Meet Fortnight, the new kid on the Canadian lingerie block
It has been a whirlwind first year for Christina Remenyi, the designer behind the sophisticated, vintage-inspired lingerie label Fortnight Lingerie (fortnightlingerie.com). The Toronto-based company launched in February 2010 with their Super Sexy CPR instructional video, which is exactly what it sounds like and which received over 2.3 million hits mere days after its launch. “I wasn’t really sure how it was going to be received,” said Remenyi who designs and manufactures her handmade pieces with assistant designer and pattern maker Alison Chown. “I mean it was a great video and I had full confidence in how wonderful it was but you never know how people are going to react and it was really great to get all that amazing response back.” The Fortnight Lingerie founder and owner chatted with FASHION Magazine about her made in Canada approach and what it takes to make it in the Canadian fashion industry.
What has the public’s response been to your lingerie label? “It’s been great. I think people really need something like this in their wardrobe. I think everyone’s tired of finding bras that are molded, mass-produced. There’s something really luxurious about a bra that is hand-stitched, that has seams in it. It’s ultimately more supportive, will last longer and it’s so much more beautiful.”
I guess people are really happy to get a well-fitting bra. “And it’s funny in 2010 that so many women still don’t know how to properly fit themselves. So we’re trying to spread the word on what you want to look for so that when you do go bra shopping or lingerie shopping you know what to look for.”
Has launching in Canada made it easier or more difficult for your brand? “I think launching any Canadian line is difficult. The Canadian market is definitely a tough one because you need to prove yourself, but I think that they’re being really receptive and because it is something different I think people are taking notice.”
Your collections are manufactured in Canada. Why did you decide to keep it local? “Well we started making them ourselves and we still do actually make everything in-house. We tried and experimented working with contractors, but because it’s such a delicate garment a millimeter goes a long way so we like having the control and making sure everything is up to our standards.”
Do you think it’s important for a woman to have a lingerie wardrobe? “What good is a new $200 top if what you’re wearing underneath doesn’t make you look your best? So we say that it’s good to have different styles for each outfit. We’re trying to bring back the idea that lingerie is a really important item in your wardrobe and that it plays just as much a role in fashion as any other layer of dress.”
What’s next for Fortnight Lingerie? “Well we just partnered up with Simons and a few stores in the U.S., so we’re starting to grow and we’re introducing a lot of exciting new pieces. Bodysuits are actually coming our for Valentine’s Day, which we’ve been getting a lot of excitement over. We’re going to keep doing the same thing we’re doing, manufacturing in Canada. We’re going to keep it local and just keep expanding from here.”
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://fashionmagazine.com/style/meet-fortnight-the-new-kid-on-the-canadian-lingerie-block/&title=Meet Fortnight, the new kid on the Canadian lingerie block&picture=https://fashionmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/win10fortnight.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_31196" align="alignnone" width="580" caption="Photography by Mackenzie Duncan, courtesy of Fortnight Lingerie"][/caption]
It has been a whirlwind first year for Christina Remenyi, the designer behind the sophisticated, vintage-inspired lingerie label Fortnight Lingerie (fortnightlingerie.com). The Toronto-based company launched in February 2010 with their Super Sexy CPR instructional video, which is exactly what it sounds like and which received over 2.3 million hits mere days after its launch. "I wasn't really sure how it was going to be received," said Remenyi who designs and manufactures her handmade pieces with assistant designer and pattern maker Alison Chown. "I mean it was a great video and I had full confidence in how wonderful it was but you never know how people are going to react and it was really great to get all that amazing response back." The Fortnight Lingerie founder and owner chatted with FASHION Magazine about her made in Canada approach and what it takes to make it in the Canadian fashion industry.
What has the public's response been to your lingerie label? "It’s been great. I think people really need something like this in their wardrobe. I think everyone’s tired of finding bras that are molded, mass-produced. There’s something really luxurious about a bra that is hand-stitched, that has seams in it. It’s ultimately more supportive, will last longer and it’s so much more beautiful."
I guess people are really happy to get a well-fitting bra. "And it’s funny in 2010 that so many women still don’t know how to properly fit themselves. So we’re trying to spread the word on what you want to look for so that when you do go bra shopping or lingerie shopping you know what to look for."
Has launching in Canada made it easier or more difficult for your brand? "I think launching any Canadian line is difficult. The Canadian market is definitely a tough one because you need to prove yourself, but I think that they’re being really receptive and because it is something different I think people are taking notice."
Your collections are manufactured in Canada. Why did you decide to keep it local? "Well we started making them ourselves and we still do actually make everything in-house. We tried and experimented working with contractors, but because it’s such a delicate garment a millimeter goes a long way so we like having the control and making sure everything is up to our standards."
Do you think it’s important for a woman to have a lingerie wardrobe? "What good is a new $200 top if what you’re wearing underneath doesn’t make you look your best? So we say that it’s good to have different styles for each outfit. We’re trying to bring back the idea that lingerie is a really important item in your wardrobe and that it plays just as much a role in fashion as any other layer of dress."
What’s next for Fortnight Lingerie? "Well we just partnered up with Simons and a few stores in the U.S., so we’re starting to grow and we’re introducing a lot of exciting new pieces. Bodysuits are actually coming our for Valentine’s Day, which we’ve been getting a lot of excitement over. We’re going to keep doing the same thing we’re doing, manufacturing in Canada. We’re going to keep it local and just keep expanding from here."){kind=link}