When 25-year-old Hayat Rachi was a teenager, she was disappointed when she found a lack of bodies in fashion advertisements that she could identify with. As the daughter of Moroccan immigrants growing up in London, she felt insecure because she fell outside of the strict beauty standards perpetuated by mainstream media. After being the first one in her family to graduate college (which she did with honors with a degree in economics), she decided she could be the one to change everything. How? By making underwear, of course.
Rachi is the founder of Neon Moon, a lingerie company devoted to ending the “objectification and sexualization of girls within the lingerie industry.” She believes that all women should be able to see models with bodies they can identify with. Body hair, cellulite, and other so-called “imperfections” are all normal things, Rachi reasons, so why shouldn’t advertisements represent this fact?
“Not everything is about being sexy or objectified for the male gaze,” says Rachi, “and that’s why Neon Moon was created.” And she has a point. Why should the most personal and intimate garments we wear be designed for someone else? Rachi has even chosen fabric that conforms to your body shape, instead of the other way around. If you wear Neon Moon, you make the rules, and feel comfortable—both physically and mentally—while doing it. That’s the idea, at least, and we think it’s a great one.
Check out the brand’s Kickstarter video below, and tell us what you think!