By Julia Szabo
Preparing to walk down the aisle a second time, fashion industry veteran Annette Azan “needed something to wear under a very sheer wedding dress,” she says, and a traditional brassiere just wouldn’t do. So with the help of her two daughters, then aged 12 and 14, Azan hand-sewed an anti-bra, fashioned to follow the movement of her bust. “It felt and looked like I was braless,” Azan says, “but I wasn’t.”
Soon after, the family’s nonconformist creation became the prototype for a foundational undergarment game changer called Nuudii System, which offers a sweet spot between wearing a bra and going braless. A phenomenally successful 2019 Kickstarter campaign confirmed what Azan already knew: The invention mothered by her own bridal necessity would disrupt the entire intimate wear industry, in the most empowering way. “Nuudii makes living with boobs simple,” the promotional material promises, by encouraging customers aged 18 to 90-plus to “embrace your shape,” so vital for “emotional and physical well-being.”
The patented design and 360 stretch fabric hugs and holds the figure—every figure—with a modern ease that’s elegantly aligned with Donna Karan’s sculpturally fluid, timelessly organic designs. (Azan, who formerly worked for Karan and used to live in Sag Harbor, is proud that her multifunctional lifestyle brand was born on the beach.) “With Nuudii you can sleep, do yoga, travel, go on a date, get married. It’s part of you,” she says. It’s also machine washable and quick-drying.
Today, Azan’s daughters work at the company, and are part owners of the brand they helped create, helping to spread Nuudii’s body-positive message. “When I was a preteen, I couldn’t wait to wear a bra, the more padding the better!” says Gabrielle. “But as I got older and I started wearing Nuudii, I eventually threw my bras away altogether. I didn’t want my boobs to be bigger or perkier, I just wanted to look like me.” Adds her sister, Alaina, “Creating a product that touches my mom’s generation as well as mine is amazing.” nuudiisystem.com