Kindly, a new line of sustainable intimates, launched the first-ever patent-pending plant-based bra cup, which is sourced from Brazilian sugarcane. The brand’s product line features a wide range of sustainable bras and underwear made from recycled materials and a promise to never make consumers choose between function, planet or price. Sold exclusively across 3,300 Walmart retail stores as well as on walmart.com, Kindly is on a mission to make sustainability accessible to everyone.
“Real sustainability does not exist without accessibility. When selecting a retail partner, Walmart was a no-brainer for us. We’re thrilled to bring the world’s first plant-based bra cup to market, and humbled by the opportunity to speak to Walmart’s wide and diverse audience,” said Yossi Nasser, Kindly CEO. “It’s important to us that Kindly is known not only for quality products, but more for creating a movement toward a more eco-friendly and attainable lifestyle for all.”
The brand aims to connect the worlds of sustainability, accessibility and innovation by developing a proprietary blend of recycled nylon, spandex, elastic and sugarcane to create revolutionary products. The collection has been in development for three years, having undergone close to 30 iterations of trials, testing, molding and wear tests.
“In my 40-plus years working in the industry, this was the most challenging project I’ve worked on — and it certainly feels the most rewarding,” said Eve Bastug, chief product officer at Kindly. “It took us three years to work toward a cup that is over 80% plant-based. There is still work to be done, but our team is taking the steps to create a more sustainable future with beautifully-crafted products that people can feel good about wearing.”
Kindly launched with two styles of bras (available in sizes 34A to 40DD) and three styles of bralettes (available in sizes S to 3XL), as well as thongs, hipsters and boy shorts (available in sizes XS to 3XL) in both seamless and micro fabrication. The line will retail between $11 and $14.
“At Walmart, we constantly look for opportunities to develop products with a commitment toward sustainability,” said Denise Incandela, executive vice president, apparel and private brands, Walmart U.S. “Our goal was to develop an exclusive bra that is made with the planet in mind, and Gelmart worked tirelessly to engineer a game-changing innovation for the intimates category that provides our customers with a groundbreaking bra cup made from sugarcane.”
Silhouettes were designed with a post-pandemic lifestyle in mind. There is an uptick in consumer desire for all-day wearability and hybrid designs; non-wire, seamless styles and circular knitting were key for this collection. Design inspiration was drawn from Earth’s elements of air, water and fire — color palettes and patterns give consumers a multi-sensory experience from animal to colors recognizable in marbled waters and ombré sunsets.
“We take notice of consumer trends, and consumers want comfort and care much more about our planet than ever before, especially in this post-pandemic world,” said Caroline Limpert, chief marketing officer. “The Kindly collection is a huge step forward in democratic sustainability for Gelmart. We have created Kindly with the intention of building and nurturing a strong connection with like-minded consumers who are passionate about changing the world.”
With over 70 years of experience and a vertical supply chain, Gelmart International is the leading intimates manufacturer in the U.S. and partner to some of the world’s largest retailers. Ear- lier this year, Gelmart International launched its incubation and venture arm FullStride Ventures which incubates its own white space opportunities, as well as provides start-ups with investment and turnkey supply chain solutions, product development and marketing strategies. Gelmart and FullStride Ventures was the lead investor, manufacturer and co-founding partner of Lively and most recently Wknd Nation.
