ABOUT
Naja is an ethical and socially-conscious lingerie brand that focuses on creating products for women’s comfort and enjoyment rather than the over-sexualised narrative in the undergarment industry. Their business also strongly focuses on reducing their environmental impact while empowering women – both making and wearing their products.
IMPACT
People
Through its Underwear for Hope programme, Naja employs marginalised women from the slums of Colombia, who would otherwise have difficulty finding employment opportunities, to work from home making the lingerie bags. This allows them to become their own ‘micro-entrepreneurs’. Naja primarily employs single mothers or female heads of households where they are paid above market wages with health care benefits so they no longer have to choose between employment and raising their children.
Product
The brand strives to make most things out of recycled PET or scrap fabrics from large productions that would have gone into landfills otherwise. They make underwear, activewear and swimwear from these materials and offer them at fair prices but with luxury elements and details. They use breathable memory-foam cups, hand-harvested Peruvian cotton and printed interior fabrics too.
Packaging
There is no evidence on their website if they reduce their plastic consumption or use minimal/recycled packaging. However, the existing packaging is an elegant folding paper mailer bag with images and encouraging messages with each package. Their intent to educate consumers and empower them is strong with their brand messaging.
Planet
Naja makes products from post-consumer recycled plastic that could end up in our seas. This minimises their water usage. The brand also prints items digitally instead of using rotary wet dyeing processes. This method allows them to keep an important amount of water as simply none of it is used in sublimation or digital printing.
Principles
The brand’s goal includes creating lingerie items with minimal water usage while empowering women. They also create zero waste collections made from recycled remnant fabrics. With eco and socio-conscious goals, they truly want to make products by empowered women to empower other women. Through their Underwear for Hope programme, Naja employs women from slums. They even donate a part of their revenue back to local charities towards continuing education for women.
