Australia’s Julie Lantry launches made in India lingerie range

Julie Lantry, who graduated in fashion design from the Sydney Institute of Technology, launched a label called Bulb, a range of sleep, loungewear and lingerie in 2001. British designer Niki Groom took a trip to India, where she met artisans and ethical cooperatives, followed by this trip in September 2014, she launched Soulmate Intimates, an Australian-designed, Indian-made ‘Ayurvedic’ lingerie label.

The idea was to create a product that would attract consumers while raising awareness about the environment and income of traditional artisans. She uses natural tulsi, neem and aloe vera plant dyes for their antioxidant, antibacterial and antiseptic properties. The organic cotton she utilises for her range is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard, and sourced from a farmer in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu and loomed into fabric and dyed with Ayurvedic herbs and plants at AyurTex, Tirupur. The fabric is then tested for colour fastness and shrinkage before it is sent to Bangalore for manufacturing.

Manufacturing factories too are certified by Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production and use the latest Swiss technology in underwear and employs mostly women to make garments. The lingerie is then hand block printed at Tharangini Studios and embellished at Studio Calantha by traditional artisans in Bangalore. It is then packaged in recycled material in Delhi and sold online in Australia.

Groom has also been organising textile tours to India since 2010 to help Australian fashion students collaborate with Indian artisans and build long-term artisan networks. Since 2012, she has conducted five tours for UTS and two for Technical and Further Education (TAFE), Ultimo in Sydney. Lantry is conducting an embroidery tour to Delhi next month and a weaving tour to Kullu in Himachal Pradesh in November. In 2016, she may take students to work with Studio Calantha and Tharangini Studios. Her future plans include expanding her line to children’s and men’s wear and partnering with an online sales platform for the India market.