Sexy Lingerie Line Naja Employs Single Mothers In Colombia

Catalina Girald’s quirky-sexy lingerie line, Naja, is the undies equivalent of Toms shoes, which donates a pair of shoes to impoverished children for every pair the company sells.

But instead of a one-for-one sales model, Naja employs single Colombian women who are heads of households. So every time you buy a piece of the collection, you’re helping someone to a better life — and maybe even improve the way you look.

Girald is one of only four Latinas in Silicon Valley with a venture capital-funded company.  She said that while she was looking for an e-commerce opportunity, she found what she identified as a hole in the lingerie industry.

“The lingerie market had huge potential but could use some serious innovation,” Girald, who received her MBA from Stanford, told Fox News Latino. “By the time I finished interviewing over 600 women, I found that most of them were largely dissatisfied with what they could buy in their price range.”

She found that the lingerie women could afford was often perceived by them as being cheaply made—even, Girald said, if it wasn’t.

Naja makes foundation garments in the same way as most major brands, the only difference is Naja’s garments are 100 percent cotton, including the lace (which gives the items a luxe feel). Naja’s bra cups are made from memory foam, unique interior bra prints, and ultrasonic sealed bra straps. Girald said that those kinds of details ensure that her retail prices are competitive with companies like Victoria’s Secret.

It’s a curious detail, but motivational quotes are sewn into the crotch of every pair of panties. What’s her personal favorite? “He offered her the world, she said she had her own.”

The author isn’t known, but Girald does seem poised to take the world of intimate apparel by storm.

“I found that women were not happy about the lingerie ads targeting them,” she said. “They’re all about big boobs and sex, not brains and professionalism. I thought, What if I could make a brand that tried to help women feel better about themselves?”

A percentage of every purchase goes to Naja’s “Underwear for Hope” program which is conducted in partnership with the Golondrinas Foundation in Colombia. Through the program, the company trains single mothers to sew and then offers them jobs, in the hope that they can improve their lives and those of their children.

Naja also gives customers a “lingerie wash bag” that’s made at home by one of the women employed through “Underwear for Hope.”

The question is: Can a fashion line that offers inspirational quotes printed on the crotch of its underwear with a business model dedicated to give working moms in Colombia a step up compete in the bare-knuckle (and bare otherwise) lingerie business?

So far, the answer is a qualified “yes.” Since its mid-December 2013 launch, the company has made over $50,000—all online and with zero spent on advertising. “We’re actually almost out of product,” Girald said.

The next Naja collection, she said, will pay homage to the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.