pregnant or want to trade the underwire bra for a more relaxed, colourful underwear set.
Kirsty Lunn - Founder of 'Molke'
Can you give our readers a little insight into you and your background?
Hi! I’m a colour loving, out-spoken creative with a passion for all things boobs and sustainability. I initially studied Fine Art - specialising in painting - but then realised most degrees are pretty useless and decided to take off exploring instead! I’ve worked all over doing a huge variety of jobs, from tour guide in Paris to teaching in China. After having my first child I bought a sewing machine as I had the urge to get creative again. Not long after, I settled down near my parents in Perthshire and started making bras. The rest is history!
Where did the idea for ‘Molke’ develop from?
I made my first bra 6 years ago. I was running a small business sewing at home making clothing at the time, sewing when my baby napped. I originally made a bra after a friend suggested it as I’d been complaining to her at the awful nursing bras available. They were all so ugly, in dull colours (I love bright colours and patterns!) and made me feel rubbish. I believe good underwear can really change how you feel about yourself and give you confidence! Back then I was struggling after having my second child, learning to deal with how my life had changed and only having ugly and uncomfortable bras really didn’t help me.
I’ve not had any training with sewing or pattern drafting, I’m completely self-taught and I think this helped in many ways. Whilst I didn’t fully understand grading when I made my first bra, I made it to fit around the body and curves of real people, rather than to a measurement in a computer program.
One of the main ideas your brand supports is body confidence – Why do you think we, as women, struggle with loving our bodies?
Years and years of patriarchy! More recently media is directly responsible, I think. We are told our bodies should be an acceptable size and shape for our society and I think this goes far deeper than we realise. We want to support women on their journeys to accepting their bodies, it’s not an easy thing to do and seeing bodies like yours portrayed in media can make such a difference.
"I believe good underwear can really change how you feel about yourself and give you confidence!"
Can pregnant or post-partum ladies wear your bras and briefs and feel supported/comfortable?
Absolutely! Our bras work for so many people, from pre-teens right through to women in their 80s and beyond. I originally designed the bra for breastfeeding, but it also works well for pregnancy as it allows for a fluctuation in size and is comfy-something pregnant women definitely need!
Your products are very colourful and fun – what is your inspiration for these designs?
Whilst our best-selling colour is black, we love to bring joy and happiness through our colourful designs! When I first designed and made myself a bra, I was sick of the lack of options available to me, I love wearing bright and bold colours yet I was faced with black or beige underwear. Having something fun under your clothes can give you the feeling you are a secret superhero! We design fabrics in house mostly, but we also collaborate with other independent designers and illustrators. We try and offer something for everyone, from silly and fun prints, to more grown-up designs like the Cherry Lace. Our newest design which will be out very soon is going back to our rainbow roots and super colourful. I can’t wait, it’s very much my style.
Why is it important for women to wear a well fitted bra?
Comfort! A well-fitting bra gives you the lift and support that will mean more comfort all round. It can also help with posture and for those that want it, it will give you a great shape too.
In light of actress Gillian Anderson’s recent revelation that she will no longer wear a bra – do you think this will cause implications in the future?
Not at all. I embrace women choosing to do something that is beneficial for their own happiness and comfort. Bra free isn’t anything new- women have been doing it for years, bras are a relatively new invention! We’ve also seen a huge shift in trends in the global lingerie market in recent years which has led to an increase in customers, with lockdown accelerating this further. Women are reaching for comfy undies and ditching the wires for everyday wear. It’s a bra revolution!
You strive to reduce surplus waste wherever possible and say you’re passionate about slow fashion and sustainable growth – how does your brand do this?
Our business is strongly rooted in our ethical and environmental values. We don’t greenwash, we believe in slow fashion and items that are made to last. Using natural fibres and ensuring all our scraps are given another lease of life. We send our scrap fabrics to be made into CSP (Cloth sanitary pads- reusable cloth period pads) by another woman owned business in Scotland. Other smaller scraps are given to local craft groups or schools. We believe these beliefs should carry over to all areas of the business, because of this we are Real Living Wage employers, and believe our staff deserve to be treated fairly and with respect. Treating our wonderful staff well means they sew a little bit of love into every bra!
Are you working on any new products?
We want to empower women, making them feel comfortable and confident through the support of their underwear. We have some new products coming this year, I’m really excited about them, especially the size range. I believe clothing should be inclusive and I want to make items that solve the problems our customers have. Be it period pants in sizes that fit, sensory friendly bras for our neurodiverse customers and those suffering from chronic pain conditions, or bras that cover a large range of sizes. We are currently expanding the size range in our current bras - band and cup size, plus we have period pants and a racerback bralette coming soon.
For more information, visit www.molke.co.uk
Tagged in Pregnancy