On Lingerie: An Interview with Lisa Chen

Audrey Berder interviews the founder of a Taiwanese lingerie brand to explore intimacy through fashion.

This interview has been minimally edited for clarity purposes.

Tell us about yourself briefly.

My name is Lisa Chen, I am from Taiwan and live in Taipei now. I am currently working on my own new lingerie brand called DELICATE CRUSH. I Attended Indiana State University.

What is intimacy to you ?

Intimacy is something that is close to the heart and the soul.

If intimacy is a person, then it’s someone who I can share all sides of me with, good or bad, and not have any negative feelings about it.

If intimacy is an object, then I believe it should be very soft and comfortable when it touches your skin. Something that makes you want to be wrapped in it all day, something light and comfortable.

How do you think lingerie can create more intimacy between people ?

Most of the time, only the closest people can see us in lingerie. Think about this, when we grow up, we stop letting our parents see us in lingerie unless we are still very close to them.

However, we can comfortably walk around in lingerie when we are with our partners, sisters, or even very close friends. This means that we only share this side of us when we feel the most relaxed while also feeling vulnerable. To not have to keep your guard up while wearing only a few pieces of lingerie covering your skin is an expression of understanding, of love, and all this draws people closer.

Could you describe what good lingerie is to you in 3 words ?

Good lingerie is sexy, comfortable, and makes women feel confident.

Also I would love to know: What was your main motivation behind such a beautiful project ?

I spent 8 years abroad and when I came back to Taiwan, I realized the lingerie choices are extremely limited. You either get the very sexy ones with poor quality, only wearable for 5 mins before it starts itching or feeling uncomfortable. Then there are also the super comfy ones which are however not very aesthetically pleasing, which do not elevate your own mood or confidence as well as it should. This is where I saw the opportunity in Taiwan’s lingerie market, because the only solution to this local problem is to buy overpriced, imported lingeries.

There is an increasing pressure on how women should be, especially physically, in modern societies. But i want to empower women in this process of self-love and self-discovery with lingerie, because before anything else, you have to find intimacy with yourself. I want women to feel confident and invincible, to love and accept their body the way it is, thanks to sophisticated and comfy lingerie.

Having a fierce and polished outfit is great, but if you still wear cheap and uncomfortable lingerie, then you will miss a lot of the magic you can feel as a woman. It’s like a missing piece of a puzzle, because finding the perfect lingerie is actually a difficult task. You have to think about the style, the price, the comfort... When you finally find the right lingerie for you, that piece becomes part of you as a person and can complete you. Apart from a missing puzzle personal piece, it also works like a magnet that pulls loved ones closer than ever, that creates a firework of intimacy.

Do you have any tip and advice for girls who don't feel confident in lingerie, or who don't feel intimacy with their partner while wearing light lingerie?

Please remember all sizes, all skin types and skin tones are all beautiful and always worth loving. You don’t need to be perfect to be loved. Perfection is actually suffocating and boring, leaving no space for growth. Be yourself and love yourself first, remember you are always enough, like a flower that is always blooming.

Intimacy takes time, don’t force it, if someone cannot appreciate you with lingerie on, then you can maybe communicate more, or else you can move on, to find someone who can love you for everything you are, body and mind, no matter the amount of layers of clothes on your body.

Audrey Berder is a third-year student in Politics and International Relations at LSE. "I love all forms of art; music, painting, dancing and photography are my main hobbies. I love watching movies and speak 5 languages. I am a very impatient, curious, outgoing and adventurous person. I live in Taipei now, with my parents."