fit and shape.  “Creating a collection of bras with a variety of different shaping solutions and across a broad size range was an important and very natural progression for our brand, and one that our customers have been asking for some time now,” said senior designer Sarah O’Neil, who has worked at iconic lingerie brands like Triumph, Berlei, Bendon Group and Bras ‘n’ Things. “Although this initial collection of six bras is quite small in the world of bras, we hope that there is something for the majority of women to embrace and enjoy the benefits of support, comfort and fit, that each and every woman deserves.” Since the Nancy Ganz brand launched in the 90s, other major retailers have entered the category, with brands like Spanx and most recently, Kim Kardashian’s Skims following suit. According to reports from Statista, the category is predicted to reach US$3.8 billion by 2025. Thanks to Kim Kardashian, shapewear is now experiencing a resurgence, as new customers have been exposed to the product and it has evolved into an everyday essential. Like many areas within the fashion category, inclusivity is also becoming a priority and greater size and shade diversity is now available to suit a wider range of women’s bodies and shapes. The ‘All kinds of beautiful’ campaign that launched last year. Image: Supplied In fact, last year, Nancy Ganz shifted gears and launched a new brand direction towards body positivity, diversity and inclusion. Its ‘All kinds of beautiful’ campaign featured a wide range of Australian women of different ages, ethnicities and body shapes. However, O’Neil believes more work could be done by brands to create more innovation and excitement in the category as well as education for the consumer. “In regards to  the bra category and market in general, I think it’s looking a little tired and there is room for newness that is more meaningful, relevant and all-inclusive. There are some very clever technologies for constructing garments and some amazing fabrications with built-in performance and benefits for all customers,” she said.  “I truly believe there is a gap for us to provide better education around this, for our customers to feel more informed and confident when they make their next bra or shapewear purchase. With this in mind, I believe it’s always key to remember what is important to the end consumer when developing our next generation of shapewear and bras.” As technology has developed through the years, shapewear has also progressed and since the pandemic, there’s an even greater demand for comfort as consumers continue to work from home. This change in lifestyle is now top of mind for the Nancy Ganz team during its design process. “Our lessons learnt are most definitely that comfort remains a key priority, but that comfort can be more relaxed, more natural in its shape and wearing experience. Education for our customer is also important, she wants to better understand the detail, benefits and features of her potential new purchase, allowing her to make the best choice with regards to what is right for her,” explained O’Neil.  “Our next few seasons of new designs will continue to celebrate all of this whilst taking our customers on a journey with us of inclusivity and continued evolution and education.”