Design Thinking: Poppy Undies

(Image courtesy of Poppy Undies)

In Graduate School, one of the buzzwords professors love to discuss is "Design Thinking." Design Thinking is an iterative process in which we seek to understand the user, challenge assumptions, and redefine problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions that might not be instantly apparent with our initial level of understanding (Dam and Siang). Design Thinking enables a company to understand consumer needs to serve their audience better. For this project, I contacted different companies to learn how the organizations apply Design Thinking into their market offerings. I had the opportunity to talk with Emily Labowe ,Founder , to learn more about the mission and vision of her company Poppy Underwear.

(Image courtesy of Poppy Undies)

1. What makes Poppy Undies different from other underwear on the market?

Poppy Undies was born from a desire to combine my affinity for the art of embroidery with my favorite styles of intimates- comfort without sacrificing sexiness. Currently, we offer two styles of underwear, a high rise French cut pair with a delicate picot trim elastic along the edge, and the unisex boxer, made from 100% Los Angeles spun cotton. Minimalism, mindfulness, and authenticity are the ethos of Poppy from the pieces themselves, to production, to the thought that went into designing them. The underwear is adorned with hand drawn embroidery. All of our production is made sustainably in small batches locally in Los Angeles.

(Image courtesy of Poppy Undies)

2. How does Poppy Undies stay ahead of upcoming trends? I design my pieces based on ideas and objects that currently inspire me.

(Image courtesy of Poppy Undies)

3. How does Poppy Undies incorporate its mission and vision into its product offerings? I launched Poppy Undies with the intention of creating a sense of community, self love, and confidence through embroidered intimates, wear, and paper etc. Intimate pieces that celebrate the beauty within. I am reworking the sizing this year as well to be more inclusive. Sustainability is an important principle of Poppy- all of our pieces are made in small batches locally in Los Angeles, supporting the factories and workers in DTLA. We also package our goods in 100% recyclable mailers.

(Image courtesy of Poppy Undies)

4. What is the future of the company? We have some exciting collaborations coming out in the near future and new styles. I see Poppy as a stream-of-consciousness project based line, where there is room for natural growth and change.

(Logo courtesy of Poppy Undies)