Nudea and Fruity Booty join Etam Groupe’s WeDareLab accelerator

British sustainable underwear brand Nudea and London-based brand Fruity Booty, which makes lingerie, swimwear and clothing from deadstock fabrics, have been selected to join French lingerie giant Etam Groupe’s eight-month WeDareLab accelerator programme.

The accelerator, which begins this month, has been designed to accelerate eco-responsible and innovative fashion and lingerie companies through a customised support programme, which includes access to Etam Groupe's ecosystem and network of partners.

Nudea and Fruity Booty join French retail tech start-up Humanitics, which offers an AI-based tool to optimise retail performance and French men’s underwear and clothing brand Pétrone in the accelerator programme.

On joining the accelerator, Priya Downes, founder and chief executive of Nudea, said in a statement: “We’re over the moon to be part of Etam Groupe’s WeDareLab accelerator programme. For us, this means invaluable support from industry experts, resources and connections with suppliers and distributors.

“More specifically, we’ll be able to get support in launching a new technical bra in an innovative fabric, where Etam Groupe can help with production, and share expertise in strategy development for marketing in continental Europe, where we currently have no major retailer presence.”

Etam Groupe is one of the leading lingerie groups in the world, with more than 1,400 stores in 57 countries. The group includes Etam, the number one lingerie brand in France, Undiz, Maison 123, Ysé and Livy, which it acquired in 2017.

Launched in 2021, the WeDareLab scheme allows Etam Groupe to share its skills and expertise with start-ups to support their development. It has supported 16 start-ups in the lingerie, fashion and tech sectors, including British lingerie brand Lemonade and UK digital start-up Brarista, as well as American lingerie brand Liberare, French lingerie and swimwear brand Albertine, French lingerie brand We Are Jolies and French swimwear brand Chlore.